J.J. Abrams doesn't seem to be clear on what he's doing with the new Trek movies.
Actress-director Sarah Polley makes a living telling stories, but none of them are as fascinating as her own story, which she rivetingly chronicles in a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking.
A trained student of classical theater, Barbara Kyle spent two decades acting on stage and television before turning her attention to writing fiction. Her historical series "The Thornleigh Saga" has been published around the globe and continues to ensnare a growing number of fans in her riveting tales of scandal and intrigue set in the Tudor/Elizabethan period.
The story of mob hitman Richard Kuklinski, aka The Iceman, is pretty much all true.
British comedians Steve Oram and Alice Lowe are on a mission to rid the gorgeous English countryside of litterbugs and pompous prigs in the darkly comic “Sightseers.”
The first two “Hangover” films met with unexpected success, grossing more than a billion dollars at the box office. Part of the reason was that rarity in Hollywood: originality. No one had seen this story before. Part was the odd mix of outrageous comedy and a sense of danger. But the most important ingredient, the facet that led to “The Hangover, Part III,” the final entry in the series, was the camaraderie between the three unlucky main characters – Phil, Stu, and Alan – and the chemistry created by the actors playing them – Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. All three gathered to chat about the series and its director, Todd Phillips, last week in Las Vegas.
A glance at the movies opening this week.
Robust. Ruthless. Hilarious. Ingenious. Here’s a crime spree we can enjoy — from the edge of our seat. Gregory Gibson’s debut crime novel, “The Old Turk’s Load,” tracks 10 kilos of pure Turkish heroin that goes astray during the 1967 Newark riots. Gibson constructs this cleverly plotted book with the kind of heart and storyteller’s glee that’s most welcome.
This week’s suggestions include watching the Preakness Stakes, going to see the new “Star Trek” movie, and more.
Despite its grim title, this sequel to J.J. Abrams’ really, really good, but not quite great reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise is going to be an absolute joyride for a lot of viewers. The writing has been knocked up a few notches; though Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) still remain at the film’s center, the rest of the crew has been given more to do this time; and most important, “Into Darkness” is truly a valentine to “Star Trek” fans, especially those who have been into it since the original TV show.
Even as much as I’ve loved Ebert’s work, I had no intention of writing a tribute to him -- plenty of other, better writers (and a few worse ones) did that soon after he passed. But as I’ve been reading his last collection of reviews of bad movies, it’s had me rethinking what’s drawn me to his writing over the years.
Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles had a hell of a run, with hard-charging shows, a slew of snappy country-rock albums, and well-earned national attention to show for the roughly seven years they spent together.
Hardcore F. Scott Fitzgerald fans have always written off the idea of a movie adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” as something impossible to get right. A look back at the four films that it’s been turned into so far reveals that their negative thoughts have been pretty accurate. Of the versions made in 1926, 1949, 1974, and 2000 (for television), only the ’74 film, with Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, has come close to capturing the essence of the book, but even so, that film came across as a kind of flat and dull interpretation of Fitzgerald’s words.
Aside from the lead-pipe moralizing, Mara Nair’s timely and important “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is an eye-opening parable about identity and how it relates to the War on Terror. The only question is: Are Americans ready to listen?
Craig Robinson proves he’s The Man among “Peeples.” I laughed myself silly, for the most part, and it had nothing to do with director Tina Gordon Chism’s garden-variety script.
Robert Tanenbaum’s legal career as a prosecutor mirrors the best, and the worst, of this country. Brooklyn native Tanenbaum became the homicide bureau chief for the NY District Attorney’s Office, where he never lost a felony trial. He played a role during the congressional investigations into the murders of President John F. Kennedy and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King by serving as the Deputy Chief Counsel in charge of the investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy. He’s also served as Mayor of Beverly Hills, taught at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, and conducted continuing education seminars for lawyers in several states. His commitment to seeking justice has never wavered.
Though he’d already been around for years on various British TV series, American audiences first got to know Simon Pegg from his performances in “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” though he also had memorable parts as Benji in the last two “Mission: Impossible” films, which brought him together with director-producer J.J. Abrams. Oddly when Abrams first approached him to play Scotty in “Star Trek,” Pegg couldn’t decide whether to do it. Of course, he did, and does it again in “Star Trek Into Darkness.” He spoke by phone from London about that indecision.
Hollywood doesn't shy away from making movies that highlight strong and resilient mothers, a trend that can be traced across several decades of Academy Awards nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Many movies treat female characters as little more than tools to advance male-dominated plots. See for yourself with a simple three-part test.
