Robert Duvall’s latest role has shades of his first screen appearance, that of the mysterious Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Boo was an innocent mistakenly dubbed a monster by his neighbors.
Duvall’s character in “Get Low” remains an enigma until the final reel.
Is he as cruel as the townsfolk say he is? The character is only too happy to burnish that image in this quietly enjoyable feature set in the Depression era south.
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Clearly there’s little Steve Carell can’t do.
The unctuous boss on “The Office” who won our hearts as the over-ripe “Virgin” plays it stupid, really stupid, in the new comedy “Dinner for Schmucks.”
Carell teams up with Paul Rudd, the best straight man currently employed in Hollywood, for a comedy that succeeds despite its numbskull intentions.
It’s the kind of role Jim Carrey would masticate until only tiny particles of the film set remained. But Carell finds the balance between stupidity and sweetness that lets the movie soar even when it runs out of inspiration – which is often.
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It only takes a few minutes into “Lethal Weapon” to forget Mel Gibson the madman beau and remember his former life as a major movie star.
The 1987 film gave Gibson his second iconic franchise and proved he could survive bullets, a suicidal character and a mullet that just won’t quit.
“Lethal Weapon” still matters today thanks in large part to the chemistry crackling between Gibson and his on-screen partner, Danny Glover.
But the real star of the film remains director Richard Donner, who brings a professionalism and gimlet eye for both action and character to what could have been one more genre exercise.
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Saying “Southern Comfort” is a poor man’s “Deliverance” is an insult to the economically challenged.
The 1981 film similarly pit modern man versus uber-hillbillies in a battle to the death.
But while “Deliverance” proved alternately profound and shocking, “Southern Comfort’s” modest rewards are all on the surface.
You may have rooted for the “Deliverance” quartet to survive – watch out, Ned! – but these “Southern” soldiers barely deserve our pity.
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- schmuck: – noun, Slang. An obnoxious or contemptible person.
Where would movie comedies be without schmucks? You know the kind – the guy or gal whose boorish behavior sets the comedy wheels in motion.
So, in honor of this week’s new comedy “Dinner for Schmucks” starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, let’s toast the top 5 movie schmucks.
Who knows? Maybe Carell’s performance in the film will earn him a place on future “Schmuck” lists.
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The remake of the 1981 film “Clash of the Titan” – in glorious 2-D – leads off this week’s DVD and Blu-ray release schedule:
(Photo: Sam Worthington stars as Perseus in the glitzy remake of the 1981 film “Clash of the Titans.”/Warner Bros. Home Video)
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The spring science fiction entry “Repo Men” seemed ready to ride the zeitgeist all the way to box office glory.
The timing couldn’t be better – the film looks to a near future in which people pony up big money for artificial organs.
But if they can’t keep up with the payments, the organs get repossessed the hard way.
The film tanked all the same, failing to click with either audiences or critics.
It still represents a bold way to tackle the modern health care debate, and the film’s Blu-ray release comes equipped with some intriguing extras.
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In no particular order, here are some suggestions for the film industry …
Please fill in your own below.
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The horror sequel “[Rec 2]” is waiting for me on my Comcast digital box.
All I have to do is pony up a few bucks – roughly the cost of one movie ticket – and it’s mine for the evening.
But I haven’t made the leap – yet.
Many movie fans with access to cable TV can order up independent films which are either in theaters now are are coming to a movie house near you via Video on Demand-style services.
Or not. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have an indie theater in their neighborhood
So the VOD option seems perfect for small town dwellers and those who prefer to watch indie fare from the comfort of one’s home.
But are people using these service? I hope to check in with a few of these companies in the weeks to come to see if they can share any data on this. But for now, I’d like to ask you … have you ordered a VOD movie yet? If not, why?
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
It’s official: Shyamalan is a laughingstock
July 30, 2010
Sat through an interesting movie trailer tonight before the preview screening of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
The movie is partially set in a stalled elevator, and when the lights flicker out for a moment something terrible happens.
Not your typical slasher film, no doubt. And my fellow audience members seemed equally intrigued.
Then … the screen flashed, “from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan …” and the audience erupted with laughter.
Not a few chuckles, mind you. A wave of tittering, and the trailer’s spell was broken. The formerly silent audience members started talking amongst themselves and swapping Shyamalan jabs.
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