Josh Tate

After months of speculation, audiences will finally be able to see Avatar today. Will it live up to all of the hype? How could it? I expect the usual Cameron film -- rigorously applied and dazzling visuals with a script aimed at those with an 8th grade reading level. I don't care if buzz hasn't been great -- I can't wait to see Nine. Folks, Daniel Day-Lewis is the best actor on the planet! You've...

Sure, it may not have received the near-universal acclaim of Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but I thought Inglourious Basterds was a welcome return to form for Tarantino after the over-long Kill Bill diptych and the dull Death Proof. I really dug The Hangover the first time I saw it, but a second viewing wasn't nearly as satisfying (contrast that with, say, Anchorman which I found far funnier on the tenth screening.) More than any...

After a week in limited release, Disney's The Princess and the Frog went wide this weekend and easily topped the box-office chart ($25M | $27.8M). See Hollywood -- traditionally animated films featuring African-American characters can succeed! The still-strong The Blind Side held onto second place ($15.4M | $150.2M), well ahead of the disappointing Invictus which debuted to $9M and only a so-so per-screen average of $4,275. New Moon continues to pull in squealing teenagers and...

Adam Scott is one of those actors that you always recognize but can't always quite place. He's worked all over film and television for the last fifteen years, but it's only in the last few that people have started to put name to face. For me, he's as good a working actor as we have right now. His breakout role in Step Brothers -- where he repeatedly stole the movie out from under Will Ferrell...

If ever a movie screamed Oscar-bait it is Invictus. Big-name cast? Check! Big-name director? Check! Poignant, life-affirming, yet complex story about human triumph? Check. The Princess and the Frog is significant because it is the first Disney film to feature an African-American lead. Thank God those racists at Disney were finally drummed out! The Lovely Bones was a, uh, lovely book that is apparently being blown up into this bloated thing by Peter Jackson. Peter...

I'm still upset that Dumbledore's funeral was left out of Half-Blood Prince, but this latest installment in the Potter series definitely delivers a gloomier, more adult vibe than any of the previous films. Can't wait until 2/2/10 to see the newest chapter of Lost. Until then, the DVD set of Season 5 will have to do. Best documentary of the year? The Cove. Most important documentary of the year? Hmm...The Cove? Maybe so. Michael Mann's...

In a rare feat, The Blind Side managed to top the box office chart for the first time in its third week of release. The feel-good football story took in $20.4M ($129.2M) to easily top feel-bad vampire story New Moon ($15.7M | $255.6M). The horribly depressing Brothers was a distant third ($9.7M). The resilient Christmas Carol ($7.5M | $115M) and the god-awful Old Dogs ($6.9M | $33.9M) rounded out the top 5. Armored disappointed in...

The best film opening this weekend -- possibly even the best film of the year -- is Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (LAist review here). Clooney is likely a shoe-in for a Best Actor nod. I had similar hopes for Brothers, but early reviews have been mediocre. Can't imagine Jim Sheridan missing badly, but I guess we'll see. All signs point to Everybody's Fine being a, well, fine film. I'm bothered by that dull...

Okay, maybe "terminate" is a little harsh -- the last movie wasn't that bad -- but wouldn't an infusion of fresh concepts and mythologies juice up that half-tired feeling one gets from most of Hollywood's blockbusters these days? And couldn't they have stuck with the original ending for Salvation? Not only was it a great mind-fuck, but it would have struck the final nail in this franchise's coffin. Hence...REPLACED! The first Night at the Museum...

Phony romance New Moon reigned over the box-office for a second consecutive weekend ($42.5M | $230.6M), though feel-gooder The Blind Side almost nipped it in the end ($40.1M | $100.2). Disaster-fu disaster 2012 held onto third place ($18M | $138.7M), just nosing out awful newcomer Old Dogs ($16.8M) and the sturdy A Christmas Carol ($16M | $105.3M). Ninja Assassin debuted to a solid $13.1M ($21M), topping mediocre kiddy flick Planet 51 ($10.2M | $28.4M) and...