Blood Diamond  
December 14, 2006

Blood Diamond is a movie zircon.

It doesn't cut glass, but it cuts plot, character, and credibility. It could be Hotel Rwanda, but instead it's Motel Deep-Six.

What is most bothersome about Blood Diamond is that it tries to be an incisive ... more

Where have all the flowers gone?  
October 2, 2006

2006 is the year when veteran directors have stubbed their movies.

Brian DePalma created lurid poppycock in The Black Dahlia; Michael Mann created style without chemistry in Miami Vice; and even Robert Altman coasted a bit as he tried to tango ... more

Authenticity and Personal Experience  
September 5, 2006

I booed Santa Claus.

Well, I didn't actually boo Santa, but I was there in spirit. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and no matter where he or she goes, a Philadelphian is always a Philadelphian.

People are shocked when they hear that ... more

I Knew Hitchcock, and You're No Hitchcock  
August 4, 2006

Every year Alfred Hitchcock's name is used in vain as reviewers use it to pimp for some new quasi-suspense release. But the new release never has Hitch's touch, style, originality, or sensibility.

It's like GW being called Lincoln.

The lat ... more

CineVegas 2006  
June 22, 2006

Once in a Lifetime

Pele -- the one-time international soccer superstar -- declined to be interviewed for Once in a Lifetime, a documentary about the New York Cosmos.

His omission is like a missed penalty kick. Also missing is Steve ... more

CineVegas 2006  
June 15, 2006

G.I. Jesus is what a movie at a film festival should be -- creative, original, and challenging.

G.I. Jesus is the story of Jesus Feliciano (Joe Arquette), a Mexican who enlisted in the US army and has served in Iraq, as a means t ... more

CineVegas 2006  
June 15, 2006

Thanks to Gravity is as predictable as gravity. With a topic -- a young woman trying to find herself as a debater, a daughter and a woman -- bristling with potential for a fresh, keen eye, it's more a connect-the-dots script, touching fleet ... more

Lonesome Road: Bruckheimer's Folly  
May 1, 2006

Glory Road? Make that Dead End.

The first time I knew race was more of an influence than a seven-foot center was when I went to support the Villanova basketball team in a game against West Virginia at Morgantown. I was a ... more

V for Vendetta -- a Milestone  
April 10, 2006

V for Vendetta is a milestone. Maybe not a big marker, but a milestone nonetheless. It is anti-establishment redux.

Three years ago V for Vendetta would never have been released. it's about a man who blows up government building ... more