Many of us who watched the 2011 Academy Awards found the hosts to be somewhat...underwhelming. James Franco appeared stoned and practically asleep next to hyper, overzealous Anne Hathaway. Since then, the two have been getting panned right and left for their odd and ultimately not very compelling performance, but one man is speaking truth to power about the whole incident. more ›

The plastic cameras at the Lomography store in West Hollywood may look innocent, but spend a little time with one and it may quickly become an obsession. This Friday, the store will celebrate the beauty of Los Angeles as captured through a Lomography lens with the opening reception for the "10 Prophecies of the Analogue Future" competition. There will be an open bar, free food, tarot card readings, stunning photos, and the chance to buy one of three new cameras with proceeds benefiting the relief efforts in Japan. more ›

The crux of The Dilemma is that Vince Vaughn can't tell best bud Kevin James that the best things he has going for him may not be all that great. The same caring, cautious approach should be taken towards The Green Hornet. more ›

The Salastina Music Society makes their debut this week at the Zipper Hall, and aims to reach out to a modern audience. This non-profit organization hopes to encourage participation (like voting on what encore to perform) and will not enforce rules on when to applause (or not applaud). As an added bonus, they will offer free... more ›

Still not quite sure why so many branded Funny People an unmitigated disaster. Sure, it wasn't as big of a box-office performer as your standard Apatow or Sandler joint, but it was hardly a huge bomb ($51M). Plus, the reviews were fairly solid across the board (68% positive on RT). Something tells me that this is a film that people will find on DVD and VOD, and it will eventually become a basic-cable classic. It's not saying much, but Angels & Demons was a hell of a lot better than The Da Vinci Code. If you want to see a great movie that takes place in the same basic neighborhood, try out the fascinating Gomorrah. more ›

How is it that every Pixar film is an absolute gem, yet every other animated movie from every other large American studio is just okay? Oh right -- John Lasseter. I watched The Wizard of Oz plenty of times when I was a kid, and I admire it as an important film in the American film canon...but...would I ever watch it again? Probably not. Man, Jennifer Aniston just can't seem to pick good movies in which to star, huh? Management was a dud despite the presence of the great Steve Zahn (see him in Rescue Dawn and Safe Men). Away We Go has more of an Eggers feel to it than a Mendes stamp, huh? Does anyone not like John Krasinski? more ›

Observe & Report was not a great movie, but it was damned interesting to see such a subversive movie being released by a huge studio like Warner Brothers. Something tells me they didn't entirely know what they were getting. Did you love this summer's Star Trek (and who didn't?) Catch up on some of the earlier flicks today. I get that Matthew McConaughey is happy to make tripe like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, but sad to see Jennifer Garner fall into that pit. Seriously -- once you have enough money to never have to worry about money, shouldn't you, you know, do things that compel and challenge you? Just saying. more ›

As LAist noted earlier today, tonight is National Night Out, uh, night. If you live in Northridge, you can catch a free outdoor screening of Kung Fu Panda at Northridge Park this evening. As noted in the press release from the office of Councilman Greig Smith (Greig? Really?): more ›

Despite facing a brutal marketing challenge, Funny People managed to top the box office this weekend. Though it was the lowest-performing champ of the summer, the Judd Apatow-helmed laugher brought in $23.4M to hold off a resilient Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($17.7M | $255.4M). The awful G-Force was a hair behind ($17M | $66.4M), followed by the awful The Ugly Truth ($13M | $54.4M) and the, uh, awful Aliens in the Attic ($7.8M). Orphan ($7.2M | $26.7M), Ice Age 3 ($5.3M | $181.8M), The Hangover ($5M | $255.7M), The Proposal ($4.8M | $148.8M) and Transformers 2 ($4.6M | $388.1M) rounded out the top 10. more ›

If you're planning to see one movie this weekend, you should re-jigger your schedule and see four! Funny People would be an excellent place to start. It's Rogen, Apatow and Sandler's best film to date (LAist review here). Sure, it's not a straight comedy, but it is damn funny. You'll leave the film in a good mood, but that will quickly turn into righteous anger once you've seen The Cove. The best movie at the Sundance Film Festival this year (LAist reviews here and here), it's a thrilling and sad documentary about the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. I mean seriously, how many eco-documentaries have scenes inside ILM? The Cove is that cool. More to the point, it almost feels like a narrative film with all the intrigue and plot that go into capturing the wrenching footage of dolphins being mercilessly pitchforked in the water by giggling fisherman. See it! more ›

The lazy response to Judd Apatow's Funny People will be that it isn't as, well, funny as his two previous films, The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up. The subtext of that observation, of course, is that it isn't as good as those other films, and that is a howlingly wrong presumption. True, Funny People is not Apatow's funniest film, but -- true also -- it is his best. While not a straight comedy, it has plenty of laughs and inspired lunatic performances (Eric Bana, in particular, is a revelation). What it also has, though, is an interest in exploring the intersection of mortality and human failing, and it does so with great clarity and a requisite lack of pity. more ›

Before diving into a review of the wonderful Paper Heart, allow me to relate an episode from last night's screening. I think it provides a key insight into the whimsical mind of Charlyne Yi. Following the screening, Charlyne and director Nicholas Jasenovec sat down for a Q&A. Ten minutes in, Charlyne excused herself to the restroom. Moments later, she returned. Except she didn't. A man dressed exactly like her entered the theater and continued the Q&A as her. It's just that sort of innocent guile that makes Paper Heart so winning. more ›

Millions of Americans ignored Christ this weekend in order to fill the already overstuffed pockets of the vaguely satanic and horribly buck-toothed Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana: The Movie picked up a cool $34M to rule the box-office roost, eclipsing last week's winner Fast and Furious ($28.7M/$118M). Monsters vs. Aliens enjoyed a strong third weekend ($22.6M/$141M) to crush disappointing newcomer Observe and Report ($11.1M). The horrible Knowing rounded out the top 5 with a richly undeserved take of $6.6M ($68M). more ›

You will laugh. You will cry. YOU WILL ROCK! | Photo courtesy of VH1 more ›

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Does anyone else have the same feeling about Monsters vs. Aliens that I do? Namely, "Gee, I wish Pixar had made this movie instead of DreamWorks." It's either very sad or very cynical that two fine actors like Martin Donovan and Virginia Madsen are doing rote horror pics like The Haunting in Connecticut. The premise of 12 Rounds is that a criminal is manipulating a cop after the cop kills the criminal's girlfriend. Is it just me or does that seem like a reasonable response? Skip The Education of Charlie Banks and wait for next week's very similarly-toned Adventureland. Spinning Into Butter stars Sarah Jessica Parker. So...I won't be seeing it. more ›

Tonight marks the end of "Battlestar Galactica", for about 20 years until the geeks of the future resurrect it like they did the now-campy 1970s version. Some have complained that this final season swung the show onto a science-fiction track that was too science-fiction-y but the show had to return to its roots, its core, before wandering off into the cosmos. more ›

In more able hands, Zack and Miri Make A Porno could have been a funny and insightful movie about sexual commerce, exhibitionism, friendship, financial desperation, etc. With Kevin Smith writing and directing, though, it was a shallow, dirty joke that had a scene where a guy was shit on by a constipated whore. I laughed a few times overall, but isn't it time Kevin just went away? If you want to see an infinitely superior movie, check out Nick and Norah's Infinite Playist. Michael Cera is as close to a guarantee as we have right now. Had Bottle Shock just stayed with Rickman it would have been better than merely mediocre. more ›

Boobies, bathroom humor and bongs collide in Pineapple Express, the latest DVD release from indie writer/director extraordinaire, David Gordon Green. The film follows two dimwitted stoners, Dale (Seth Rogen) and Saul (James Franco), whose connections to the underworld of illegal drugs inadvertently make them witnesses to murder. It's the classic tale of marijuana dealer meets boy, boy meets marijuana dealer and over the river and through the woods into a drug dealer's hideout with guns they go. more ›

I've said it over and over again but is a perfectly stupid title for a perfectly stupid film. Toupee alert! more ›

The moronic ($6M). more ›

I don't know about you but I am steamed--DAMN STEAMED--that Kevin Smith made a movie called Zack and Miri Make a Porno and exempted Elizabeth Banks from what I feel is a compulsory nude scene. Fail, Kevin Smith! Fail! The Haunting of Molly Hartley looks generic, stupid, unscary--you name it. Listless teens will probably eat it up while groping each other. Bruce Campbell is rightfully a screen icon for his years of B-movie excellence. Everyone in L.A.owes him a debt of gratitude so please go see My Name Is Bruce. more ›

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Large crowds of children propelled finished a distant fifth ($9.2M/$37.6M). more ›

I understand the appeal of Steven Seagal far more than I ever will that of Adam Sandler. I've hated him in his comedies just as much as I have in his dramas. In fact, I've yet to make it through the entirety of even though Paul Thomas Anderson is high on my list of favorite directors. Considering all that, there's obviously no chance that I'll be seeing You Don't Mess with the Zohan. more ›

One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is that there are countless opportunities to see movies in advance for free. Spend any afternoon at the Burbank Town Center or the Third Street Promenade and you'll see people hanging around movie theaters with clipboards and flyers for upcoming screenings. Next week, as part of MTV's Sneak Peak Week, five of the summer's biggest comedies will be screening around town. All you have to do is show up early (real early!) with a ticket and get in line. Bring a book and an iPod. Details below: more ›

To no one's surprise, , underperformed with only $4.7M in its debut. more ›

David Gordon Green is in the very first rank of American filmmakers. As far as I'm concerned, every movie he makes is an automatic must-see on opening weekend. Snow Angels debuted last week in New York and opens today in Los Angeles. What sets Green's films apart from so many others is the lyrical melancholy that hovers over every scene and the carefully observed and rich humanity that inhabits every frame. tells two stories about love--one in ascension and one in decline. See it and be rewarded. more ›

Robert Hass presents Time & Materials 7pm @ Central Library more ›

Though it's opening weekend box office total was surprisingly low, it was no surprise that critics savaged did okay). Comedies, of course, never get the critical respect that dramas do and vulgar comedies typically fare worst of all (with the notable exception of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen's recent work. Then again, who cares about reviews if a movie is funny, right? more ›