No film could ever capture the inner despair and hopelessness that pervades Cormac McCarthy's magnificent novel, The Road. Still, the film is a despondently faithful adaptation that should please -- if depress -- cineastes. Never before has society's apocalypse felt so hauntingly real. There's only one, maybe two good reasons to watch HBO's moronic True Blood, right? Of all the classic authors I read in college, I return to D.H. Lawrence more than any other. Why hasn't there been a fantastic film adaptation of Sons and Lovers? more ›

After seven weeks as King of the World, Avatar was knocked from its perch by the maudlin Dear John. The phony love story brought in an obscene $32.4M in its debut weekend to best the Pocahontas rip-off ($23.6M | $630M). From Paris With Love disappointed in its first frame ($8.1M) while Edge of Darkness collapsed in week two ($7M | $29M). The Tooth Fairy -- to America's eternal shame -- is holding up well ($6.5M | $34.3M) more ›

Ordinarily, the radiant, slightly goofy presence of Amanda Seyfried would have me rushing to the theater (as it will in the case of the randy Chloe), but the noxious presence of Channing Tatum will keep me away from the awful Dear John. Can someone please explain Nicholas Sparks to me? He's still writing? Really? I'm sure it will suck, but From Paris With Love looks like a hell of a lot a fun. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is completely out of his depth, but Travolta is usually -- and counterintuitively -- rock-solid when he plays a bad ass. Does it get more matter of fact than Frozen? Kids get stranded in the cold and bad things ensue. There's your movie! more ›

Back in June I wrote, "Movies open every week in Los Angeles, and LAist always tries to let you know about as many of them as possible. Some films, though -- at least I think so -- deserve a special mention because a) they don't have a huge marketing budget supporting them; b) they are the kinds of provocative films that more people should see and c) they are the kinds of films that the worst toadies in corporate America don't want you to see." The film I was referring to was Food, Inc., and it is available today on DVD. It changed the way I eat. It may just do the same for you. On to lighter fare: G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra was a horrible, horrible film, but at least it wasn't as bad as Transformers 2. That's got to count for something, right? Proof that studios can still make big-budget films that are actually good: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. more ›

Paramount refused to screen G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for critics which is usually a huge, obvious warning that the film is an unmitigated disaster. Then again, maybe the studio is still just chafing from the deserved reaming given to Transformers 2: Racist CGI Porn by reviewers. In any case, G.I. Joe is obviously on the "skip" list. The consensus on Julie & Julia (LAist review here) appears to be that the movie would have benefited from more Julia and less Julie. To get a true grasp of what an amazing actress Meryl Streep is, Netflix the following movies and watch them in this order: Doubt, Silkwood, Sophie's Choice, Stuck on You. more ›

In the latest example of Hollywood underestimating the size of the African-American audience, Basic Instinct knock-off Obsessed stormed to the top of the box office this weekend with a healthy take of $28.5M. Last week's lame champ 17 Again ($11.6M/$39.9M) edged out newcomer Fighting ($11.4M) while newbies The Soloist ($9.7M) and Earth rounded out the top 5 ($8.5M). Kiddie hit Monsters vs. Aliens continues to print money as it storms towards the $200M mega-hit benchmark ($8.5M/$174.8M). more ›

For a certain generation (I'll call them the "Mike Tyson Punch Out!" generation), there has always been a strange fascination with the now-humbled pugilist. It's those people -- myself included -- who will be lining up to see James Toback's very well-reviewed documentary, Tyson. Those in need of a gooey validation of the human spirit, on the other hand, will be seeing The Soloist. Downey is obviously a huge draw these days (see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang if you haven't already), but I agree with Ken Turan that Joe Wright should have dialed back the sentimentality. Fighting looks terrible. Probably only suitable for those obsessed with Channing Tatum's abs. more ›

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox more ›

Show starts at 7 PM more ›