Stephen’s Top 20 of 2010
2010 has been an exceptionally great year for movies, so great that I’m going to make this a top 20 list. There are plenty of outstanding movies that couldn’t crack this list, even though I’ve seen them many times and recommended them to others. Plus, I haven’t even had a chance to see several films [...]
VAGABOND (1985) kicks off Agnès Varda retrospective
The films of Agnès Varda share a deceptive quality. Her stories are based on the simplest of premises (young woman awaits results of a cancer test, homeless girl wanders from town to town, Varda tells the story of her own life), and I always find myself questioning whether or not the experience will be worth [...]
If you’re looking for something new, ENTER THE VOID (2010)
When I saw the trailer for Gaspar Noé’s latest film and read some of the advance word, I began hoping that Enter the Void might be this year’s Antichrist, a film that challenges viewers with a unique visual style and captivating thematic material. To my great surprise, Noé’s film actually makes Antichrist look like an [...]
SEASON OF THE WITCH (2011) brings annual midwinter curse to local cinemas
People spend a lot of time talking about Nicolas Cage’s strange career choices. I think the term “choices” gives Cage too much credit, as if he is actually considering a number of options before going with the script that most intrigues him. Based on his work in the past several years, it seems more appropriate [...]
THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (2001) was a sign of greater things to come
When Pan’s Labyrinth came out in 2006, I remember one critic suggesting that, in hindsight, The Devil’s Backbone could be seen as Guillermo del Toro’s “warm-up film.” Now that I’ve seen them both, I have to say that this statement is right on the money. Backbone confronts many of the same issues, from many of [...]
You’ll forget all about this movie in THE NEXT THREE DAYS (2010)
Paul Haggis has been involved in two films that I enjoyed, both times as a screenwriter only. The characters he wrote (adapted) for Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby felt like genuine human beings, and I ultimately found myself caring a great deal for them and the outcome of their desperate situation. The plot he helped [...]
A strange trip into the seedy world of PUNK ROCK (1977)
Consider me confused by the R-rated cut of porn director Carter Stevens’ 1977 skin flick Punk Rock. After recognizing the potential to cash in on the burgeoning punk rock craze, Stevens went back to the drawing board to add in some punk rock concert scenes and, supposedly, remove all the naughty bits. However, there are [...]
The kids are alright in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (2010)
When I was making plans to see this penultimate Harry Potter film, I briefly considered the IMAX experience at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. I thoroughly enjoyed a recent screening of Inception at the IMAX theatre, with its six-story-high anti-gravity fights and rumbling soundtrack. However, the Harry Potter franchise has become increasingly less [...]
Save THE LAST EXORCISM (2010) for me
Dir. Daniel Stamm
Regal Gateway, 9/01/10, 8:00pm
If I may add a cliche of my own, The Last Exorcism leaves no stone unturned in its attempts to cobble together as many successful horror film styles and stereotypes as it can. The remarkable thing is that the film makes something fairly interesting out of these tired old tropes, [...]
TOY STORY 3 (2010): two movies in one
Dir. Lee Unkrich
Alamo South Lamar, 6/19/10, 1:45pm
Increasingly, the discourse surrounding Pixar films suggests that they truly are “family” movies, in that they contain something for the kids and something for the adults in the audience. To a certain extent, this has been true of films like Finding Nemo and Up, which featured heroes for [...]
