The Lovely Bones (Paramount) For a film that tackles such an emotionally weighty topic—namely, the rape and murder of an innocent girl—there is little genuine emotion to be found in The Lovely Bones. Director Peter Jackson, the master craftsman behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy (arguably the greatest filmmaking triumph of the aughts), fills […]
Movie Review: Youth in Revolt
Youth in Revolt (Weinstein Co.) During the movie-going doldrums of January, a teenage rom-com emerges a cut above the schlock. It’s not a prolonged stint of anarchy as you might be—as I was—expecting. Instead, it’s got a quirky pulse and, for awhile at least, a deliciously nerdy vibe. Michael Cera is his typical pillow-pasty self—only […]
Weekend Movie Report: It’s a New Moon at the Movies
Reviews • The Twilight Saga: New Moon • An Education • The Blind Side • Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Summit) The Stab: A satisfying second chapter to the Twilight saga, improving on its predecessor in every way possible. Even with a scant narrative, the film gushes […]
Weekend Movie Report: 2012 is a Catastrophe, Pirate Radio is a Riot
Reviews 2012 (Columbia Pictures) The Stab: A poor excuse for filmmaking lacking in virtually every department. Even sequences of grandiose Earthly devastation are dim and dull. With a two-and-a-half hour runtime, this isn’t a movie: it’s torture. 2012 is just as the ancient Mayans predicted: an earth-shattering, cataclysmic event unleashing untold horror and agony upon […]
Weekend Movie Report: Carols & Creatures, Coaches, Coco, & Clooney
Reviews A Christmas Carol (Disney) The Stab: Visually spectacular, then some more—to the point of monotony. A scary story more than a Holiday moralistic tale, with emotional resonance suffocated by its showy display. Stuffed fuller than a Christmas goose, Disney’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale is overlong, overstated, and overindulgent. We all know […]
Weekend Movie Report: A Serious Man Means Business, Amelia Means Very Little
Reviews A Serious Man (Focus Features) The Stab: Rich with style and substance. Moves slowly but holds strong. A must-see for serious filmgoers. This darkly ironic comedy will make you go “huh” a lot more than “ha ha”—unless you are one to find humor in another’s misery. Larry Gopnik is steadily losing the reins on […]
Bel Air Film Festival to Showcase Local Talent on Sunday
This weekend, the Town of Bel Air Film Festival is being held at the Bel Air Reckord Armory on N. Main Street. The festival opened on Friday with guest speaker Michael Sragow, film critic for the Baltimore Sun, and a screening of the 1937 Victor Fleming film Captains Courageous. Two films were screened on Saturday: […]
‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Thrives and Falters on Its Childlike Essence
The film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved story Where the Wild Things Are is ambitious, built from a mere eighteen illustrations and ten (grammatically-flexible) sentences. Sendak promotes childhood escapism from a world of increasing anxiety, and Spike Jonze’s film vibrantly honors this spirit. The world weighs heavily on Max, our rambunctious young protagonist. He is […]
