Despite the obviously infected open sore on his arm, the young, frail-looking man injects a needle filled with heroin into it. He ignores the pain, patiently waiting for the drug to kick in and numb his mind. It doesn’t take long before his pupils expand, signaling that all is well in this junkie’s world. Read the rest of this entry »

Uneven comedy-drama from director Barry Levinson, who leaves his usual stomping ground of Baltimore for Belfast, Ireland. Maybe that was the problem. “An Everlasting Piece,” despite its attempt to feel like one of those quaint British imports like “The Full Monty,” suffers from jet lag. Read the rest of this entry »

Ask anyone who has worked on a film set and they will tell you that it’s a collaborative process. Actors rely on the director and writer, the writer relies on the director and actors, the director relies on the craftsmen, who rely on the director to know what he is doing. When a link in that chain is broken, the end result can be compromised. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello young lovers, who ever you are. Could anything be more delightful than owning a copy of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King & I” on DVD? Never have the colors looked so smashing, so vivid, so true to life. It’s like watching “The King & I” for the first time. Directed by Walter Lang, the big screen adaptation of “The King & I” is eye candy for purveyors of elaborate musical. Read the rest of this entry »

ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY, THE (R)

Spike Lee directed this live concert featuring comedians Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac. The humor runs the gamut, but the intended audience seemed to enjoy most of the jokes, which richly deserved the R-rating the film received. (Paramount) Read the rest of this entry »

BLESS THE CHILD (R)

Poor Kim Basinger. First she’s trapped in Africa, now she’s trapped in yet another derivative demonic thriller that brings to mind “The Omen” and “The Exorcist.” It’s all a case of been there, done that, all done up in a hokey package featuring silly special effects. Read the rest of this entry »

If that old saying “You are what you eat” is true, then the genetically enhanced sharks in “Deep Blue Sea” are research scientists and their assistants. The sharks eat a lot of research scientists and assistants before they are done, pumping up the level of suspense in this watery action-adventure until it is almost unbearable. Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine a reggae production of “Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves,” with John Travolta playing the Alan Rickman role of the Sheriff as the Frankenstein monster. Imagine “Blade Runner” with iron poor blood. Imagine a film so undeniably bad that it’s not even funny. Read the rest of this entry »

Sure must be nice to have friends like Woody Allen, who will appear in your movie even if the script sucks. Despite an impressive roster of stars, this lame comedy starring, co-written and co-directed by Douglas McGrath. McGrath stars as a mild-mannered high school teacher who, in a desperate attempt to look more like a man to his wife and in-laws, pretends to be a secret agent. Read the rest of this entry »

For anyone seriously in love, meeting the in-laws can be a traumatic experience. Will they like me? Will they hate me? What will they like about me? Am I good enough? The heightened sense of expectation can turn common, ordinary in-laws into monsters. Read the rest of this entry »