ListenCinema Junkie
Easy Rider
- July 2, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
"Easy Rider" (opening July 3 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) is a time capsule -- it brilliantly captures a very specific moment in time and yet it still resonates powerfully today. Released in 1969 amidst headlines about war protests, love-ins, communes, drug use, hippies, the silent majority, and Nixon. It arrived just before the Kent State shootings and just after the Manson murders. It was a film that changed the landscape of American film, both in terms of the story it told and the way it was made. So I just want to highlight the fact that Landmark will be presenting a newly restored 35mm print this week at the Ken. So make an effort to see it on the big screen. Read more →
Public Enemies
- July 1, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
Dillinger has been a popular subject for movies. The best film to date has been the 1970s John Milius one called "Dillinger" that starred Warren Oates as public enemy number one and Ben Johnson as FBI agent Melvin Purvis who led the investigation to capture him. Now Johnny Depp stars as the Depression-era criminal in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" (opening July 1 throughout San Diego). Read more →
Zombies Invade NPR
- July 1, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
I just wanted to share my national feature that ran on NPR this morning about zombies and pop culture. It was great to bring the undead to NPR but a bummer that it had to be such a short piece because there actually is a lot to discuss about the current popularity of zombies. Read more →
Whatever Works
- June 30, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
Woody Allen has been consistently putting out almost a movie a year since "Take the Money and Run" in 1969. So the arrival of "Whatever Works" (opened June 26 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas) this month was to be expected. But for the first time in five years Allen returns from abroad to check in with his native New Yorkers. He also returns to a script originally written three decades ago for Zero Mostel. Read more →
This Teen Gives Thumbs Up To Transformer Sequel
- June 27, 2009
- By Janeane White, Teen Critic
“Transformers Revenge of the Fallen” (opened June 24 throughout San Diego) is an amazing movie! It was non-stop action packed and overall awesome. In most cases sequels in the movie business tend to suck and basically don't even come close to the originals. I loved the story line of the first "Transformers," and the fact that the robots looked so real. Now that I’ve seen the second movie I realize that it too is just as cool. Read more →
Chéri
- June 26, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
French novelist Colette may have been as famous for her sometimes scandalous life as for the literary works she produced. On film, the musical adaptation of her novel "Gigi" is probably the best known. But now a pair of her works have been combined to make "Chéri" (opening June 26 at Landmark's La Jolla Village and Hillcrest Cinemas) into a star vehicle for Michelle Pfeiffer. Read more →
Stories from Baghdad U.S.A.
- June 26, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
“Stories form Baghdad U.S.A.” is a new documentary from local filmmakers Kevin King and Alex Farnsley, and it will have its premiere this Sunday, June 28, at 1:30pm at the San Diego County Library El Cajon Branch. The screening is free and the documentary was shot in El Cajon. Although I was not able to preview this film, I have shown works by the filmmakers at "Film School Confidential: A Showcase of San Diego and Tijuana Filmmakers," and know that they are a talented pair. Read more →
Il Divo
- June 25, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
For more than fifty years, Guilio Andreotti was one of Italy's most powerful, feared and intriguing political figures of the post-war era. He is now the subject of a new film called "Il Divo" (opening June 26 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas). The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes last year. You can listen to my radio feature (where you can hear some of the great music used in the film) or read the extended review. Read more →
Transformers: The Revenge of the Over-Long, Over-Bloated Action Film
- June 24, 2009
- By Michael Shymon, Teen Critic
Oh dear lord. Look, I'm just going to start out my review by saying that what I say and what any other critic in the world says, I know that it really doesn't matter. You've already made up your mind about "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (opening June 24 throughout San Diego), you're either waiting with your ticket in hand or you're sitting around contemplating the deplorable state of modern film and entertainment. Read more →
Pontypool: Interview with Bruce McDonald
- June 23, 2009
- By Beth Accomando
Zombies are all the rage at the moment. Borders even has a whole wall devoted to zombie literature ranging from "The Zombie Survival Guide" to "Zombie Haiku" to "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Yesterday I posted Part One of my Zombie Exposé and focused on the Norwegian zombie film "Dead Snow," now I'll be looking to "Pontypool," a film based on a book and serving up a zombie film without zombies. What's that? A zombie film without zombies? But how can that be? Well it can and it works. Read more →
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