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In Theaters This Week
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans: Watch Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage turn Harvey Keitel’s 1992 tortured cop into a whooping clown. Entertaining for the wrong reasons, and occasionally flat-out bizarre.
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe: What compelled the titular lawyer to defend alleged killers, terrorists, and rapists? This doc by Kunstler’s daughters gives mini-history lessons but not a satisfying answer. Read More “In Theaters This Week” »
Reviewed: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Directed by Chris Weitz
Twilight backlash has proved a force as fierce as Twilight love. Except unlike the adoration, with its Teams This vs. That, the hate has been more equal-opportunity: Bella’s boring! Stephenie Meyer is a terrible writer! Kristen Stewart acts with her hair, Taylor Lautner isn’t tall or buff enough, and, for the love of Bram Stoker, the vampires sparkle!
In New Moon, however — the second film adaptation of Meyer’s four-book series now dubbed The Twilight Saga — glitter is the least of the lead bloodsucker’s problems. Because even the harshest critics of the tween-scream franchise have got to admit that being cast as Edward, the Hawtest Vampire of Them All, has, ironically, done star Robert Pattinson no favors. His main job in the first film was to brood, crush on, and brood some more, acting like he’s the sexiest, most pretentious being un-alive.
In the follow-up, he’s onscreen half as much but looks twice as ridiculous: The story has the sullen Cullen dumping his true-but-mortal love, Bella (Stewart), after she suffers a paper cut at a birthday party thrown by his family. Even though the Cullens are “vegetarian” vamps, the trickle of blood sends even the most well-intentioned of them into a feral tizzy. Edward, being the controlling 109-year-old ass that he is, decides that it’s too dangerous for them to be together. He and the fam abruptly leave town, giving Bella no further explanation than “You’re no good for me.”
In Theaters This Week
A week dominated by death and destruction — some for your amusement, some to punch you in the gut.
The Messenger: Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster deliver outstanding performances as two soldiers assigned to the Army’s casualty-notification service.
2012: At nearly two hours and 40 minutes, Roland Emmerich’s disaster porn about the end of the world plays like a bloated and miserable video game. Who would have guessed that seeing the Earth and its inhabitants dying piece by piece wouldn’t be fun?
Read More “In Theaters This Week” »
Tricia’s Takes: News and Notes from the World of Film!
Robert Pattinson, Gus van Sant, and the Rampant Homophobia of the Weinstein Company
A Sucker for Van Sant: Pattinson wants the director onboard for this, um, upcoming vampire flick.
• Brokeback Didn’t Completely Break Oscar-Bait Barriers: Peter Knegt of indieWIRE has accused the Weinstein Company of “de-gaying” the trailer for A Single Man, the directorial debut of designer Tom Ford that stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, and Matthew Goode. Ford’s production company released a teaser that shows Firth’s character, an English teacher, kissing Goode as well as looking longingly at a male student; Weinstein’s version offers just smooches between him and Moore along with blurbs about the film’s award-worthiness. The differences are admittedly easy to miss in the quick-moving montage that comprises both two-minute trailers. What is unmistakable, however, is that each drips in pretension while giving absolutely no clue what the film is about. A Single Man will have a limited release Dec. 11; no word on a D.C. opening yet.
Below the jump: Robert Pattinson, Gus Van sant, Will Smith, and…Jigsaw!
AFI European Union Film Showcase, Nov. 5 – 24
AFI’s 22nd annual European Union Film Showcase opens tonight with Mammoth, Swedish writer-director Lukas Moodysson’s first English-language feature starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams.
The festival runs through Nov. 24 with centerpiece screenings including The Young Victoria, a period romance from Gosford Park writer Julian Fellowes with Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a Terry Gilliam film already well-known for being Heath Ledger’s final project.
For tickets and more information, visit AFI Silver’s Web site.
Reviewed: This Is It
Directed by Kenny Ortega
There’s no mention of Michael Jackson’s death in This Is It — not even dates under his photo in the closing-credits dedication. But even if director Kenny Ortega had chosen to acknowledge the King of Pop’s passing, it’d still be easy to forget the fact while watching this extraordinary and eye-opening cobble of footage shot during rehearsals for Jackson’s fatefully named tour.
The last decade or so has framed Michael as an alleged pedophile and frail freak, the butt of jokes and scorn whose decision to perform 50 shows in London this year seemed a desperate attempt to dig himself out of bankruptcy. The truth of his past, however, feels irrelevant in light of the truth shown in this film: By the time the tour was gelling, the Weird One had left the building. Read More “Reviewed: This Is It” »
Meet New Moon Cast Members at Fair Oaks Mall
That is, “select” cast members. So don’t get your panties in a knot obsessing over the best outfit in which to drool on Robert Pattinson, ’cause he might not even show up.
Q&As at 15 stops, including Fair Oaks, will be open to the public. But to get up close and personal with the actors, you gotta earn it: VIP privileges will be bestowed only on fans who visit Hot Topic or…Nordstrom? really?…on Oct. 31. Visit either store’s Web site for more details.
The credentials will be handed out on a first come, first served basis beginning at 8 a.m. So you should probably get in line now.
In Theaters This Week
The Damned United: Michael Sheen stars as English soccer coach Brian Clough. Surprise, he’s cocky and charming.
Antichrist: Lars von Trier, misogyny, sex, and torture for all involved, viewers included.
Read More “In Theaters This Week” »
Taylor Becomes a Wolf: New Moon Clip
Eeeee! It’s, like, SO hot when Jacob totally saves Bella.
In all seriousness, though, Kristen Stewart has a nice right hook. But I’m not sure I’m impressed with the wolf transformations. Benicio Del Toro is much scarier.
Get ready to squeal in 3…2…1:
In Theaters This Week
A week brimming with creeps and killing, and it’s not even Halloween:
Law Abiding Citizen: A slasher disguised as a psychological thriller that’s disturbing on many levels, from its lack of a hyphen to its lack of taste, logic, and entertainment value.
The Stepfather: A remake of the 1987 thriller, opening cold. Shocker! Read More “In Theaters This Week” »
