Date doctor Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith) is the personification of the old adage: Those who can’t, teach; and those who can’t teach, teach gym. Hitch doesn’t teach gym, but he gets quite a workout paving the road to romance for his clients. When it comes to his own happiness, Hitch takes the road less traveled, one filled with hilarious potholes and the occasional speed bump. Read the rest of this entry »

If ever a movie was in need of a transfusion, it’s the new Clint Eastwood thriller “Blood Work.” Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Connelly, “Blood Work” suffers from an iron poor screenplay and anemic direction. The movie feels as bored and tired as Eastwood looks. Read the rest of this entry »

“High Fidelity” begins with John Cusack’s character, Rob Gordon, asking which came first,”the music or the misery?” It’s rare for a film to speak with such a distinctive voice. “High Fidelity” is that rarity, a film so honest and real you feel like you’ve accidentally stumbled into someone’s life. Read the rest of this entry »

In the new French comedy “Le Placard,” Daniel Auteuil plays Francois Pignon, an accountant who feels invisible. Francois tells his new friend Pierre about his recurring nightmare, being so insignificant at his birth that the doctor tells his mother to keep pushing even though he’s already out and about. Not much has changed since then. Read the rest of this entry »

Final Destination 2 (R)

(New Line Home Video)

Death doesn’t get to take a holiday in this gruesome but enjoyable horror romp that works overtime to find new and inventive ways to slice and dice a group of strangers after they escape the grasp of the grim reaper. This delightfully ghoulish sequel incorporates elements from the first film, pumping up the volume with each and every dispatch. When Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) looks into the future and sees a horrific traffic accident, she stops the deadly pile-up from occurring, setting off the wrath of death, who is anxious to collect on a debt owed. Read the rest of this entry »

In “The Mothman Prophecies,” Debra Messing plays the wife of Washington Post reporter Richard Gere. After finding the perfect house in which to start their perfect life, the couple are involved in a car accident, and Messing later dies. Read the rest of this entry »

Tyler Durden, the protagonist of David Fincher’s “Fight Club,” tells his new friend Jack that he can’t know anything about himself unless he has been in a fight. Not just an angry exchange of words, but a drag out, knock down connection of bare fist and flesh. Read the rest of this entry »

“From Dusk Till Dawn” was the perfect example of what happens when all the right talent comes together to make an explosive film. “Texas Blood Money,” the direct-to-video sequel, is the perfect example of what happens when lesser talent tries to duplicate that formula. Read the rest of this entry »

I was visiting relatives in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1987 when “Throw Momma From The Train” was released. I caught a Friday night showing with my cousin, and except for the broad, slapstick humor, the audience just sat there, quiet as a mute locked in a bank vault. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve always been weary of those “One Hour Photo” booths and the people who work there. Because they have to quality check each print, the clerks have access to your life. I don’t mind sharing vacation photos with them, but I would never drop of a roll of family snapshots. That would be the same as inviting complete strangers into your home. Read the rest of this entry »