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Blog archives

Blog posts filed under "film"

 

Movie review: 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2008)

I keep waiting for something matching Woody Allen's previous brilliance, but 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is not it.
 

Netflix million dollar prize overlooks the obvious

Netflix could give much better movie recommendations if they ditched their 5-star rating system for the standard 4-star system.
 

Movie review: 'Neil Young: Heart of Gold' (2006)

A simple, functional, and timeless piece of work from Neil Young and Jonathan Demme.
 

Movie review: 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' (2007)

Very worth watching for the empathy it fosters, reminding us of the harsh limits life can impose, and the unlimited potential of humans to exceed them.
 

YouTube's new 'Shows' tab: Streaming full-length movies, TV

The one that caught my eye first was David Attenborough's outstanding BBC series, 'The Life of Birds'.
 

Movie review: 'Searching for Debra Winger' (2002)

Five breathtaking minutes from Jane Fonda are the treasure in Rosanna Arquette's documentary.
 

Easter earworm: Main theme from 'King of Kings'

The 1961 film starring Jeffrey Hunter has always been my personal cheesy Jesus movie.
 

Rainn Wilson's SoulPancake.com: Fashioning art, spirituality

In an interview with Oprah, the comedic actor from 'The Office' outlines his new Web project for spiritual social networking through the arts.
 

Jeff Dowd, inspiration for The Dude in 'Big Lebowski,' joins Peter Himmelman tonight

The live, one-hour show starts at 7:00 Pacific or 8:00 Mountain or 9:00 Central or 10:00 Eastern.
 

The purpose of the Academy Awards: Honoring our healing stories

The 'Rosebud' episode of 'Northern Exposure' illustrates the magic mythological power of movies.
 

Movie review: 'The Darjeeling Limited' (2007)

Wes Anderson's movie about three brothers on a trip to India is awkward, but beautifully shot.
 

Joaquin Phoenix on 'Late Show with David Letterman'

Was Joaquin Phoenix's disoriented 'Late Show with David Letterman' appearance all part of a "hilarious documentary"?
 

Movie review: 'No Country for Old Men'

Not just another masterpiece of an action thriller, but a meditation on futility and death.
 

How Jerry Taft and TweetDeck found me fresh eggs, dead body

During a movie intermission, I try out TweetDeck's 'search' feature and find a dead body and fresh eggs nearby.
 

Next big movie buzz: 'Black Dynamite'

The buzz is building for 'Black Dynamite,' an upcoming spoof of '60s and '70s blaxploitation movies.
 

Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP is getting panned

If Gwyneth Paltrow wants to be the Thin White Next Oprah, she may need to kick her GOOP down a notch.
 

Movie review: 'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006)

Guillermo del Toro's companion piece to 'The Devil's Backbone' is not quite as brilliant as that film, but it's still very worthwhile.
 

'Shine a Light': Martin Scorsese's new Rolling Stones movie

Yes -- another Stones movie, this time on the big, big screen. It turns out to be a very enjoyable show.

 

Movie review: 'Volver' (2006)

Penélope Cruz is stunning in this well-crafted Spanish story from Pedro Almodóvar.
 

Movie review: 'The Motorcycle Diaries' (2004)

An atmospheric buddy picture about a South American road trip taken by Alberto Granado and Che Guevara.
 

Im Cooked: Christopher Walken's peculiar Chicken with Pears

Im Cooked is a new site featuring cooking videos, including this one from the beloved actor.

 

Movie review: 'The Departed' (2006)

Martin Scorsese's exciting, suspenseful remake of a Hong Kong thriller with a great performance from Jack Nicholson.

 

Ken Burns & Lynn Novick's 'The War'

An excellent documentary, resulting from years of searching and assembly.

 

Movie review: 'V for Vendetta' (2006)

A hokey adaptation of a graphic novel that is nevertheless impressive for its oppresive political atmosphere.

 

Movie review: 'Jesus Camp' (2006)

This documentary follows three children attending an unsettling and militant Christian camp.

 

Movie review: 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada' (2005)

A little masterpiece from Tommy Lee Jones. Fantastic storytelling.

 

Movie review: 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006)

There's too much hagiography of Al Gore, but this is still a very worthwhile movie about the very survival of our planet.
 

Joseph Campbell on mythology, religion, and art

Joseph Campbell was one of the world's greatest teachers on the subjects of mythology, religion, art, and the experience of being alive.
 

"In Spite of Ourselves" / John Prine and Iris DeMent

A video clip from the old 'Sessions at West 54th Street' show.

 

Movie review: 'Tsotsi' (2005)

High-quality work, neatly made, and engaging both to watch and to listen to.

 

Movie review: 'Blogumentary'

Watch the full movie online -- a look at the blogging phenomenon and a number of the most well-known bloggers.

 

Movie review: 'North Country' (2005)

A satisfying, quality version of a fairly standard type of story.

 

Movie review: 'Howl's Moving Castle' (2004)

Visually impressive at times, this animated tale is unfortunately unfocused -- and includes the voice of Billy Crystal.

 

Movie review: 'Shopgirl' (2005)

There is no real life here. Ray Porter is a blank and empty man and Steve Martin's writing is ridiculously spare and stilted.

 

Movie review: 'The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill' (2003)

A fascinating study of San Francisco's conure parrots and a man who developed a close friendship with them.

 

Movie review: 'Brothers' (2004)

Fine directing and performances turn an ordinary script into a good movie.

 

Movie review: 'Step Into Liquid' (2003)

This so-so surfing documentary showcases the sport at several unusual locations.

 

Movie review: 'Tokyo Story' (1953)

An excellent depiction of the same small slights and kindnesses, awkwardness and grace, pride and humility that we all experience every day.

 

Movie review: 'Sin City' (2005)

It is really violent and gruesome from beginning to end. At the same time, it actually is a good deal of fun.