Blazing across the screen like the masterstrokes of a true artist, “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” is true epic entertainment in every sense of the word. Director Peter Jackson so perfectly captures the very essence of J.R.R. Read the rest of this entry »

The weather may be hot in Florida, but no where is it as sultry and sizzling as in the small, elite beach community of Blue Bay, where the rich and infamous play their blue blood parlor games. Robin Leach has taken us to these small corners of the world, where old money stands head and shoulders above everything else, including the law. Read the rest of this entry »

Boxing stories, by their nature, are extremely limited in their outcome: either the protagonist wins or loses. What makes a great boxing movie are the variables, the sucker punches that force us to reexamine our expectations. Winning or losing isn=t nearly as important as the road to the ring, the journey of self discovery, both mental and physical which defines the essence of a fighter. Read the rest of this entry »

In movies, as in life, there’s nothing worse than overstaying your welcome. Think back on how you felt when your relatives came to visit and wouldn’t leave. That is how I felt about “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” an engaging thriller that is also a little long in the tooth. Read the rest of this entry »

In 1977, I attended a press screening of John Frankenheimer’s “Black Sunday” at the Village Theater in Westwood. Fifteen minutes after we were let into the theater, we were asked to immediately exit. While standing out in the cold, we were told that the theater had received a bomb threat. Seems the terrorist organization depicted in the film didn’t like the final cut. Read the rest of this entry »

“Panic Room” is an occasionally intense, stylish thriller that demands you suspend disbelief and logic in order to appreciate what is on the screen. It’s a movie that only works in the moment. The second you leave the theater it all falls apart. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who has had the displeasure of sitting in a prefabricated office cubicle with no view and the hum of the florescent overhead lights sucking the very soul out of you will identify with an even appreciate the humor of “Office Space.” Read the rest of this entry »

Grey skies are going to clear up, but not before writer-director P.T. Anderson drags his characters through heaven and hell in “Magnolia.” One half biblical epic, one half human opera, “Magnolia” emerges as one of the best films of 1999. Read the rest of this entry »

I saw writer-director John Sayles’ newest film today. It was called “Limbo.” It should have been called “Limp Dick.” The film is nothing more than a tease. Like great sex, it lathers you all up into a frenzy. Instead of reaching a climax, it becomes impotent, leaving you unfulfilled and angry. Read the rest of this entry »

In this age of instant information, rabid paparazzi, and tabloid television, it’s virtually impossible for anyone who is someone to keep a secret. Winona Ryder supposedly gets caught shoplifting, and it’s not just news, it’s the topic of conversation on talk shows for weeks. I bet Winona wished she could control the press. Read the rest of this entry »