Josh Tate

Mel Gibson continues his long climb back to being a normal movie star this weekend with Edge of Darkness. Having Martin Campbell as a director and William Monaghan as one of two credited screenwriters gets my hopes up a little bit, and reviews have been fairly strong. I'm just not sure if I'll be able to look at Gibson ever again without hearing the phrase "sugar tits." Still, anything with Ray Winstone is at least...

As the preeminent Keats scholar in my small cadre of illiterate friends, let me say that I was mostly outraged at the shabby treatment accorded the poet by director Jane Campion (LAist review here). I had such high hopes for this film when I entered the screening, but everything was dashed in short order. Gone was any indication of Keats' magnificent intellectual gift. Rather, he was rendered as little more than a simpering poet chasing...

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Avatar continued its inevitable crawl towards history, taking in a robust $36M ($552M) to pass The Dark Knight in domestic receipts and Titanic on the international front. By next Monday, it should be the all-time box-office champ (not accounting for inflation, of course, in which case Gone With The Wind would be the easy winner and Avatar would be a mere 26th). The awful Legion had a respectable...

Having seen -- oh, I don't know -- 20,000 commercials for Extraordinary Measures over the last few weeks, I still think I'm looking at a promo for a TV movie. The real question is will "I already work around the clock!" replace "Where's my family" in the Harrison Ford repertoire? Geez, Legion looks awful. Does everyone else just cackle when that old bird crawls up the wall? Can anything be done to stop Dwayne "The...

To any who haven't heard the grisly news, Artie Lange is recovering from an awful suicide attempt back east. As a longtime fan of The Howard Stern Show, I hope he gets back back to a healthier place soon. Let me get this straight -- Magnolia and Boogie Nights on Blu-ray on the same day? Can I call in sick to work? More stuff like Che, Steven. Less like this shit. How can you not...

I really like Denzel Washington, but the only movie I'm interested in seeing this weekend is 44 Inch Chest. Seriously, have a look at this cast of grizzled English masters: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson! How can you miss that? Plus, the story is right up my alley: a group of old friends plot to rough up one of their wife's lovers. Cheers to that! The only other noteworthy releases on...

Jeff Bridges will probably end up winning an Oscar for his role in Crazy Heart, but if he doesn't you can bank on Jeremy Renner taking home the statue for his performance in The Hurt Locker. In a just world, Peter Capaldi would be doing the same thing for his brilliant turn as Malcolm "Prince of Fucking Darkness" Tucker in In the Loop. The fact that he probably won't even be nominated is insane. Similarly,...

Avatar continued its long slog towards ultimately topping Titanic by easily winning this weekend's box-office race ($48.5M | $429M). Sherlock Holmes was a very distant second but has proven to be a solid hit for Guy Ritchie ($16.6M | $165.1M). Unfortunately, the same can be said for Dumb Fucking Chipmunk Movie which is still bringing in unfit parents and their bratty kids ($16.3M | $178.1M). Daybreakers was the best performer of the films released this weekend ($15M) while It's Complicated managed to top ($11M | $76.3M) another newbie, the crappy Leap Year ($9.1M).

Youth In Revolt is a hilarious adaptation of C.D. Payne’s epic 499-page novel of teenage angst. The film is directed by Miguel Artera (Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl) who seems to be at one with himself when infusing tales with quirky protagonists, such as Michael Cera’s Nick Twisp. Twisp is essentially a good-hearted, affable, and eccentric 16 year-old teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Frank Sinatra and Fellini. Thanks...

Some may be getting tired of Michael Cera's act, but not me. I admit it can be a bit one-note, but that note is a perfect one. His latest film, Youth in Revolt, reaches theaters today (LAist review here). See it! Are you as tired of vampire movies as I am? If not, then Daybreakers is for you. Amy Adams was once a scrappy actress who chose great parts and nailed them. Now she's in...