This wonderful film is only now getting well-deserved attention, and I’m partly to blame. When I attended its premiere in Toronto Film Fest in 2006, I was blown away. Having seen Guillermo Del Toro’s other recent movies – Hellboy, Blade 2 and Mimic, I was expecting something that was lacking, unfinished. Del Toro’s work has …
Category Archives: Movies
Happy Feet (2006)
What is it about environment-conscious movies that immediately receives the wrath of (unabashedly biased or handsomely paid) critics? Whether it’s a politically-charged documentary from Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth), a sci-fi whaf-if blockbuster from Wolfgang Peterson (The Day After Tomorrow), or an earnest kid-friendly film about cute penguins – any time the dire state of …
The Prestige (2006)
Which one do I like? The Illusionist or the Prestige? This is a difficult question – both films deal with specific subject matter (magic), yet both are very different, and highly entertaining. I recommend you check them out – maybe even back to back. In this review I’ll be mentioning both, but please search our …
The Illusionist (2006)
Usually when Hollywood churns out similar movies back to back, there’s a lot of confusion. The second film typically suffers, even though it might be the better one. Or, in some rare cases, the second one does much better because the first one makes just enough people interested in the subject matter, and “builds up” …
Casino Royale (2006)
You know you’re getting old and cranky when an old movie franchise is revived to the delight of both fans and critics, but you sit back in the theater and ask yourself “so this is Bond?” I really liked Brosnan in this role (even though deep inside I bow down to Connery), and I have …
100 top TV catchphrases
Yes, the end of the year must be here – all kinds of lists are popping up. Here’s one list we just had to share with you. The TV Land cable network has compiled a list of the 100 greatest catchphrases in TV, from the serious — Walter Cronkite’s nightly sign-off “And that’s the way …
Robert Altman RIP
Robert Altman is no more. The famous director of Nashville, Gosford Park, MASH, Dr. T and the Women (and so many more movies) has died. He never got his Oscar – sure there was that lifetime achievement handout earlier this year, but for all the outstanding work he’s done, none has earned him that ultimate …
For Your Consideration (2006)
When this film premiered at the Toronto Film Fest, the director brought out the cast on stage. After Christopher Guest announced the last person to appear, he proceeded to talk about the film, how it was made, and who inspired it. Suddenly, from back stage, Eugene Levy appeared, shuffling quietly and slowly, as if he …
Miami Vice (2006)
So what the hell went wrong with Miami Vice? Michael Mann’s latest film made about half of its cost at the box office. It was a solid, gritty cop thriller, with a plot you could follow, and with characters you could care for. It starred Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, and was released in the …
Hollywoodland (2006)
I saw Hollywoodland as a sneak preview to the Toronto Film Festival all the way back in August. At the time the director of TIFF, Piers Handling, told the audience to look out for this movie as it has Oscar buzz all over it. He was right. The movie left me slightly dazed as I …