“Savages,” the new candy-coated thriller from once-important director Oliver Stone, comes along at a propitious time. The film is about a bloody feud between a Mexican drug cartel and domestic marijuana growers, but the subject lurking throughout is the War on Drugs, which has been in the news quite a bit lately. First there was…
In two weeks, “The Dark Knight Rises” will be released. It is sure to be the biggest hit of the summer, but more importantly, it is the third and final film in the most politically-themed franchise in movie history. As we prepare for the release of the third film, let us take a look back…
There is a certain type of romantic comedy about a character who is trying to live in two worlds at once. Usually, this plot involves a deception of some kind. You know the kind of movie I’m talking about. The lead character is trying to achieve some arbitrary goal, and they pretend to be someone…
Second episodes are tough. Often, there are as many new viewers of a show watching the second episode as there are with the first, so you basically have to re-introduce all of the characters and restate its themes. As one of the few defenders of last week’s pilot episode of “The Newsroom,” I was tempted…
NOTE: This article was originally posted on April 5, 2012. I reposted it today because, well, I thought it might be relevant. Last week, supporters of health care reform may have seen their hopes and dreams go up in flames. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., tasked with defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in…
“History prefers legends to men.” – from the trailer of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” It happens every so often. Two movies with similar plots and subject matter are released within a very short period of time. Think “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact.” Or “K-9” and “Turner and Hooch.” Or all of those body-swap movies from the…
Very quickly, it has become chic to hate on “The Newsroom.” Aaron Sorkin’s new drama has premiered to uncharacteristically mediocre reviews. Variety laments that “the series doesn’t match the lofty crests of Sorkin’s finest work.” The New York Times says that the show “chokes on its own sanctimony.” And the Washington Post finds that “Sorkin’s…
A personal post this morning. I went to visit my grandmother this past weekend. She is 90 years old, and her health is in decline. It was wonderful to see her and difficult to leave, especially knowing that it may have been our last goodbye. “Grandmother” means something different to everyone, but for me, the…
Reel Change 
You must be logged in to post a comment.