Josh Tate

One of the enduring myths of Western culture is that of the amateur who triumphs against insurmountable obstacles. From Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to Rocky II, it is a myth that has informed cinema for decades. Deep Water, a fantastic new documentary from Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell, reveals it for the absurd fantasy it is. The fate of the novice, when matched against the might of an uncaring universe, is typically oblivion....

Upon leaving the theater after seeing Norbit way back in February, I was fairly certain that I had just seen the worst movie of 2007. A few months later, however, I staggered out of Evan Almighty and felt compelled to change my mind. Norbit may have had only one real laugh in it, but Evan had zero. Now, a few months after that supremely dull afternoon, I'm forced to revise my opinion again. Balls...

It's too bad that Ali Larter's power in Heroes isn't the ability to seduce Hayden Panettiere. Is Blades of Glory the last funny Will Ferrell movie? His act is getting ripe. Make Anchorman 2 quickly, damn it! Year of the Dog was one of the most depressing movies in years. Everyone says I should watch Friday Night Lights. Is it better than Greek? How could it be? Jamie Kennedy may have finally reached the...

After weeks of trying to see it at screenings around town, I finally got the chance to see The King of Kong. My expectations were high as I walked into the theater, and I'm thrilled to say they were not only met, but exceeded. Seth Gordon has made one of the most ridiculously entertaining documentaries in years. Sure, it's about Donkey Kong and the genuinely weird subculture of Golden Age Arcade Game competition, but...

Superbad became the first movie since late May to win back-to-back weekends, owing as much to a weak slate of openers as to its own relative strength. The Judd Apatow-produced dick montage hauled in 18 million bucks and helped push the summer box office to a record 4.003 billion dollars. It's the first 4 billion dollar summer ever, though higher ticket prices (and not increased admissions) account for that big, shiny number. The Bourne...

In a marked departure from his previous, politically-charged directorial efforts, Rod Lurie delivers a thoughtful, often poignant film about family and morality in Resurrecting the Champ. Based in part on a Los Angeles Times Magazine article by J.R. Moehringer, Resurrecting the Champ tells the story of Erik Kernan (Josh Hartnett), a sportswriter living in the shadow of his late father, a legendary broadcaster. Erik is your classic hustler--quick with a lie and unwilling to...

In conjunction with the exhibition The Arts in Latin America: 1492:1820, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will be screening a series of selected classics of Latin American cinema this weekend. Best of all, thanks to a generous grant from the Getty Foundation, all of these screenings are 100% FREE! Make the trip to the LACMA this weekend and enjoy films rarely seen on the big screen in this country. Two of the...

To conservatives in the media, Rod Lurie may be the ultimate bête noire of Hollywood filmmakers (he would compete with Oliver Stone and Aaron Sorkin). His two highest-profile projects, The Contender and Commander-in-Chief, fully reflected his Democratic politics and were both harshly labeled by Republican commentators as little more than sops to the (then) presumptive presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton. How strange then that Lurie's new film, Resurrecting the Champ, is a morality play...

Yeah, yeah, I know. Serenity is not exactly "new" to DVD this week, but I don't care. This just-released collector's edition is the best DVD available today so do yourself a favor and check out Joss Whedon's underrated sci-fi flick (and marvel at the wonder that is Summer Glau). The tenth season of South Park is one of the best in years. Chef, how could you join the Super Adventure Club? I never thought...

Exceeding even the most optimistic of expectations, Superbad hauled in a huge 33.1 million dollars to top the box office this weekend. Seth Rogen can do no wrong right now. The terrible, awful, unfunny Rush Hour 3 dipped precipitously in its second weekend, pulling in 21.8 million and bringing its total to 88.1M. The Bourne Ultimatum stayed strong in its third week, finishing third at 18.9 million and now standing at 163.8M. The Simpsons...