Perhaps the only way for a Hollywood film to diplomatically depict a conflict between Christians and Muslims is by setting the story nearly 1,000 years ago. "Kingdom of Heaven" is about as "fair and balanced" in this respect as one should expect from a post-9/11 release.Director Ridley Scott ...
Star Nicole Kidman reportedly signed on to "The Interpreter" without having read the script.Had she skimmed a few pages, she might have changed her mind -- or at least began asking enough questions about the plot to generate some revisions in the pre-production phase.The film certainly starts ...
Never trust a real estate agent who says a potential property has a "vibrant history."At 112 Ocean Ave. in the Amityville neighborhood of Long Island, N.Y., that description means a family was recently murdered there. Not to mention the fact it was built on the mass grave of tortured natives ...
Several modern movies have tried to bring the look and feel of a comic book to life. Not just to adapt comic characters into a cinematic setting, but really capture the episodic, exaggerated, colorful texture of an actual ink-and-paper product."Dick Tracy" and "American Splendor" are among the ...
"Armed and Fabulous" would make a fine stand-alone title for this movie. It's too bad the phrase "Miss Congeniality 2" precedes it.The thought of another sequel hitting cineplexes is already daunting, especially when attached to a fairly forgettable comedy from five years ago.Yet as far as ...
According to "The Ring Two" production notes, a series of "bizarre happenings" occurred while filming.The production office was flooded overnight on the seventh day of shooting by a burst water pipe. This mirrored both the time frame of when characters in the movie meet their demise and the ...
Robin Williams' appearance at the Academy Awards really punctuated just how tired the comedian's routine has become.He delivered the same pop-culture references, the same gaggle of impressions, the same manic asides that he's been milking for decades. It was dated and unfunny, especially when ...
"Sequels," says Chili Palmer (John Travolta) with visible condescension.And from the first word uttered, "Be Cool" establishes that it's not so much a traditional movie as it is a loose collection of self-referential gags.Similar to "Ocean's Twelve," this comedy unfolds like a two-hour in-joke ...
America is saturated with awards shows.Starting around the first of the year, it seems every few days there is a Golden Globes or People's Choice or American Film Institute or Independent Spirit Awards, etc.After sitting through many of these broadcasts out of morbid curiosity or sheer boredom, ...
There are a number of theories about what has the most impact on amovie. Is it the script, the director, the budget, the effects?I always had leaned toward the screenplay, until this year when apair of similar movies changed my mind: the biopics "Ray" and "Beyondthe Sea." Both were written like ...