I enjoyed everything about Invictus -- the cast, the story, the filmmaker -- except the actual movie. Frankly, it was just dull. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I am very angry at Americans right now for throwing good money at the vile Valentine's Day. You know what happens now, right? They're going to make another "themed" movie like this -- New Year's Eve. And then another one. And another. When will you people ever learn? You suck. Extraordinary Measures felt more like a movie of the week than something that needed to be seen in theaters, but it did give us, "I already work around the clock!!!" Will that awful line reading supplant this beauty? The Messenger is quality filmmaking, but get ready to be depressed upon watching it. more ›

You know it's a slow day at the DVD counter when the highlight of the week is a Blu-Ray release of a fifteen year-old film. Sure Apollo 13 is a solid flick -- maybe even Ron Howard's best -- but the prospect of seeing it again doesn't particularly get my juices going. As a fan of Richard Curtis, I wish I could recommend Pirate Radio, but the comedy in it just seems a little forced and dated. Woody Harrelson is, of course, a demigod in my eyes so Defendor was required viewing when it originally hit theaters. Check it out. more ›

Some might say I am a Woody Harrelson apologist, but I think I'm just a really big fan. In any case, his latest film opens today and everyone should see it. Defendor is about a mentally unstable man who believes (and acts) as if he's a superhero (think Kick-Ass but more insane). Check out the trailer after the jump and try and tell him it doesn't look hilarious. A Prophet was one of the prestige films to emerge from this year's Cannes Film Festival. It concerns an illiterate man who goes to prison and emerges a criminal. Looks fantastic! It's a shame that so many Angelenos will be turned away by its (gasp!) subtitles. more ›

While I still prefer the original theatrical version to Milos Forman's 2002 director's cut, it is still a slam-dunk buy on Blu-Ray today. For those who haven't seen any cut of Amadeus I highly encourage you to Netflix | Redbox | Piratebay it today! And, yes, this means you, Aerish! Zombieland wasn't anything great, but damn if it wasn't a fun time. And does it feature the best cameo ever? Everything about House of the Devil screams 80s horror flick so it only makes sense that it is available on VHS. Hilary Swank typically shows peerless judgment when selecting a film role. Uh, not this time! Jennifer Aniston, on the other hand, usually picks bad parts in bad movies. And she's done it yet again! Adam is worth a look if only because you get to spend a couple hours in the presence of the magnificent Rose Byrne. Hugh Dancy was a tad affected, though, don't you think? more ›

Dear ladies of Los Angeles: if you're 35+ and are considered "hot stuff", prove it by auditioning for TV Land's "She's Got The Look" on December 6th. Check out the details and let us know if you made the cut. more ›

The TV world is abuzz with Lou Dobbs' abrupt resignation on his broadcast last night after nearly 30 years at CNN. Everyone is asking "why" this was happening but Dobbs' political bent has been more than slightly apparent for the last several years. We wonder on what basis Dobbs could say CNN has stifled his opinion as it would appear that he has had free reign during his tenure. We also wonder if this move isn't related to his house getting hit by a bullet late last month as his wife and a Dobbs employee stood outside. It would be a shame for him to have left over personal safety issues. more ›

Spike Jonze's long-awaited Where the Wild Things Are soared to the top of the box office this weekend as it brought in an impressive $32.4M to top the charts. Law Abiding Citizen came in a surprising second despite overwhelmingly mediocre reviews ($21.2M). After that it was gimmicky horror pic Blair Witch 2: Paranormal Activity ($20.1M | $33.7M), the unfunny comedy Couples Retreat ($17.9M | $63.3M) and the unnecessary remake The Stepfather which debuted to $12.3M. more ›

In a bit of a surprise, Zombieland roared to the top of the weekend box office. Despite a relative lack of stars, the black comedy pulled in $25M to easily top powerhouse Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ($16.7M | $82.3M). The re-release of Toy Story | Toy Story 2 in 3D proved potent as the Pixar dinosaurs raked in $12.5M in their re-debut. Ricky Gervais continues to struggle as a big-screen star as his Invention of Lying brought in only $7.3M in its opening frame. High-concept bomb Surrogates rounded out the top 5 ($7.3M | $26.3M). more ›

Can we officially say that the Coen Brothers are the best filmmakers in America? Can we also say that A Serious Man is the best film released so far this year? Yes and yes. My gut told me that the zombie genre had run its course after the great 28 Weeks Later, but Zombieland finds new ground to cover. Well, not really but it is a hell of a lot of fun and not just because of the huge, unexpected and delightful surprise in the middle of the film that I won't ruin for you (though even mentioning its existence does sort of spoil it, huh? Oh, well!) more ›

Here's the damn shame of it all: Bryan Singer is a super filmmaker and the "Valkyrie" story is a fascinating piece of German history. That said, Tom Cruise should never have been the cornerstone of this film. A potentially great movie was rendered into something that was merely okay. Then again, "merely okay" would have been a triumph for the awful Paul Blart: Fat Guy Acting Stupid. I originally saw Made in America at Sundance in 2008. It is a must-see documentary that details the rise of gangs in South Central Los Angeles. Stacy Peralta may not have the chops of an Errol Morris, but he is a consistently engaging documentarian. more ›

If you didn't see Tell No One in the theater last year, go out and immediately buy or rent the best movie released in the U.S. in 2008. Rarely does a film set up such a fantastical premise and deliver on it so perfectly. Slumdog Millionaire never deserved the mini-backlash it received. Based on its kinetic cinematography alone, it was one of the best films of the year. Sure, Dev Patel's performance was a little flat (ok, very flat), but Freida Pinto was absolutely luminous and the child actors were a revelation. As for Marley & Me and Seven Pounds...skip and skip. Spend your money on the great Leonard Cohen or any of these comedy specials. more ›

Similarly to last year (and probably owing to the largely liberal bent of the festival's programmers), there were a significant amount of films about the Iraq War at Sundance this year. Perhaps the most despairing (both in content and execution) was first-time director Oren Moverman's The Messenger. The film stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson as a pair of psychologically damaged Army soldiers who are tasked with the grim responsibility of informing families that their son or daughter has been killed in action. more ›

The holiday box office season is generally a time for light-hearted, star-driven films that keep audiences engaged. After all, it is tough in this economic climate and with so few days before Christmas to take two hours out of your day to sit in a theater and really become involved in the characters on screen, even if the dialogue is upbeat and the main squeeze is totally that one guy from that one movie. The new Will Smith film Seven Pounds does an admirable job of two of these key elements, eschewing the easy-to-swallow fare in favor of meatier pieces for the audience to chew on. more ›

It ain't Pixar, but . more ›

It's already a foregone conclusion that The Dark Knight will set some sort of record this weekend at the box-office. The only question is how much it will eventually make. 130 million bucks? 140 million? More? The buzz surrounding the film has been almost universally positive so expect a great time as you settle into your seat and enter the dark world of Batman and the Joker. Ledger's final performance is one for the ages. more ›

Considering that Doug Liman has directed some seriously good movies (Go, Swingers, The Bourne Identity), to see how badly it can go. more ›

Will? Please make Anchorman 2 while you still can! | Photo courtesy of New Line Cinemas more ›

I liked , but I'm glad to see Woody Harrelson working again. Here's to hoping he finds something befitting his unique talents. more ›

I've been a devoted fan of Adam Carolla since his early days on but funny). All it's missing is a Carolla beat-down of the dreadful, show-wrecking Danny Bonaduce. Bring back Dave Dameshek! more ›

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I'll go on the record and say that I think Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is the funniest movie in the last ten years. Will Ferrell's subsequent pictures--most of them amusing to varying degrees--have never lived up that early, brilliant standard. Semi-Pro is his latest picture and if its previews are any barometer of its quality, it looks like Ferrell has fallen short yet again. Don't get me wrong--I'm sure I'll laugh plenty, but I doubt that Jackie Moon will linger with me for very long after I've left the theater. Whither the apocryphal Anchorman 2?! more ›

The Coen Brothers have made a very very good movie with No Country For Old Men. Josh Brolin is the tough guy that all men would want to be and women would love to come home to. Frenchy Javier Bardem plays one of the creepiest and vicious bad guys to grace the screen in a long time. Hell, even Woody Harrelson adds some comic relief for pretty much no good reason, but it adds a little depth to a film that's just about perfect for the first 90 minutes. more ›

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eddie Vedder, Ditty Bops (above), Woody Harrelson, others @ Henry Fonda Willie Nelson, George Strait, Lucinda Williams, many more @ Stagecoach Cypress Hill @ Vault 350 The Jerry Garcia Band @ Fais Do-Do Manic Hispanic @ Galaxy Theatre Rosanne Cash @ Disney Hall One+One (James Zabiela & Nic Fanciulli) @ Vanguard David Grier @ Boulevard Music Victor Wooten @ El Rey Suzanne Somers @ La Mirada Theater for Performance Arts... more ›

So far I'd say March is a tad slow with it's celeb gossip, but here's a quickie to tide you over until something super juicy happens (I'm assuming the Britney suicide attempt is a crock). Nicole Richie is hospitalized after falling ill on set. Maybe she should try eating - Us Weekly Woody Harrelson gets into an argument with the staff of The Other Room - TMZ Good thing Madonna's out and Brooke Shields is... more ›

THURSDAY more ›

Woody Harrelson can't be happy. The 6-3 vote by the Supreme Court earlier this week says that our California law protecting the use of medically prescribed Marijuana isn't really protected. Wired points out that the ruling hinges on the fact that the FDA hasn't approved marijuana as a legitimate prescribable drug but that the US government won't release state-grown marijuana to be researched. Thus, the vicious circle. The two women, Angel Raich and Diane Monson, the court ruled against are living with an inoperable brain tumor and degenerative spine disease, respectively. more ›

This weekend sees the opening of at least four new movies hitting theaters all across the Southland, and in surveying them LAist can't help but think how Angelenos could experience the same events in said movies around Los Angeles without ever having to pay a cent. more ›