Werewolves in cinema have had many incarnations, but most modern lore stems from the 1941 Universal picture The Wolf Man. The unforgettable image of a monstrously deformed Lon Chaney, Jr. thrusting out his chest, baring his claws, and baying at the full moon is one of Hollywood’s most lasting. Director Joe Johnston’s The Wolfman, also a Universal production, is a pitch-perfect reboot of the classic horror movie.
Movies
Movie Review: The Wolfman
by Julia Rhodes
February 13th, 2010
Many Criterion DVDs Going Out of Print: A Lamentation
by William Bibbiani
February 13th, 2010
Criterion, you are the Pixar of DVD distributors. Every film you release is guaranteed to be of a significant quality (or, in the case of films like Equinox or The Rock, at least a significant cultural impact), presented with the finest picture quality possible, and usually with special features that actually deserve to be called special. But, since you’re not a production company, you don’t actually own any of the films you release, and occasionally the companies that do own them ask for the rights back. In the past, Criterion editions of The Silence of the Lambs or Robocop actually constituted status symbols amongst DVD collectors: You either had them or you didn’t, and deserved to be pitied. Now, alas, hot on the heels of The Third Man going out of print (pick up their gorgeous Blu-Ray edition while you still can), Criterion has announced some more DVDs, and in some cases Blu-Rays that will no longer be released by their company, and returned to the care of Studio Canal.
William Bibbiani’s Top Three Unconventional Romances for Valentine’s Day
by William Bibbiani
February 11th, 2010
Or maybe you’re just like me, single on the most romantic night of the year, drowning your sorrows in mint chocolate chip ice cream and booze, and thoroughly unsold on the conventional love stories Hollywood repeatedly markets to boundless optimists. Either way, you’re going to need an unconventional romance right now, and here are my picks of three of the four best ever made.
How to fake your way out of seeing this year’s Oscar nominees!
by William Bibbiani
February 11th, 2010
No, you don’t have to watch The Blind Side. I’ve got your back.
This year, for the first time in almost sixty years, there are ten nominees for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. And you know what that means… now there are even more movies that you probably haven’t seen yet. I’ve put together the [...]
William Bibbiani interviews writer/producer/director Mick Garris!
by William Bibbiani
February 9th, 2010
Today, as you may have noticed, is a day of many, many interviews. In addition to interviewing the lovely and insightful Julia Rhodes, I also had the opportunity to interview Mick Garris, a horror filmmaker best known for the “Masters of Horror” television series, and of course the landmark Stephen King TV mini-series The Stand. We discussed his new show “Post Mortem,” his work with Stephen King, and his early work on such films as The Fly 2 and, most importantly, Critters 2: The Main Course.
A CLR EXCLUSIVE Interview… with CLR Film Critic Julia Rhodes!
by William Bibbiani
February 9th, 2010
Hello everybody, and welcome to the Fourth Wall, in which we California Literary Review film critics talk more directly to our audience. Uncertain where to begin, we decided start this process by getting to know our other humble bloggers. Today we start with the film critic with the most CLR seniority, Julia Rhodes, as interviewed by William Bibbiani.
Movie Review: From Paris With Love
by William Bibbiani
February 6th, 2010
Structural difficulties, failed attempts at levity and below-par action sequences would be bad enough, but sadly From Paris with Love also has a noticeably sexist undercurrent to its detriment, giving what would normally have simply been a bland meal a genuinely unpleasant aftertaste.
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, a New CLR Movie Blog
by Paul Comstock
February 4th, 2010
We’re excited about our first blog, The Fourth Wall which will provide a less formal and more immediate forum for our film critics, Julia Rhodes and William Bibbiani, to discuss movies and the movie industry with our readers.
Movie Review: Legion
by Julia Rhodes
January 23rd, 2010
According to the script, God has lost faith in humanity, ostensibly because he grew “tired of all the BS.” Thus He orders the angels to exterminate mankind—just to switch it up a bit, since last time He went with a flood. The angel Michael (Paul Bettany) disagrees with God’s order and falls from heaven to save the human race. Michael chooses a tiny town called Paradise Falls (a clever but gauche touch of Dante), at the edge of the Mojave desert, in which to prove that humans are worth saving.
Movie Review: The Lovely Bones
by Julia Rhodes
January 16th, 2010
The novel opens with a striking, abrupt proclamation: “My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” After her murder, Susie watches from the Inbetween, a kind of non-Christian purgatory, as her family struggles with her death. Jackson, whose visionary filmmaking has earned him massive acclaim in the past, creates a heaven of brilliant, surreal landscapes in which Susie and her fellow dead frolic.
CLR's most popular articles
- Movie Review: The Crazies (9,368 views)
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett (6,751 views)
- Movie Review: Shutter Island (3,401 views)
- Photo Essay: North Korean Propaganda Posters (2,864 views)
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2,544 views)
- Movie Review: The Lovely Bones (2,487 views)
- Movie Review: The Wolfman (1,642 views)
- Erotic Art of Ancient Pompeii (1,420 views)
- The Strange World of Quantum Entanglement (1,155 views)
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (779 views)
- Photo Essay: North Korean Propaganda Posters (77,191 views)
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (44,070 views)
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett (36,010 views)
- Erotic Art of Ancient Pompeii (30,225 views)
- The Strange World of Quantum Entanglement (23,801 views)
- Images from How To Photograph an Atomic Bomb (19,307 views)
- Frida Kahlo at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (18,153 views)
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (17,103 views)
- Architecture and Modernism (13,525 views)
- Who Killed JFK? - An Interview With Lamar Waldron (13,449 views)
Get The Latest California Literary Review Updates Delivered Free To Your Inbox!
Powered by FeedBlitz
Recent Comments:
- Sudden Onset: Kat notes: I was diagnosed with TM when I was 8 years old (I’m not 22, so 14 years ago) and none of my doctors had ever heard of it. All I remember was having trouble doing my...
- The Collector by John Fowles: Amy notes: I though this novel was amazing, it really draws you in. It’s so strange how at times you feel yourself almost pitying and sympathising with Clegg,...
- The Weekly Listicle: William and Julia’s Revised Best/Worst Lists of 2009!: William Bibbiani notes: Sasha Grey’s performance in The Girlfriend Experience was perfectly fine. We’re in...
- The Weekly Listicle: William and Julia’s Revised Best/Worst Lists of 2009!: Sean notes: I thought Sasha Grey’s performance in the Girlfriend Experience was great, especially considering she...
- The Collector by John Fowles: Icegirl notes: It is breathtaking novel! I am writing my thesis on it and it just keeps me thinking and thinking all over again. Very exciting!
- Video Game Review: Heavy Rain: aion database notes: This game’s kinda depressing and traumatic, for someone who’s into exciting and mind-blowing MMORPG, I won’t bother playing...
- The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt: Susan notes: Interesting when you look at the middle east from another view point.
- Movie Review: The Lovely Bones: Tiffany notes: I have read the book and it is amazing. I have seen the first hour of the movie online, but didn’t get to finish it. It is different than the...
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Jennifer notes: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Help and also enjoyed the various comments provided by other readers here. I’m just curious if all those who...
- The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt: Johna Romano notes: Could I consider part of your current article to my blogs
topics
- Africa
- African American
- After Image
- Agriculture
- Animals
- Anthropology
- Archeology
- Architecture
- Art
- Art & Design
- Australia
- Balkans
- Belgium
- Best Books
- Best Movies
- Biography
- Business
- Canada
- Caribbean
- Children's Literature
- China
- Classics
- Crime Fiction
- Dance
- Death
- Denmark
- Design
- Disability
- Economics
- Education
- Egypt
- Environment
- Espionage
- Food
- France
- Games
- Gay and Lesbian
- Germany
- Graphic Novels
- Great Britain
- Historical Fiction
- History
- Horror
- Humor
- India
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Linguistics
- Literary Themes
- Mathematics
- Medicine
- Mexico
- Military
- Movies
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Mystery
- Mythology
- Native American
- Nature
- Netherlands
- Pakistan
- Performing Arts
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Poetry
- Politics
- Psychology
- Religion
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Science
- Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Sex
- Short Stories
- Sociology
- Southeast Asia
- Spain
- Sports
- Television
- The Fourth Wall
- Theatre
- Thrillers
- Travel
- True Crime
- Turkey
- Video Games
- Vietnam
- Westerns
- Writers
Follow the California Literary Review on Twitter: @calitreview
