There's nothing particularly great about Black Dynamite (it's no I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!), but it is a hell of a lot of fun. The normally dour Michael Jai White has a great time as the titular hero, and any movie featuring the fantastic Charlotte Stokely is worth a look. Remember when Gerard Butler was an intriguing actor on the rise -- around the time as Dear Frankie? Now it looks as if he's just cashing checks to pay for big houses. Sad. There's a great story about how the Weinstein Brothers leveraged The Secret Policeman's Ball to first build Miramax. Given the precarious state of the Weinstein Company, is Private Party yet another spin-off? Few directors have had a better run at a studio than Clint Eastwood has had at Warner Brothers. Wish I had that life. Big day at Criterion today. Open your wallets! more ›

I've been waiting for months and months for Where the Wild Things Are to finally reach the big screen. My exposure to the original book was negligible, but a new Spike Jonze film is always an event. Is anyone not blown away by the weirdo art direction of this film? I've been ruminating on this site for months on the quickly slipping stature of Gerard Butler. He was once always the most interesting thing in a movie, but now he appears to be doing little more than cashing checks. Law Abiding Citizen is his newest mortgage payment. more ›