I walked into Alice in Wonderland prepared to be completely underwhelmed. Something about Burton + Lewis Carroll + Depp seemed too on the nose for my taste. And yet -- mostly due to the fantastic performance of Mia Wasikowska -- I enjoyed the film far more than I ever expected. more ›

I thoroughly enjoyed The Informant! and am actually really looking forward to catching it again on DVD. If only Soderbergh would spend all his time making flicks like it and no time making flicks like this. It is by no means a good movie, but Dead Snow was a rollicking horror of a film (though a lack of solid nudity does penalize it substantially). How can you beat Nazi zombies? The less said about Jersey Shore, the better. It's just dumb assholes. It's not ironic; it's not a guilty pleasure; it's a show about dumb assholes. I'm probably as big an Adam Scott fan as there is (LAist interview here). Check out The Vicious Kind today! Was Richard Kelly a one film wonder? The Box would seem to indicate so (as if Southland Tales didn't scream it). Bloodbath!!!!!!! more ›

A trio of newcomers stormed the box-office this weekend, thoroughly knocking down the mighty Avatar from its lofty aerie. The rancid and cynical Valentine's Day led the pack with a well undeserved $52.4M. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Very Long Title pulled in a solid $31.1M to edge out the better-than-expected The Wolfman ($30.6M). After that it was the aforementioned Avatar ($22M | $659.6M) and the moronic Dear John ($15.3M | $53.1M). more ›

Sure the reviews haven't exactly been stellar, but I'm really looking forward to The Wolfman. Benicio + Tony + Emily + (most importantly) Rick Baker = my ass in the seat opening weekend! Thank God it is rated R for "bloody horror violence and gore." I'm sick and tired of these PG-13 horror flicks. Some might say that Valentine's Day is a cynical attempt to cash in on an all-star cast even though the underlying film is, in fact, awful. Oh wait, I would be saying that. Please avoid this film, America! more ›

Get learned-up with PBS tonight. Sarah's also on (thump-thumpa :-)), and late night TV is strong tonight. 8:00pm Wired Science PBS/KCET - This is a cool show. While I'm not enamored of the bizarre enormous set that the hosts saunter through, each of the pieces are very well done. In particular, tonight check out the "ball busters" segment which is about the testing and certification of baseballs for MLB. TV Junkie 8:00pm Pick 8:00pm Pushing... more ›

Starting today, audiences in Los Angeles can take their first worthwhile break from the summer blockbuster madness with one of the few award-worthy pics released so far this year (other than Ratatouille). First, a disclaimer. Do not let the trailers for Talk to Me, the new biopic starring the always excellent Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor, mislead you. This is not a film about the civil rights movement, or race in America. Those who are expecting to be preached to or to learn some profound lesson about racial injustice had best look somewhere else. more ›

Hot Fuzz - The guys who made the brilliant zombie spoof Shaun of the Dead, writer/director Edgar Wright and co-writer/star Simon Pegg, reteam for Hot Fuzz, what looks to be a hilarious spoof on the police thriller. Jealous colleagues have London's best cop (Simon Pegg) transferred to the peaceful village of Sandford, where he is partnered with an enthusiastic but witless police officer (Nick Frost) who longs for gunfights and car chases to break up the monotony of small-town policing. When the pair stumble upon a series of suspicious accidents, it looks like Sandford may not be such an idyllic burg after all. more ›

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday the 13th, for the 2006 installment of AFI Fest, Los Angeles' valiant (read: sometimes comical, sometimes desperate) attempt to mount a world-class film festival, something this city deserves but sorely lacks. This year AFI Fest will screen 147 feature films and 36 shorts including several special screenings and premieres. The festival will host the U.S. premiere of Bobby, the Emilio Estevez-directed drama about the assassination of Robert F.... more ›

The number of film festivals held in this town seems only slightly outnumbered by the number of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf outlets. But tomorrow, AFI Fest 2005 (Nov. 3-13) opens -- and in its 19th year -- this is one that shouldn't be ignored. A few of the week's highlights include: more ›

TUESDAY more ›