July 03, 2009
July 02, 2009
Hollywood's Greatest Year, 1939
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Hollywood's greatest year, 1939.
Accordingly, Turner Classic Movies is celebrating the anniversary this month by showing 39 films released in '39, beginning tonight with a showing of The Wizard of Oz at 8 EDT, followed by a new documentary, 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year.
It's a truism among fans of classic movies that 1939 was the Hollywood cinema's greatest year. But if it has become something of a cliche to say so, it's only because it's so undeniably true.
It's really rather amazing to consider how many classic or transcendentally classic films were released during that annus mirabilis. Among the most highly praised then and in the ensuring years were the following:
Continue reading "Hollywood's Greatest Year, 1939" »
The Toxic Philosophy Behind 'Quirky' Film(s)
Charming, quirky films such as Away We Go aren't always as innocent as they seem, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "The Toxic Philosophy Behind 'Quirky' Film(s)" »
July 01, 2009
Malden Brought Depth, Moral Responsibility to Movie Roles
Actor Karl Malden, who died today at age 97, was a fine performer who stood for good principles and conveyed a sense of moral responsibility in his performances, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Malden Brought Depth, Moral Responsibility to Movie Roles" »
June 30, 2009
Good Themes Overshadowed by Cinematic Flaws in 'Transformers' Sequel
Thematically, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is just as good as its predecessor. Unfortunately, it falls short in other important ways, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Good Themes Overshadowed by Cinematic Flaws in 'Transformers' Sequel" »
June 29, 2009
Review: The Stoning of Soraya M
The Stoning of Soraya M. is a "Schindler's List" for a new generation — a film that starkly exposes the brutality of a regime that is almost impossible for the modern Western mind to comprehend, but is true nonetheless. It won't be seen as that, I fear, by the elites in modern American culture. After all, it condemns an immoral Iranian culture and power structure the enlightened President Obama is trying to respectfully engage.
Continue reading "Review: The Stoning of Soraya M" »
June 28, 2009
Little Miss Parenthood
While Away We Go offers some wonderful performances and two leads with real chemistry, it's lacks any real dramatic development. Moreover, in its earnest desire to be this year's Little Miss Sunshine, it passes off quirky individuality as a recipe for successful parenting.
Continue reading "Little Miss Parenthood" »
June 27, 2009
TCM Thrillers (June 29 - July 5)
June 25, 2009
Burton Tackles Alice
Filmmaker Tim Burton is in production on a film based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
Burton, director of Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and other successful fantasy films, is using digital manipulation of real-life actors and actresses to recreate the inhabitants of Wonderland, such as the Mad Hatter (Burton regular Johnny Depp), the Red Queen (Helena Bohnam-Carter), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), the Jabberwock (Christopher Lee, a superb choice), and Tweedledum and Tweedledee (both played by Matt Lucas (Little Britain).
The film has Alice (Mia Wasikowska, Defiance) returning to Wonderland as a teenager.
Given that Burton said he chose Wasikowska because she has a "certain kind of emotional toughness," and putting that together with the director's track record and the use of a significantly older protagonist than in the books, it's likely that this new version of the story will be much darker, disturbing, and grotesque (as opposed to Carroll's charming use of the bizarre) than Carroll's books and the various film and theatrical versions.
Judging by Burton's previous work, the film is also likely to be interesting, inventive, cinematically smart, visually arresting, emotionally affecting, and quite difficult to make much ultimate sense of.
Photos of of some of the characters in the film are available in a Yahoo! article.
June 23, 2009
Character Charm Overcomes Comic Anarchy at U.S. Box Office
It will be a good thing if the Sandra Bullock romantic comedy The Proposal continues its box-office success--if Hollywood draws the right conclusions about why it did well.
Continue reading "Character Charm Overcomes Comic Anarchy at U.S. Box Office" »
Despite Ugly Facade, 'Year One' Has Positive Message About Religion
Behind its unpleasant facade of vulgarity and chaos, Year One conveys an interesting and positive message.
Continue reading "Despite Ugly Facade, 'Year One' Has Positive Message About Religion" »
June 21, 2009
It's Not The Mask, Stupid!
Mr. Karnick has already written a wonderful essay on the original Friday the 13th movie with an eye toward the forest path it opened up for subsequent horror films. Well, the reboot of the movie came out this past week on DVD, so I thought it only fitting to examine how the new movie demonstrates just how lost in the woods we really are when it comes to horror.
Continue reading "It's Not The Mask, Stupid!" »
June 18, 2009
TCM Thrillers (June 22 - 28)
That Only Happens in the Movies . . .
Recent events may have pulled the curtain back on one of Hollywood's favorite bogeymen, the evil corporation. Often portrayed as unscrupulous and unfettered, it seems impossible that such a caricature could be accurate given recent events, notes R. J. MacReady.
Continue reading "That Only Happens in the Movies . . ." »
June 17, 2009
Criminally Funny: Comic Crime Films (Part Four)
June 16, 2009
Community in Gran Torino
In a DVD commentary Daniel P. Crandall argues that Clint Eastwood’s latest movie, Gran Torino, illustrates how important community is to a fulfilled life.
Continue reading "Community in Gran Torino" »
Criminally Funny: Comic Crime Films (Part Three)
June 15, 2009
Criminally Funny: Comic Crime Films (Part Two)
Criminally Funny: Comic Crime Films (Part One)
June 13, 2009
TCM Thrillers (June 15 - 21)
June 08, 2009
Farrell's 'Land of the Lost' Ridicules False Scientific Consensus Claims
Land of the Lost is a typically zany and in many ways nonsensical
Will Farrell comedy, but it includes a powerful truth conveyed through satire, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Farrell's 'Land of the Lost' Ridicules False Scientific Consensus Claims" »
June 06, 2009
An Hour with Buster (Part Two)
.jpg "Buster (sans trousers) with Stanley Adams (left) and James Flavin")
An Hour with Buster (Part One)
June 05, 2009
TCM Thrillers for June 8 - 14
June 04, 2009
'Up' Success Could Bode Well for Positive Change in Hollywood
The unexpectedly big box-office and critical success of the animated film Up tells a lot about how Hollywood works--and doesn't work.
Continue reading "'Up' Success Could Bode Well for Positive Change in Hollywood" »
Carradine and 'Kung Fu' Retain Relevance Decades Later
Prolific actor David Carradine, best known for the Kung Fu TV series, the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill, and a series of ads for telephone directories, has been found dead in the closet of his hotel room in Thailand, where he was about to begin participation in a new film.
Preliminary reports have the death as a suicide by hanging.
The circumstances of his death, however, should not be allowed to overshadow his accomplishments as an actor.
Continue reading "Carradine and 'Kung Fu' Retain Relevance Decades Later" »
May 29, 2009
TCM Thrillers for June 1 - 7
The Citizen Kane of Puppet Movies
With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen coming out June 24th to transform all sequel numbers into colons and subtitles, you should make a point to check out Team America: World Police. Not only did it use the same colon, but it also poked fun at Hollywood's gravitation towards puppet movies before anyone realized that action movies no longer require actors.
Continue reading "The Citizen Kane of Puppet Movies" »
May 26, 2009
'Terminator Salvation' Delivers Action but Little Real Drama
Terminator Salvation is a solid entertainment but unfortunately too beholden to contemporary big-budget action-movie conventions. Analysis by S. T. Karnick.
Continue reading "'Terminator Salvation' Delivers Action but Little Real Drama" »
May 25, 2009
Amusing 'Battle of the Smithsonian'
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a classic--a classic example of an unnecessary sequel. But if you liked the first one, you'll probably enjoy the follow-up, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Amusing 'Battle of the Smithsonian'" »
May 22, 2009
TCM Thrillers for May 25-31
May 19, 2009
Sherlock Holmes, Action Hero
I know that purists will hate Guy Ritchie's forthcoming Sherlock Holmes, which recasts the great detective as a cartoonish action hero, but it looks like great fun nonetheless. Judge for yourself whether you're interested in this film by the mind behind Snatch, RocknRolla, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, as the HD trailer is now available for your viewing pleasure:
May 18, 2009
'Angels and Demons' Opens Well at U.S. Box Office, but Far Short of Predecessor
On the heels of a public relations juggernaut with the inspiring message that it's "not as anti-Catholic as The Da Vinci Code!", the cinematic conspiracy thriller Angels and Demons finished first at the U.S. box office during the past weekend, providing some useful evidence about the effects of church boycotts. S. T. Karnick examines the facts.
Continue reading "'Angels and Demons' Opens Well at U.S. Box Office, but Far Short of Predecessor" »
Under the Seat: Nostalgia for '50s Sci-Fi Films
May 15, 2009
TCM Thrillers for May 18 - 24
May 13, 2009
The (Quotable) Lady from Shanghai
May 11, 2009
'Star Trek,' Abrams 'Make Optimism Cool Again'
Despite early polling data showing a distinct lack of enthusiasm toward the Star Trek movie reboot by J. J. Abrams (Lost, Alias, Cloverfield, Fringe, Felicity), the film had an excellent opening weekend at the U.S. movie box office.
Continue reading "'Star Trek,' Abrams 'Make Optimism Cool Again'" »
May 09, 2009
TCM Thrillers for May 11 - 17
May 06, 2009
Zombie Culture and the March of Socialism
Yes, vampires are still a hot media commodity, but zombies are vying to knock them off the cultural pedestal.
S. T. Karnick considers the terrifying facts.
Continue reading "Zombie Culture and the March of Socialism" »
May 04, 2009
'Wolverine' Leads Strong Opening Weekend for Hollywood's 'Summer' Season
Surprising no one but pleasing audiences, X-Men Origins: Wolverine topped the weekend U.S. movie box office with a heroic opening-weekend total of $87 million in the United States and Canada and $160 million worldwide. The movie cost approximately $130 million to produce.
Wolverine led a strong first weekend of Hollywood's "summer" season of popcorn movies, with the rest of the top ten dominated by genre films such as comedies and action fare.
Last year's top-grossing film, Iron Man, brought in $98.6 million during its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
May 01, 2009
TCM Thrillers for May 4 - 10
April 27, 2009
Studios, Filmmakers to Blame for Hollywood Dramas' Lack of Box Office Appeal
Escape was the theme once again for U.S. moviegoers last weekend-but don't blame the audiences.
Continue reading "Studios, Filmmakers to Blame for Hollywood Dramas' Lack of Box Office Appeal" »
April 24, 2009
TCM Thrillers for April 27 - May 3
April 17, 2009
TCM Thrillers for April 20 - 26
April 13, 2009
'Hannah Montana' Movie Leads the Pack
For the second time, a movie starring Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana has opened at number one in U.S. movie ticket sales.
Continue reading "'Hannah Montana' Movie Leads the Pack" »
April 12, 2009
DeMille's 'King of Kings' Well Worth Watching
Providing a real Easter treat for the discerning movie watcher, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will show Cecil B. DeMille's classic 1927 cinematic recounting of the life of Jesus Christ, King of Kings, uncut and without interruptions, tonight beginning at midnight EDT.
As I wrote about the film for National Review Online,
Continue reading "DeMille's 'King of Kings' Well Worth Watching" »
April 10, 2009
Black Bird, Blonde Bombshells Featured in Upcoming Classic Thrillers
Turner Classic Movies presents a diverse variety pack of thrillers this week, Mike Gray writes.
Continue reading "Black Bird, Blonde Bombshells Featured in Upcoming Classic Thrillers" »
April 03, 2009
TCM Thrillers for April 6 - 12
April 02, 2009
Faith Knows What Science Can Never Understand
The movie Knowing reflects the reality that we all live by faith, and it shows us that the atheist attempt to reduce life to the material is doomed to failure. (Note: this essay includes several plot spoilers.)
Continue reading "Faith Knows What Science Can Never Understand" »
March 31, 2009
New Essay Refutes Fantasy of Life Without Limits
A new essay by S. T. Karnick outlines and refutes "the American fantasy that both individuals and society as a whole can overcome every obstacle to our numerous desires, provided we only wish strongly enough and get our friends on our side." It also points out how the recent comedy film Marley and Me constitutes a refreshing criticism of this vulgar and adolescent fantasy of godlike power.
Continue reading "New Essay Refutes Fantasy of Life Without Limits" »
March 30, 2009
Audiences Flock to 'Monsters vs. Aliens'
Monsters vs. Aliens just achieved the best opening weekend at the U.S. movie box office this year.
Continue reading "Audiences Flock to 'Monsters vs. Aliens'" »
March 29, 2009
PBS Dickens Adaptation Politicizes and Vulgarizes Classic Novel
The latest PBS Masterpiece Classics adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel Oliver Twist demonstrates the urgent need for reform of the taxpayer-supported broadcasting service, S. T. Karnick notes.
Continue reading "PBS Dickens Adaptation Politicizes and Vulgarizes Classic Novel" »
March 26, 2009
TCM Sci-Fi Films for March 31st - April 1st
March 25, 2009
TCM Thrillers for March 31 - April 5
For crime film fans, Turner Classic Movies offers a slate dominated by cult favorites this week, with a couple of acknowledged classics as well.
Continue reading "TCM Thrillers for March 31 - April 5" »
March 23, 2009
Cage, Catastrophe Draw Top Weekend Movie Numbers
An imminent world catastrophe and Nicolas Cage drew U.S. audiences to the nation's movie theaters last weekend.
Continue reading "Cage, Catastrophe Draw Top Weekend Movie Numbers" »
March 16, 2009
Audiences Race to Disney's 'Witch Mountain', Abandon 'Watchmen'
Race to Witch Mountain knocked Watchmen off the top spot in movie box office receipts this past weekend. S. T. Karnick explains why.
Continue reading "Audiences Race to Disney's 'Witch Mountain', Abandon 'Watchmen'" »
March 09, 2009
Audiences Watching 'Watchmen', but Fewer Than Expected
Watchmen opened at number 1 in U.S. movie ticket sales, but slightly below expectations. It may mark the peak for this type of film, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Audiences Watching 'Watchmen', but Fewer Than Expected" »
March 07, 2009
Watchmen: Dark, brooding, captivating and puzzling
By Jim Lakely
I saw Watchmen yesterday. And since I'm not a fanboy, — I'm only now beginning to read Alan Moore's graphic novel — I came into the movie unaffected by comparisons between the film and the source material.
Watchmen seems to have polarized the movie critic world. Count me among the admirers.
(NOTE: Some spoliers ahead, but nothing I think will ruin your enjoyment of the film.)
Continue reading "Watchmen: Dark, brooding, captivating and puzzling" »
March 06, 2009
TCM Thrillers for March 9 - 15
March 04, 2009
Reagan's Underrated Acting Ability Displayed on TCM
Ronald Reagan's B movies are a lot of fun, and S. T. Karnick recommends watching or recording them tonight on the Turner Classic Movies channel.
Continue reading "Reagan's Underrated Acting Ability Displayed on TCM" »
February 27, 2009
TCM Thrillers for March 2 - 8
February 24, 2009
'Fireproof' Shows How to Avoid Preachiness, Cliches
Fireproof might make some viewers uncomfortable at first, but the film has real emotional power and good sense, Mike D’Virgilio writes.
Continue reading "'Fireproof' Shows How to Avoid Preachiness, Cliches" »
February 23, 2009
'Big Hollywood' Relieves Academy Awards' Emetic Qualities
Reading the 'Big Hollywood' live blog during the televised Academy Awards ceremony made it possible to get through the program without experiencing too strong a bout of flulike symptoms, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "'Big Hollywood' Relieves Academy Awards' Emetic Qualities" »
February 22, 2009
'Slumdog Millionaire' Too Good for Oscars?
Tonight Hollywood tells us once again what we should like—and they might just get it right, S. T. Karnick observes.
Continue reading "'Slumdog Millionaire' Too Good for Oscars?" »
February 19, 2009
TCM Thrillers for February 27th - March 1st
February 16, 2009
'Friday the 13th' Sets Opening Weekend Box Office Record; Besson Film Stays Strong
Warner Bros' and producer Michael Bay's remake of the influential 1980 horror film Friday the 13th significantly outperformed expectations by setting a new opening weekend box office record for a horror movie, taking in more than $42 million to finish first among U.S. audiences this past weekend.
But the best news was the continuing strength of Taken, the action thriller starring Liam Neeson, written and produced by Luc Besson, and directed by Pierre Morel.
February 13, 2009
The 'also-rans' of National Review's Conservative Movie List
Kathryn Jean Lopez has some nits to pick with John J. Miller's list of the Top 25 Conservative Movies of the last 25 Years — a feature for which Mr. Karnick and I were fortunate enough to be assigned reviews. (Please refrain from teasing Sam about my movie rating higher than his ... he's still quite sore about it). Also don't miss Mike D'Virgilio's take on the subject at this site, especially the inclusion of Metropolitan at No. 3.
K-Lo has some legitimate beefs, arguing strongly for the inclusion of Rocky Balboa on the list. I haven't seen that movie (yet) so I'll have to take her word for it. And she makes a compelling case:
Rocky, of course, is a man. And if you watch him from Rocky to Rocky B — you see the ups and downs and hits and misses and the heartaches. And where pop culture so often trivializes men – by making them buffoonish (the doofus dad, the over-testosteroned action hero, or feminized dude) – to have a guy who faces his responsibilities, insecurities, and trials … like a man … is something to celebrate.
I'm more interested, however, in the complete also-ran list — those movies that were strongly considered but just didn't make the Top 25.
Continue reading "The 'also-rans' of National Review's Conservative Movie List" »
Are Slasher Films More Than Just Exploitation?
S. T. Karnick's essay on the 1980 original version of Friday the 13th and the slasher genre in general is now up on National Review Online.
Click on the link in the sentence above to read the article, and feel free to leave comments here.
Are slasher films more than just exploitation? Which ones do you think have real value? Comment here.
Overrating Films Based on Politics—Conservative Edition
Conservatives often do the same thing they justly complain about liberals doing—evaluating films more on their presumed political stance or that of the filmmakers, instead of aesthetics, intelligence, and insight, Mike D'Virgilio notes.
Continue reading "Overrating Films Based on Politics—Conservative Edition" »
February 11, 2009
DVR Alert! Movie Mysteries Feb. 16-22
TAC correspondent Mike Gray has the scoop on some fine movie mysteries being shown on TV next week. Read now, watch later!
Continue reading "DVR Alert! Movie Mysteries Feb. 16-22" »
February 10, 2009
Comedy, Suspense Remain Strong at Movie Box Office
He's Just Not That Into You, a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johannsen, and several other thirtysomething Hollywood luminaries, led the U.S. box office during its first weekend of release, taking in $27.5 million. That's a decent though not spectacular number, and its $7 million above what industry analysts had expected it to bring in.
Continue reading "Comedy, Suspense Remain Strong at Movie Box Office" »
'Brazil' Appreciation Sparks Furious Denunciation
A published appreciation of Terry Gilliam's Brazil sparked a bizarre, politically motivated controversy, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "'Brazil' Appreciation Sparks Furious Denunciation" »
February 02, 2009
'Last Templar' Shows Value of Cultural Freedom
NBC's miniseries The Last Templar is an interesting antidote for those bothered by The Da Vinci Code and worried about cultural freedom in general.
Continue reading "'Last Templar' Shows Value of Cultural Freedom" »
January 30, 2009
Burning Danny Boyle in Effigy
So, we see that the desperately poor people of Patna, India are filth-throwing mad about Danny Boyle's acclaimed film "Slumdog Millionaire."
The protesters said their sensibilities had been offended by the title, which they said was abusive of people who live in slums. The protests continued for the second day, even as Republic Day was being celebrated. ...
'We will burn Danny Boyle in effigy in 56 slums here,' Tapeshwar Vishwakarma, general secretary of the group said.
How inaccurate is Boyle's portrayal of Indian poverty if a single city in the country has 56 slums? That's what he gets, I suppose, for portraying the downtrodden of India in a heroic and accurate light. And it's not like Boyle thought up the term "Slumdog" on his own. Oh, well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The formerly unknown Frieda Pinto is luminous as the object of Jamal's undying affection. She performs very well considering it's her first-ever acting gig. And, since this is a Danny Boyle film, it's gritty, dirty, tragic and funny all at once — just like Trainspotting, in which Boyle gave us a glimpse into the Scottish thug/drug underbelly.
Continue reading "Burning Danny Boyle in Effigy" »
January 28, 2009
Downey's Oscar Nod Shows Good Sense About Racial Issues
The Oscar nomination for Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in Tropic Thunder should remind us that America is a much better place than many people are wiling to admit, writes Mike D'Virgilio.
Continue reading "Downey's Oscar Nod Shows Good Sense About Racial Issues" »
January 26, 2009
'Mall Cop' Survives Critical Raspberries with Big Audience Success
Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a comedy the critics hate, is still number one at the box office.
Continue reading "'Mall Cop' Survives Critical Raspberries with Big Audience Success" »
January 16, 2009
R.I.P. Ricardo Montalban
The great Ricardo Mantalban has passed on to the great "Fantasy Island" in the sky.
Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on TV's "Fantasy Island," has died. He was 88.Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.
Yes. Yes. "Fantasy Island." Even I couldn't resist a reference in the lead. He and Tattoo are finally reunited. But the Montalban role that I think will go down in history is (naturally, from the picture I chose) his turn as Kahn in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn." He chewed up every bit of scenery in every take — not an easy task with William Shatner on the set. And Montalban was given great lines like this one:
Continue reading "R.I.P. Ricardo Montalban" »
January 13, 2009
Eastwood Tops Box Office
At age 78, directing and appearing in what he says might be his last starring role, Clint Eastwood captured the top U.S. movie box office position with the release of his new film, Gran Torino. The film led the pack by selling $29 million worth of tickets in its first weekend of wide release.
It's a superb film, well deserving of the audience appeal it has shown so far. The Christian theme of redemption is strong throughout, and the film strongly expresses positive values without ever become maudlin or preachy. It is the best thing Eastwood has done in many years.
I will publish a review of it shortly. In the meantime, I recommend that you go and see it and post your opinions in our comments section.
—S. T. Karnick
January 12, 2009
Fish's Top Ten Movies List
The literary theorist and academician Stanley Fish has published his list of the ten best movies of all time.
Fish is well-known as a powerful advocate of a controversial and somewhat confused set of literary assumptions that accept some of the premises of post-structuralism while entirely contradicting that approach with his acceptance of the notion of authorial intent as defining the meaning of a text.
Fish's work is always interesting and though-provoking, though it is clear that it would be even more useful if he were to pursue more fully his differences with post-structuralism and its odious offspring, multiculturalism.
As befits his status as a controversialist and cultural agent-provocateur, Fish's list is rather eccentric but quite charmingly traditional. My list of the ten best films of all time would not include any of those on Fish's list, but his choices are largely defensible. Even more importantly, Fish's consideration and appreciation of the emotional effect films create is invigorating and constitutes a very important corrective to the two competing approaches to cultural criticism of our time, structuralism and post-structuralism.
—S. T. Karnick
Internet Blamed for Idiocy of 'At the Movies' Host
The decline of the mainstream media—a very good thing—is the real story behind an interesting L. A. Times article about Ben Lyons, a film critic on the syndicated TV show At the Movies. Critics and movie buffs alike both have nothing but contempt for the 27-year-old Lyons, son of former host and newspaper film critic Jeffrey Lyons.
Jeffrey Lyons was never any great thinker, or even a good one, but Ben Lyons makes him look like Samuel Johnson by comparison. The younger Lyons strikes the viewer as an ignoramus and a jackass, and the producers of At the Movies clearly made a horrendous mistake in hiring him.
Apparently they hoped to get frat boys and other Sports Center fans to watch the show, which only further confirms major stupidity on the producers of At the Movies.
Continue reading "Internet Blamed for Idiocy of 'At the Movies' Host" »
January 08, 2009
Independent Christian Film Was Hollywood's Best Investment in 2008
Yes, The Dark Knight made more money in U.S. theaters than any film in history except Titanic (in nominal dollars, unadjusted for inflation), but in terms of sheer return on the investment dollar, you'd have been better off putting your cash into the teen vampire movie Twilight, the teen musical High School Musical 3: Senior Year, or Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.
And you'd have been much, much smarter to invest in Kirk Cameron's small, independent, Christian film Fireproof: it cost a half-million dollars to make and brought in $33.1 million, a return of mnore than sixty times its budget.
Continue reading "Independent Christian Film Was Hollywood's Best Investment in 2008" »
January 06, 2009
Celebrating 35th Anniversary of 'Death Wish'
American Movie Classics is marking the 35th anniversary of the release of Death Wish, the controversial and highly influential film featuring Charles Bronson as a liberal architect in New York City who becomes a vigilante after a group of thugs murder his wife and rape his daughter.
The film was highly successful with audiences, making Bronson a big star and inspiring several sequels. Critics hated it.
Continue reading "Celebrating 35th Anniversary of 'Death Wish'" »
January 05, 2009
America's Dark Past, and Present, in a Blind Alley
A vivid example of the powerful changing of the American mind during just a few short years in the twentieth century can be found this week on Turner Classic Movies, as the movie channel replays two films which I pointed out in an earlier article illustrate the radical change in American elites' views of personal responsibility and moral accountability.
The films are Blind Alley, from 1939, scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. EST, and The Dark Past, from 1948, showing at 6:45 p.m. EST, both on TCM as noted above.
I believe that a viewing of these two films after reading my article will give readers a vivid sense of the enormity of this change and the immense, deleterious consequences it brought about.—S. T. Karnick
U.S. Movie Box Office Remains Strong As Audiences Broaden Tastes
U.S. movie box office attendance remained strong in the first weekend of the year, with Marley and Me staying at the top of the heap with a three-day take of $24.1 million. The Adam Sandler comedy "romaction" film Bedtime Stories continued to be a strong draw, finishing second with $20.3 million.
Both films have good, positive values presented in an entertaining and rather thoughtful way, and audiences are responding enthusiastically.
Rounding out the top five for the weekend were The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Valkyrie, and Yes Man. All three boast big stars in the lead roles, and Button and Valkyrie both demonstrate that audiences will attend challenging films as long as the filmmakers attend to entertainment value and don't press unpopular left-wing political points, attacks on bourgeois normality, or cockeyed moral relativsm.
—S. T. Karnick
January 02, 2009
Agog Over the Van Goghs
Vincent Van Gogh is definitely not one of my favorite painters, but I'm glad to hear that his artworks are about to be displayed in an Imax theaters documentary. This seems likely to create a greater appreciation for his works. Who know but that even I might come to like them a little more?
Unfortunately, the documentary includes some silly conceits intended to make it more interesting to ignoramuses, who will most certainly resist the lure pay the high ticket prices to see Van Gogh paintings anyway. In addition, the choice of Van Gogh appears rather trendy and asinine, meant to appeal to people's awareness of him as a disturbed genius.
Still, bringing great art to the masses in this way is quite a good thing to do.
The next step should be to present big-screen appreciations of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Michaelangelo, Titian, and the countless other great artists whose works the great majority of people will never get a chance to see in person.
Note: thanks to S. J. Perelman for the article title above.
—S. T. Karnick
December 29, 2008
Big Weekend at the Movies
U.S. audiences flocked to the nation's movie theaters this past weekend as several new films opened with big stars and popular genres in the past few days, S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "Big Weekend at the Movies" »
December 25, 2008
A Christmas Crime Burlesque
Here's a brilliantly funny burlesque of twisty films noir, set at Christmas. Directed by Vincent Bal in 1996, it's in Belgian, with English subtitles, but is quite watchable and a good deal of fun. It can be purchased on DVD here.
(Thanks to The Seattle Mystery Bookshop and TAC correspondent Mike Gray for letting us know about the film.) Note: to see the film in full-screen mode, click on the rectangle at the lower right corner of the player window. Enjoy The Bloody Olive.
December 23, 2008
Christmas CDs; 'In Bruges'; 'A Clockwork Orange'
December 19, 2008
Che Movie; Palin Haters; New Number 1 on TV
December 15, 2008
'The Day the Earth Stood Still' Opens OK at Box Office Despite Horrible Reviews
The new remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still is getting terrible reviews. But is there something more going on here? S. T. Karnick writes.
Continue reading "'The Day the Earth Stood Still' Opens OK at Box Office Despite Horrible Reviews" »
December 08, 2008
'Four Christmases' Stays Strong, Audiences Begin to Sour on 'Milk'
U.S. movie audiences are ignoring the critics—wisely—writes S. T. Karnick.
Continue reading "'Four Christmases' Stays Strong, Audiences Begin to Sour on 'Milk'" »
December 02, 2008
'Wanted' Has Much to Offer Beneath Sensationalistic Surface
The action/sci-fi/conspiracy/you-name-it film Wanted, available on DVD and Blu-Ray starting today, shows that even mere "entertainments" often have more interesting ideas than the explicitly "thoughtful"—meaning politicized and arrogantly didactic—films that deluge U.S. audiences during the holiday season.
Continue reading "'Wanted' Has Much to Offer Beneath Sensationalistic Surface" »
December 01, 2008
'Four Christmases' Leads High-Performance Weekend for Hollywood Genre Films
U.S. movie audiences stayed with tried-and-true genre films and rejected big-budget Hollywood Significance over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Continue reading "'Four Christmases' Leads High-Performance Weekend for Hollywood Genre Films" »
November 28, 2008
Alleged 'Twilight' Prudishness Might Be a Good Cultural Sign
What the New York Times critic sees as prudishness and Victorian repression in the Twilight books and movie may actually be a sign of hope for the American culture.
—Analysis by Mike D'Virgilio.
Continue reading "Alleged 'Twilight' Prudishness Might Be a Good Cultural Sign" »
November 26, 2008
Intolerant Homosexual Activists Force Resignation of LA Film Festival Director
A film festival director has been forced to resign his position because he supported California's successful Proposition 8 referendum that prevented the state courts from forcing all the state's citizens to recognize same-sex marriages.
Continue reading "Intolerant Homosexual Activists Force Resignation of LA Film Festival Director" »
November 24, 2008
'Twilight' Leads at Box Office with Unexpectedly Strong Performance
U.S. movie audiences continued their trend of avoiding political and arty films and sticking to genre entertainment this past weekend, as the teen vampire movie Twilight led with an impressive $70.6 million U.S. box office take.
Continue reading "'Twilight' Leads at Box Office with Unexpectedly Strong Performance" »
November 17, 2008
'Quantum of Solace' Opens Big at U.S. Box Office
The new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, opened very strongly at the U.S. box office, bringing a healthy $70.4 million in its first weekend.
Continue reading "'Quantum of Solace' Opens Big at U.S. Box Office" »
November 15, 2008
James Bond's Distrust of Superiors Reaches New Heights in 'Quantum of Solace'
The new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is an entertaining and thought-provoking entry in the series. Its use of American action film conventions is both a strength and a weakness, however.
Continue reading "James Bond's Distrust of Superiors Reaches New Heights in 'Quantum of Solace'" »
November 10, 2008
Hollywood Filmmakers Should Be Grateful for Audiences' Taste, Common Sense
It's not the economy, stupid! Despite the badgering by America-hating critics, people never gravitate to deliberately negative and depressing movies.
Continue reading "Hollywood Filmmakers Should Be Grateful for Audiences' Taste, Common Sense" »
Terrorist Biopic on the Way
French film director Olivier Assayas has cast the lead actor for his film biography of the terrorist known as Carlos, Ilich: Story of Carlos.
Playing the role of the Venezuala-born leftist terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos and as the Jackal, will be Edgar Ramirez, who played a soldier backing Fidel Castro in Che, Steve Soderbergh's biography of the Cuban communist revolutionary.
Sanchez/Carlos is now in jail in France after leading a global terrorist organization that served the Soviet Union's ends as he worked for Palestinians, Syria, Libya, Iraq, and the Romanian communist government, among others.
Director Assayas referred to Carlos as "the most complex and controversial character to emerge from the revolutionary struggles of our time," according to Reuters. What controversy there could possibly be over the man's actions is puzzling, given that he was simply a murderous thug who served as many of the world's wickedest regimes as possible.
After a film made by a prominent Hollywood director lauding Che Guevara, of course, it was only inevitable that someone would take up the cause of an even more blatant terrorist.
November 03, 2008
Escapism Rules at Movie Box Office in Weekend Before Elections
U.S. audiences sought solace from political controversies through escapist fare at the nation's movie theaters over the weekend, with Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year leading the pack again.
Continue reading "Escapism Rules at Movie Box Office in Weekend Before Elections" »
October 28, 2008
'High School Musical 3' Rules Movie Box Office
Two genre films—High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Saw V—brought U.S. audiences back to the movie box offices in a big way over the weekend.
Continue reading "'High School Musical 3' Rules Movie Box Office" »
October 22, 2008
German Film Tells Story of Soviet Atrocities After WWII
The new film Anonyma: Eine Frau in Berlin depicts outrages by the Soviet military in Germany after World War II. It's another sign that mainstream media in the West are finally beginning to criticize communism—now that its partisans have far fewer threats and rewards to offer after the downfall of their imperial patron, the Soviet Union.
Continue reading "German Film Tells Story of Soviet Atrocities After WWII" »
From the 'Duh!' File: Hollywood Republicans 'Feel Bullied'
It's always good when the mainstream media finally acknowledge the obvious. That's the case with the Hollywood Reporter's new story on Hollywood leftists' bullying of Republicans. It's worth reading for some interesting new details about the situation.
October 21, 2008
Stone's 'W.' No Winner
Oliver Stone's W. is a good try but ultimately a miss, rather like its subject's presidency.
Continue reading "Stone's 'W.' No Winner" »
Documentary Calls Attention to Contemporary Slavery
Musician Steve Dillon's documentary Call + Response brings attention to the vast problem of contemporary slavery, noting that there are more slaves today than at any other time in history.
Continue reading "Documentary Calls Attention to Contemporary Slavery" »
Are Films Inherently Stupid? Or Just Filmmakers?
The shortcomings and travails of cinematic mystery fiction could suggest that the cinema can't be contemplative and intelligent—or perhaps filmmakers tackling the genre just haven't tried hard enough.
TAC correspondent Mike Gray reports.
Continue reading "Are Films Inherently Stupid? Or Just Filmmakers?" »
October 20, 2008
Public Prefers Payne over Politics
U.S. audiences just wish the Hollywood left would move on.
Continue reading "Public Prefers Payne over Politics" »
October 17, 2008
Filmmaker Hopes to Make Optimism Popular Again
TV producer and filmmaker J. J. Abrams is directing and producing the forthcoming Star Trek film with the goal of bringing a more optimistic point of view to the culture.
Continue reading "Filmmaker Hopes to Make Optimism Popular Again" »
October 16, 2008
Carell to Tackle Brigadier Gerard
Comic actor Steve Carell is bringing to the silver screen one of Arthur Conan Doyle's other great heroes.
Continue reading "Carell to Tackle Brigadier Gerard" »
October 15, 2008
Biopics and Politics
Hollywood biopics have commonly fictionalized their subjects' exploits and had deliberate political messages. We might have avoided some disasters if the films had been more honest, TAC correspondent Mike Gray notes.
Continue reading "Biopics and Politics" »
October 14, 2008
Oliver Stone Says "W" Biopic Not Malicious
Oliver Stone's forthcoming biographical film about George W. Bush is being characterized as surprisingly sympathetic, but the director's need to see policy errors as deriving from psychological pathologies is dubious at best.
Continue reading "Oliver Stone Says "W" Biopic Not Malicious" »
October 13, 2008
Chihuahuas Beat Spies to Audiences' Hearts
With a seemingly dire financial crisis raging on the TV news, movie audiences chose cute chihuahuas over and a horror flick over big stars in a timely political drama.
Continue reading "Chihuahuas Beat Spies to Audiences' Hearts" »
October 09, 2008
Epic Russian Film Reflects Push for New National Identity
The newly released epic Russian film Admiral exemplifies the nation's effort to build a post-Communist culture with new heroes embodying traditional ideals. Unfortunately, dislike of foreigners seems to be a big part of the process.
Continue reading "Epic Russian Film Reflects Push for New National Identity" »
October 06, 2008
'An American Carol' Off to Slow Start at Box Office, Deserves Better
David Zucker's An American Carol is a superb satire on Euro-loving America-haters. It has started slow at the box office, but deserves real audience support.
Continue reading "'An American Carol' Off to Slow Start at Box Office, Deserves Better" »
Guy Ritchie Talks About His Upcoming Sherlock Holmes Film
Guy Ritchie's upcoming Sherlock Holmes film has been in the news lately. It was recently announced that Rachel McAdams has been cast as leading lady in the film:
Here's a good video news story with Guy Ritchie providing some details about his vision for the film:
Finally, for an interesting news story on the film, click here.
October 03, 2008
Cage, Sena Reunite for Medieval Supernatural Thriller
Nicolas Cage is reteaming with his Gone in Sixty Seconds director on a supernatural thriller set in the fourteenth century. It may turn out to be interesting.
In their effort to rebound from the box office failures of their most recent films, actor Nicolas Cage and director Dominic Sena are teaming up on the upcoming supernatural thriller Season of the Witch.
Continue reading "Cage, Sena Reunite for Medieval Supernatural Thriller" »
September 23, 2008
Asian Horror Films and Their Hollywood Remakes
Here's an interesting question: Why are Hollywood remakes of popular Asian horror films mostly neither scary nor interesting? E! Online suggests an answer here. In summary, the writer, Leslie Gornstein, says the use of CGI makes the American versions less real and involving to audiences.
Continue reading "Asian Horror Films and Their Hollywood Remakes" »
September 19, 2008
'Lakeview Terrace' Thriller Includes Good Ideas, Bad Decisions
Lakeview Terrace adds an interesting angle to the suspense-crime genre—but unfortunately soon decays into standard hackwork.
Continue reading "'Lakeview Terrace' Thriller Includes Good Ideas, Bad Decisions" »
September 18, 2008
Angelina Jolie's Political Leanings Causing Speculation, Concern
Hollywood watchers are wondering whether Angelina Jolie will follow her father's lead and come out in support of Sen. John McCain's bid for the presidency. Don't laugh: this actually matters.
Continue reading "Angelina Jolie's Political Leanings Causing Speculation, Concern" »
September 15, 2008
Bill Maher, Our Very Own Voltaire, Enlightens Us Once Again
Boldly going where only a few thousand writers have gone before in mocking religious believers, philosopher-king Bill Maher brings us the real truth about God, the universe, and everything, in Religulous.
Continue reading "Bill Maher, Our Very Own Voltaire, Enlightens Us Once Again" »
September 09, 2008
'Bangkok Dangerous' Leads in U.S. Movie Box Office Crash
Morally and visually murky Nicolas Cage starrer undermines actor's usual appeal, fails to attract audiences on the late-summer weekend.
Continue reading "'Bangkok Dangerous' Leads in U.S. Movie Box Office Crash" »
September 01, 2008
'Dark Knight' Tops Half-Billion Dollar Mark
The Dark Knight has become only the second film in history to top $500 million in U.S. movie ticket sales.
Continue reading "'Dark Knight' Tops Half-Billion Dollar Mark" »
August 28, 2008
Coen Brothers' New Film Divides Critics
The Coen brothers' follow-up to their Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men is drawing decidedly divided reviews after its Venice Film Festival premiere.
Continue reading "Coen Brothers' New Film Divides Critics" »
August 26, 2008
Hollywood Veterans, New Film Challenge Industry's Far-Left Orthodoxy
Hollywood conservatives are increasingly coming out of the closet and defying the McCarthyite bullying by the industry's overwhelmingly leftist power brokers.
Continue reading "Hollywood Veterans, New Film Challenge Industry's Far-Left Orthodoxy" »
August 25, 2008
Audiences Resist Boycott Call Against 'Tropic Thunder'
The public's reaction to protests against the new comedy film Tropic Thunder confirms that ordinary people are much wiser than the self-appointed elites who want to rule over them.
Continue reading "Audiences Resist Boycott Call Against 'Tropic Thunder'" »
Populist Films Dominate Late-Summer U.S. Box Office
The top three current U.S. motion picture box office draws all share a populist point of view—but without the ugly politics that often accompany such a perspective.
Continue reading "Populist Films Dominate Late-Summer U.S. Box Office" »
August 18, 2008
Another Nice Mess: Laurel and Hardy on TCM
This Saturday brings a full day of Laurel and Hardy films on Turner Classic Movies. Rest assured: they are not to be missed.
Continue reading "Another Nice Mess: Laurel and Hardy on TCM" »
August 12, 2008
John Woo's 'Red Cliff' Sets Chinese Box-Office Record
Legendary action director John Woo's historical drama Red Cliff is already the most successful Chinese film ever, but it remains to be seen whether that will translate to success in the United States—something Woo has had difficulty achieving despite his Western sensibilities.
Continue reading "John Woo's 'Red Cliff' Sets Chinese Box-Office Record" »
August 05, 2008
'Star Wars' Fans Doubtful About Forthcoming Film
Audience interest in the forthcoming Star Wars: Clone Wars is rather muted as the film's release date approaches.
Continue reading "'Star Wars' Fans Doubtful About Forthcoming Film" »
August 01, 2008
'Dark Knight' on Record-Setting Pace
Although The Dark Knight achieved the biggest opening weekend and opening week U.S. box office performance in history, it will be difficult to knock off the all-time champ, Titanic.
Continue reading "'Dark Knight' on Record-Setting Pace" »
July 24, 2008
Abba Movie Musical Surprises with Box-Office Record
The movie musical Mamma Mia! finished a strong second to The Dark Knight in the weekend box office race last week—setting a record for its genre.
Continue reading "Abba Movie Musical Surprises with Box-Office Record" »
July 23, 2008
'Dark Knight' Evokes Interesting Philosophical, Theological Ideas
The main villain of The Dark Knight has interesting theological implications.
Continue reading "'Dark Knight' Evokes Interesting Philosophical, Theological Ideas" »
July 22, 2008
Sherlock or Schlock?
Two new Sherlock Holmes film adaptations are taking very different approaches to the classic detective series.
Continue reading "Sherlock or Schlock?" »
July 19, 2008
'Dark Knight' Sets First-Day Box Office Record
The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie, brought in a record-breaking $66.4 million in its first day, according to Warner Bros, the film's distributor.
That's an impressive $6.6 million more than Spider-Man 3 took in during its first day of release in setting the previous record last summer.
Continue reading "'Dark Knight' Sets First-Day Box Office Record" »
July 14, 2008
Hellboy Hot at Box Office
Adventure fantasies with conservative values are maintaining their grip on American movie audiences.
Continue reading "Hellboy Hot at Box Office" »
July 08, 2008
Chinese Artists Call for More Freedom, Citing 'Kung Fu Panda'
Chinese artists are calling for less govenment control over culture—thanks to a cartoon bear. Americans can learn from this as well.
Continue reading "Chinese Artists Call for More Freedom, Citing 'Kung Fu Panda'" »
July 07, 2008
Smith's 'Hancock' Dominates U.S. Box Office
The new Will Smith movie, Hancock, is a big success at the box office, despite derision from the critics. They're wrong, and Smith is right (mostly).
Continue reading "Smith's 'Hancock' Dominates U.S. Box Office" »
July 01, 2008
'WALL-E' Leads Big Weekend for Hollywood
Pixar's WALL-E led a strong slate at the U.S. box office that resulted in the biggest-grossing weekend of the year.
Continue reading "'WALL-E' Leads Big Weekend for Hollywood" »
June 26, 2008
Downey to Lead Genre-Bender
Robert Downey Jr., star of the megahit movie Iron Man, has signed on for a new film that crosses genres and may have some interesting and salutary ideas.
Continue reading "Downey to Lead Genre-Bender" »
June 24, 2008
Would You Believe . . . Steve Carell, Box-Office Champ?
Get Smart, the spy spoof starring Steve Carell, led the weekend U.S. box office by a good measure.
Continue reading "Would You Believe . . . Steve Carell, Box-Office Champ?" »
June 18, 2008
American Girl Empire Teaches Better Values Than Schools
The first theatrical film based on the American Girl doll series is about to hit U.S. theaters. Could it shame our public schools into doing better?
Continue reading "American Girl Empire Teaches Better Values Than Schools" »
A Small Good Deed by a Big Movie Star
Demonstrating that there are some good celebrities around, actor Johnny Depp kept a promise to a Wisconsin boy.
Continue reading "A Small Good Deed by a Big Movie Star" »
June 16, 2008
'Hulk,' 'Happening' Drive Strong Weekend Movie Box Office
New action-adventure and horror releases lead unexpectedly big weekend for movies, proving once again the power of genre fiction.
Continue reading "'Hulk,' 'Happening' Drive Strong Weekend Movie Box Office" »
June 13, 2008
Possible Hollywood Performers Strike Could Hurt Industry, Coworkers
The Screen Actors Guild is preparing to go on strike after its current contract with Hollywood studios expires at the end of this month. Expect their coworkers to suffer the most.
Continue reading "Possible Hollywood Performers Strike Could Hurt Industry, Coworkers" »
June 12, 2008
Hollywood's Treatment of Communism—We Must Not Forget the Past
Hollywood's treatment of communism has historically been performed with kid gloves—which shouldn't surprise us given the number of communists in the industry in the 1950s and '60s.
Continue reading "Hollywood's Treatment of Communism—We Must Not Forget the Past" »
June 09, 2008
Flabby Action Hero Wins Big at Weekend Box Office
Kung Fu Panda won the box-office race in its opening weekend. Here's a clue why.
Continue reading "Flabby Action Hero Wins Big at Weekend Box Office" »
June 04, 2008
Real Guru Has No Objections to 'Love Guru'
In response to complaints from Hindu organizations about the forthcoming comedy film The Love Guru, the bestselling New Age author and spiritual entrepreneur Deepak Chopra says the film is not offensive and does not mock any religious faith.
Continue reading "Real Guru Has No Objections to 'Love Guru'" »
Good Sense in 'Sex and the City'?
Kathryn Lopez says you can find good messages in Sex and the City.
Continue reading "Good Sense in 'Sex and the City'?" »
May 29, 2008
Ouija Board to Star in New Movie
Filmmaker Michael Bay will make a new thriller centering on use of a Ouija board. This is more important than it may sound.
Continue reading "Ouija Board to Star in New Movie" »
May 27, 2008
Soderbergh Film Bio of Che Guevara Draws Critical Raspberries
Che, Steven Soderbergh's film biography and tribute to the Cuban revolutionary and American t-shirt icon Che Guevara, disappointed critics in Cannes. Being pro-Communist just isn't enough nowadays.
Continue reading "Soderbergh Film Bio of Che Guevara Draws Critical Raspberries" »
May 26, 2008
Anti-Communist Indy Jones Film Rakes in Huge Audience in Opening Weekend
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull hauled in an estimated $311 million in global ticket sales over the Memorial Day weekend--a near-record performance, and strong evidence that audiences will respond well to a film with an anti-communist attitude.
Continue reading "Anti-Communist Indy Jones Film Rakes in Huge Audience in Opening Weekend" »
May 23, 2008
New Indiana Jones Film Shows Evolving Cultural Attitude Toward Communism
After the film's underwhelming opening on Thursday, the makers of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are hoping the film will do better over the weekend. We should hope so, as the film exemplifies an improving cultural attitude toward communism and America's role in its eventual defeat.
Continue reading "New Indiana Jones Film Shows Evolving Cultural Attitude Toward Communism" »
May 21, 2008
'Love Guru' Comedy Hit by Protests
The forthcoming Mike Meyers film The Love Guru is under attack by U.S.-based religious leaders. The mainstream media will tell them to back off, right?
Continue reading "'Love Guru' Comedy Hit by Protests" »
May 19, 2008
'Prince Caspian' Tops U.S. Box Office in Opening Weekend
Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opened strong at the U.S. box office over the weekend—though not as well as expected.
Continue reading "'Prince Caspian' Tops U.S. Box Office in Opening Weekend" »
May 06, 2008
Marvel Announces 'Iron Man' Sequel
After the immensely successful opening weekend box office performance of Iron Man, Marvel Studios has announced plans to release a sequel in April 2010.
Continue reading "Marvel Announces 'Iron Man' Sequel" »
May 05, 2008
'Iron Man' Is Super Box-Office Hit--And More
Marvel Studios' Iron Man dominated the movie box office during its first weekend, at a near-record pace. Even more surprisingly, it has some serious thoughts behind it.
Continue reading "'Iron Man' Is Super Box-Office Hit--And More" »
April 30, 2008
Mel Gibson to Star in Crime Drama
For the first time since 2002, actor Mel Gibson will be the lead actor in a new movie. Gibson has signed on to star in Edge of Darkness, a crime thriller based on a 1985 BBC miniseries.
Continue reading "Mel Gibson to Star in Crime Drama" »
April 28, 2008
Miley Cyrus, Unprotected Celebrity
The embarrassing Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair photo shows the value of public relations people—and why investing real money makes people more careful about what they do.
Continue reading "Miley Cyrus, Unprotected Celebrity" »
March 30, 2008
'Fitna' Link Shut Down, Replacements Proliferate
As you've seen if you clicked on the link in the story immediately below, the film Fitna was removed from the Livelink site because of threats of violence against the proprietors. We've embedded a new link that should work, as numerous sites are carrying the film, in the grand tradition of liberty that the Internet has already developed.
Those who dislike the film—whether they have seen it or otherwise—are trying to ensure that it gets lost on the internet, by posting other videos with "Fitna" as the title. Those who wish to make sure others can see the film should point them to this permalink: http://stkarnick.com/blog2/2008/03/post_120.html.
We will monitor the situation and continue updating the link as necessary. If it should prove necessary in future, we'll download the file and save it to our own site.
March 29, 2008
Mixed-Up Messages from J-Lo's 'Bordertown'
The Jennifer Lopez 'message film' Bordertown is seriously mixed up about the causes of crime, but it does manage to entertain—and it includes some real libertarian lessons. TAC correspondent Thomas M. Sipos provides the details.
Continue reading "Mixed-Up Messages from J-Lo's 'Bordertown'" »
March 27, 2008
'Fitna' Outlines Muslim Plans for the West—and the World
The Dutch politician Geert Wilders has released Fitna ("Fatwa"), his short film about Islam's plans for the west and for world domination (see earlier article here).
Continue reading "'Fitna' Outlines Muslim Plans for the West—and the World" »
March 26, 2008
The Changing of the American Mind
Two crime movies based on the same play nicely illustrate the change in the mind of the American elite during the twentieth century.
Continue reading "The Changing of the American Mind" »
The Art of Richard Widmark and Classic Hollywood
Hollywood actor Richard Widmark dies at age 93, represented Hollywood's heyday.
Richard Widmark, best known for his Academy Award-nominated performance as a giggling, grinning gangster in the 1947 film noir classic Kiss of Death and as an NYPD policeman in the 1970s TV program Madigan, represents a Hollywood long gone and greatly missed, where on-camera performers and others involved in making films saw themselves as professionals, not artists—and succeeded in creating real art much more often than today's more overtly ambitious and politically active generation.