Applause is a truly sobering character study. This is not to make light of the Danish film's portrayal of alcoholism, but to testify how realistic it gets, and how low it goes. You'll think twice before stopping for drinks afterward. But Applause is no heavy-handed buzz-kill. There's a real clarity amidst the pain, and an impressive lead performance seizes all empathy and never lets go. more ›

In one of the rarest of rare occurrences, a movie in its fifth week of release finally clawed its way to the top of the box office. Paramount pushed Paranormal Activity into over a thousand new theaters and the gamble paid off handsomely as the horror sleeper raked in $22M ($62.4M) to easily win the weekend. Torture porn shit-show Saw VI endured a brutal debut as it pulled in a weak $14.8M (yay!) while last week's champ Where the Wild Things Are stumbled a bit in its second weekend ($14.4M | $53.9M). The formulaic Law Abiding Citizen ($12.7M | $40.3M) and the half-funny Couples Retreat ($11M | $78.2M) rounded out the top 5. more ›

As some of you may know, I am perhaps the world's greatest fan of John C. Reilly. Anything John does (including music), I see (and usually like). Unfortunately, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant may test that theory. Not sure how to say this, but it looks...really, really stupid. Hilary Swank will definitely NOT win an Oscar for Amelia since she's not playing a boy/masculine character. Oh wait, yes she is. Go ahead and give her the Oscar now. I never really watched Astro Boy as a kid and probably won't start now. more ›

I don't typically review films via print, but Lars von Trier's latest body of artwork, Antichrist, wasn't really a typical film. It was more beautifully shot than some of the most gorgeous movies I've ever seen; it was scarier than any run of the mill horror film, and more disturbing than anything that's ever disturbed me in my life, in a very outside-of-the-spectrum of what-you-would-drop-your-jaw-at-because-of-its-astonishing-shock-value kind of way. I don't know what the normal protocol for revealing spoilers is in movie reviews, but to save you the trauma of reading about the things I saw in this film, I will leave them for your own viewing. more ›

In the small space that is the Theatre of NOTE, catty corner to Amoeba Records in Hollywood, the current show explores humanity through a bastard of a character who gains our sorrow as he traverses life full of opportunities not belonging to him. In this dark and deadpan world, where no serendipity can exist, love and forgiveness can be still found. more ›