Our thoughts on the Oscar nominations

This article is filed under Movies, The Fourth Wall.

But when you wear your heart on your sleeve, you risk the audience recognizing that it’s as fake as the Tin Man’s, and Loud goes so far in the wrong direction that it almost becomes a comedy. By the halfway point, you’re no longer watching the magic act, you’re enjoying the magician fumbling with the deck of cards.

This article is filed under Movies, Movies & TV.

Having already dominated the world of female mixed martial arts (MMA), Carano easily assumes the role of ass-kicking special operative Mallory Kane. Almost like a 21st century “Man With No Name,” Mallory only speaks when absolutely necessary. Carano is surprisingly convincing given she has no acting experience prior to this film.

This article is filed under Movies, Movies & TV.

If Oscar bait works on you, then you’ll treasure the film all your life and hate anyone who speaks a word against it. If not, you will enjoy bitter self-satisfaction every chance you have to snipe at it.

This article is filed under Death, Disability, Movies, The Fourth Wall.

Somewhere in the middle of this overwrought and overwritten gangland shoot-’em-up, there is a decent story. But we’re never quite able to get to it. Michael Cimino’s direction of a screenplay that he cowrote with Oliver Stone is full of action. But it’s built around a narrative that makes little sense.

This article is filed under 100 Greatest Gangster Films, Asian American, Movies, The Fourth Wall.

A look back at the best and worst movies of 2011 from Brett Davinger and Dan Fields

This article is filed under Movies, The Fourth Wall.

A year after playing the righteous cop out to rid the city of the despicable drug lord in King of New York, Wesley Snipes revisited the urban underworld in Mario Van Peebles’ morality play about the scourge of crack cocaine.

This article is filed under 100 Greatest Gangster Films, African American, Movies, The Fourth Wall.

His opinions, though held intensely and vocally, are often unpredictable: he has long maintained The Exorcist to be the greatest film ever made, but has also in the past championed the work of Zac Efron and the Twilight franchise, and has recently taken to insisting that Jaws is actually a movie about adultery rather than, say, a large shark.

This article is filed under Books, Movies, Non-Fiction Reviews.

With a jarringly abrupt termination that is less a conclusion than an obnoxious cliffhanger, we’re given a website to visit to continue following “the Rossi case.” Boos reverberate through the theater. “Come on, you wanted to see this too!” says a boy to his girlfriend as they exit.

This article is filed under Movies, Movies & TV.

Most of the actual “spy stuff” that goes on is hidden even from the audience, and hinted at later in passing. Every bit of explanation you need to follow this movie is in the script, but just barely. In other words, don’t take a restroom break.

This article is filed under Espionage, Great Britain, Movies, Movies & TV.

Bound is distinct from the 99 other movies on this list. For starters, it’s the only one featuring lesbian lovers as protagonists. The two gorgeous actresses—Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly—wrestle around in several graphic scenes, one of which is regarded among the steamiest ever put on film. Still with us? We figured so.

This article is filed under 100 Greatest Gangster Films, Movies, The Fourth Wall.

It is heartening to see so much well-crafted entertainment geared toward whole families in a single year. That increases the likelihood of a new generation that wants to grow up and make great movies. However, it is also a signal to the makers of strictly grown-up films to wake up and get creative again.

This article is filed under Best Movies, Movies, The Fourth Wall.

And so the clock has run out on 2011. We had some major comedy misfires on the big screen, and relied a lot more than usual on television for laughs. What’s going on here?

This article is filed under Best Movies, Humor, Movies, Television, The Fourth Wall.

A Look Back at 2011′s comic book films

This article is filed under Movies, The Fourth Wall.

This is half of a good movie. The first half. The set up and premise are intriguing. Unfortunately director James Gray, who also wrote the script, delivers a lot less than is promised. If you want to see Gray at the top of his game, check out Little Odessa.

This article is filed under 100 Greatest Gangster Films, Movies, The Fourth Wall.