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Movies and DVDs

This section is home to columns from our chief movie reviewer, Chuck Vinch. Not sure if the latest arrival at the googleplex is worth seeing? Before you go, read Chuck’s reviews. If you’re in the mood to camp out on the couch instead, check out our reviews of the latest DVDs.

Film franchises successfully turning back time
Hollywood is finding more profit in moving backward in time than forward.
Smithsonian gets top billing
WASHINGTON — Hollywood doesn’t always do real life real well, but it’s also true that reel life can be faster, better, cooler —and way more lucrative.
Hanks lends voice to WWII museum documentary
LOS ANGELES — Tom Hanks is still on a mission when it comes to World War II.
Screened for war: GI film fest
A hefty lineup of films is set for the third annual GI Film Festival, scheduled for May 12-18 at various venues around Washington. The festival, which has grown quickly in its brief existence, will...
Fox mixes acting, music again in ‘Soloist’
Any time a major star has a movie coming out, you expect some headlines.
Tatum rolls with punches
LOS ANGELES — If you coax Channing Tatum, he will admit he has had his fair share of fistfights.
Downey digs the Oscar adulation
NEW YORK — Robert Downey Jr. is grooving on the great irony of being nominated for a supporting Oscar for his “Tropic Thunder” character, Kirk Lazarus, a pretentious Aussie actor...
Rising star Taraji Henson takes on Hollywood
Brad Pitt might call Taraji P. Henson “my hot mama,” but Angelina has nothing to worry about.
Oscar winner Marisa Tomei tackles a challenging role in “The Wrestler’
Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for her role as Joe Pesci’s sassy, streetwise fiancee in “My Cousin Vinny.” But she’s been making more of a name for herself in smaller, independent...
Rapper biopic tries to get at B.I.G. mystery
For more than a decade, the question has gone unanswered: Who murdered The Notorious B.I.G.?
Oscar buzz: Holiday movies keep their eye on the gold
And the Oscar goes to ...
Season’s viewings
This holiday season offers a wealth of new films — some possible Oscar contenders (including “Doubt”), and others just pure family fun (such as Adam Sandler’s “Bedtime...
Daniel Craig focuses on James Bond
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — James Bond needs a day off.
Pinkett Smith is a happy hippo in ‘Madagascar’
NEW YORK — If Jada Pinkett Smith could be reincarnated as an animal, she’d go the feline route.
Queen bee
With her chic new haircut and imposing 5-foot-10-inch stature, Queen Latifah would appear to be in full-on Hollywood glamour mode on a fall afternoon.
‘HSM’ graduates plot their future
Hit movie “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” bids farewell to Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad and Taylor, but the actors are hoping to graduate to other exciting projects....
‘Soul Men’ comedian’s final performance
How can we watch “Soul Men” without a lump in our throats?
Hollywood takes on politics
If you’ve been glued to news coverage of the presidential race 24/7, it’s time to pull yourself away from the pundits and immerse yourself in Hollywood’s take on politics. Oliver...
Director Kevin Smith makes movies on his terms
TORONTO — Ever since making “Clerks” in 1994, Kevin Smith has been a director who doesn’t shy away from controversy and has won a devoted following because of it.
Angelina and Clint see eye to eye
NEW YORK — Angelina Jolie is the brash young rebel. Clint Eastwood is the wise, grizzled veteran.
Hathaway has come a long way since ‘Princess’
It’s been quite a year for Anne Hathaway.
Mark Wahlberg relishes intensity of ‘Max Payne’
Mark Wahlberg has come a long way from his Marky Mark days.
Doors open wide for Josh Brolin
Handshakes are for wimps.
‘Express’ is about grace, Quaid says
Dennis Quaid is no stranger to sports on screen: Check out “The Rookie,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Everybody’s All-American” and even “Breaking Away,”...
Jonathan Demme has a way with women
TORONTO — There are directors who tend to bring out the best out in male stars. Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and, yes, the aptly named Michael Mann are but a few.
Mark Ruffalo sets his sights on ‘Blindness’
TORONTO — In “Blindness,” which opens Oct. 3, Mark Ruffalo plays an eye doctor who loses his sight, along with almost everyone else in the unnamed city where the film takes place.
No drama: Simon Pegg relishes comedic roles
Will Simon Pegg ever be a household name? Should he be?
Radcliffe puts the spurs to his role in ‘Equus’
Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t understand “the fuss over the difference between stage acting and screen acting.”
Kerry Washington cherishes diverse film roles
Kerry Washington says she’s never seen a black woman on screen like the one she plays in “Lakeview Terrace.”
Tyler Perry holds on to his past
ATLANTA — Tyler Perry is standing in the middle of what was once a life on the brink.
Army gets Oscar for ‘Prelude to War’
LOS ANGELES — The Army, with a hand from Hollywood, has received a long-lost Oscar back into its ranks.
Star-studded Toronto Film Festival previews a few Oscar-worthy flicks
If it’s stars you want, it’s stars you’ll get at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Year of ‘The Women’
The central conceit of “The Women,” the 1939 film based on Clare Booth Luce’s play, is that there are no men in it. No characters, no pictures, no paintings, no dudes whatsoever.
Cheadle on politics, passion for movies
Don Cheadle never disappoints.
Hollywood churning out presidential contenders
Hollywood is getting presidential this election year, but will moviegoers say they approve this message?
Oscar buzz: Great roles for women this year
Oscar season is heating up, so in the coming weeks we’ll be inundated with award-worthy fare.
Winslet: Oscar double in ‘Reader,’ ‘Road’?
When it comes to Oscars, the whole world is saying: “Why hasn’t Kate Winslet won one?”

Chuck Vinch’s movie reviews

A very bad ‘Year’
When the outtake flubs that run during the closing credits of your film are way funnier than anything in the film itself, you have a bit of a problem.
Off the rails
“The Taking of Pelham 123” is actually two movies — one in which Denzel Washington, John Turturro and James Gandolfini do their usual engaging work, the other in which John Travolta...
Lost in Vegas
A live chicken clucking in the kitchen. A still-smoldering couch. A blowup sex doll floating in the Jacuzzi. A cranky tiger prowling in the bathroom. An unidentified baby in the closet. A beer...
A little bit short
Resistance reborn
Just a few weeks ago, the grand and glorious “Star Trek” gave a steel-toed reboot to the butt of that beloved but timeworn brand and got Trekkers and Trekkies alike as fired up as drunken...
Film review: ‘Angels & Demons,’ 2½ stars
Many people like parsing clues to solve puzzles and riddles. But few would call it a particularly action-packed pastime.
Stellar journey
After 43 years, seven television series and 10 feature films, it’s a lot tougher for the legendary “Star Trek” franchise to continue boldly going where it has never gone before.
A cut above
Show of hands: Who wouldn’t like to have retractable, razor-sharp, indestructible claws, instant healing powers that make you virtually invulnerable to injury, and really cool sideburns?
Cinematic broccoli
Aside from paying $6 for a tiny bag of stale popcorn, nothing at the octoplex can make you feel guiltier than a painfully well-meaning message movie that garbles its message.
When life was an adventure
Greg Mottola made his big-league directorial debut with one of the most uproariously raunchy comedies of the millennium (“Superbad”), which ensured that his sophomore effort would draw...
Psycho drama
For fans of really trashy B-movie splatterfest horror, one of the greatest and most disturbing double features imaginable would be 1972’s “The Last House on the Left” and...
Complex crusaders
The fragile nature of friendship. The eternal search for love. Loss of innocence. Our need for heroes in dark times, and our disdain for same in less-dark times. Nuclear annihilation. The banality of...
Breaking the bank
What’s the nastiest movie villain you can conjure up these days? Muslim terrorists? Colombian druglords? Asian white slavers? The Russian mafia? African illegal arms dealers?
‘Push’ should be shoved ... off your list
Good concept, lousy execution. That’s “Push,” a new sci-fi/action thriller that evokes strong memories of last year’s “Jumper” in its failure to live up to...
‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’
The third installment in this franchise is actually a prequel, going back hundreds of years before the events of the first two films to recount the origins of the bloody vampire-werewolf conflict.
Dangerous dad
Memo to the International Federation of Greasy Thugs: If you’re going to kidnap young female travelers to support a sex-slave business, you should try to avoid girls whose fathers are former...
Soldier Simpson?
Apparently, there is a huge swath of America that has been scratching its collective head over why someone hasn’t done a remake of “Private Benjamin.”
Always the tough guy
Many neighborhoods have a cranky, solitary old man who’s forever yelling at the local kids to get off his lawn. But few do so while aiming a locked and loaded vintage M1 rifle.
Movie review: ‘Revolutionary Road,’ 4 stars
If you’re looking for a feel-good movie, steer clear of “Revolutionary Road,” a new big-screen version of Richard Yates’ 1961 novel.
Film review: ‘Valkyrie,’ 3 ½ stars
“Valkyrie” pits Tom Cruise against Adolf Hitler in what at first blush sounds like a particularly surreal title bout in MTV’s claymation smackdown series, “Celebrity...
Enigmatic redemption
After seeing “Seven Pounds,” it’s clear why a film starring Will Smith would have flown so far under the radar ahead of its opening: Ignorance of what it’s really about is...
It came from Planet Dull
In “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” Keanu Reeves is an alien visitor to our little sphere ... but it’s unclear whether he’s here to save us or destroy us.
Sprawling soap opera
Sweeping in its scope, epic in its grandeur, breathtaking in its expansiveness ...
Mighty dog
Jumping into the make-believe magic world of Disney — a constitutional requirement for every American parent — has always been as much about delusion as illusion.
Muddled menagerie
Pity the poor animated filmmakers who don’t work for Pixar — forever aspiring, if not perspiring, to match that studio’s renowned brand of magic.
Women at war
Near the end of “Lioness,” a new documentary in the PBS “Independent Lens” series, an Iraq war veteran talks about the emotional toll exacted by the act of sighting down the...
Gripping ‘Glory’
The cop drama is one of the most well-worn genres in all of film. So many movies about the Boys in Blue have come and gone that concocting truly novel story lines is almost futile.
Payneful adaptation
If, like me, you’ve been waiting half of forever for a film based on a video game to transcend its wellspring in some significant way, I have news!
Movie review: ‘City of Ember,’ 2½ stars
Adventure movies for kids are hit-or-miss; keeping it moderately entertaining without resorting to poopie, booger or flatulence jokes is a Hollywood skill in short supply.
Old-fashioned Old West
In many ways, “Appaloosa” is an utterly conventional Western straight from our gauzily romanticized image of an Old West where men were men, guns were loud and women of loose virtue were...
‘Miracle at St. Anna’ falls short
When Spike Lee publicly chastised Clint Eastwood for failing to include a single African-American face in his Iwo Jima epic, “Flags of Our Fathers,” and Eastwood told Lee, in effect, to...
Film review: ‘Lakeview Terrace,’ 2½ stars
In the history of film, no actor has ever given a malevolent glare better than Samuel L. Jackson.
Burn after viewing
In recent years, Hollywood has taken the bait-and-switch to soaring new heights when it comes to movie trailers. It’s gotten so you can be forgiven for wondering if the trailer you saw...
Film Review: ‘Traitor,’ 3 stars
All habitual film fans have a list of actors whom they’ll go to see even if the movie in question is outside their usual happy zone.
Car wreck
In the postindustrial wreckage of the not-too-distant future, the U.S. economy is on fumes, unemployment is at record levels, and the teeming masses must be fed lots of raw meat to keep them sated...
Film Review: ‘Tropic Thunder,’ 4 stars
It’s an immutable law of Hollywood that each summer season ends up being defined in large part by one particular silly-funny comedy classic.
Review: ‘Pineapple Express’ smells like a hit
The career of James Franco has always struck me as a classic example of hype over heft.
Film Review: ‘X-Files: I Want to Believe’
“The X-Files” was one of the few TV series that I have ever gone out of my way to see each week. So I badly wanted to believe that the new film “X-Files: I Want to Believe”...
Heart of darkness
A posthumous Oscar nod? Don’t rule it out — the late Heath Ledger is just that freakyscarygood as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” the second chapter in the Nolan...
Top 10 of ’07
The year just past was a curiously tepid one. Although the movie industry looks like it will end up with a healthy box-office gross, the number of movies that caused measurable, sustained excitement...

DVD reviews

‘Try before you buy’ returning to DVD
Old habits die hard — and sometimes, they come back.
Give these DVDs a good workout
One inexpensive way to step up your exercise program is to buy a couple of workout DVDs and do them at home in front of your TV. So USA Today’s Nanci Hellmich asked the certified fitness...
New DVDs hit the shelves just in time for the holiday season
Buying the right gift for that movie buff or TV fanatic can be simple this holiday season because of a plethora of special editions, box sets and collections available on DVD.
New on DVD
A fantasy sequel, a box set that will charm veterans and a biblical epic debut on DVD on Nov. 11.
Ghoulish DVD treats arrive in time for Halloween
Depending on your tastes and tolerance, dozens of newly released horror films are available to scare you and your fiends, er, friends, silly this Halloween.
The summer’s best exercise DVDs
If you can’t stand the heat, try one of these cool new at-home routines from Fitness.

More movie reviews

Robots get revenge at the box office
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” morphed into an instant smash, raking in a record $60.6 million on opening day June 24 and $201.2 million over five days, according to studio...
‘Transformers’ not so prime
It’s long, it’s loud — REALLY LOUD — and exhausting.
‘Song of Sparrows’ croons a sweet, gentle tune
“The Song of Sparrows” is a sweet and uplifting humanistic fable that celebrates the joys of community and pastoral life over a harried and materialistic urban existence.
‘Tyson’ tells his own fascinating, unvarnished story
“Tyson” is most rigidly described as a documentary, but it’s just as valid to call it a tragedy, with elements of self-deluded comedy thrown in as well.
A sweet, funny Eddie Murphy film? ‘Imagine That’
Fans of Eddie Murphy’s previous gigs as an overworked professional who rediscovers his family through supernatural intervention will find nothing unfamiliar as the comic Dr. Doolittles his way...
‘Brothers Bloom’ is a con story that doesn’t cheat
“The perfect con is when everyone involved gets just the thing they wanted.” So says Mark Ruffalo, one-half of the fortune-hunting brothers Bloom.
‘Drag Me to Hell’ is ridiculously entertaining
Welcome back to horror, Sam Raimi, you were missed.
‘Adoration’ is a provocative, complex drama that makes you think
It’s not real unless it’s on the Internet.
Soulful look at two very different men whose lives intersect
William’s request is simple: On a certain date in the near future, he wants to be driven one way by taxi from Winston-Salem, N.C., to Blowing Rock. He’s offering $100 down on the $1,000...
Ambitious but dull tale of the occult is best ‘Forgotten’
“Not Forgotten” wants badly to be a good, twisted, surprise-filled tale of suspense and the occult, but can’t quite pull it off.
In ‘Management,’ love story resonates
There is a sweetness that pervades “Management” so completely that it makes even this a heartwarming moment: a stranger wanting to touch Jennifer Aniston’s butt.
Nimoy passes ‘Star Trek’ torch
For more than 40 years, science fiction fans have known Leonard Nimoy as Spock, the half-Vulcan Starfleet officer who cut his teeth aboard the starship Enterprise. This week, Nimoy, who lives...
‘Next Day Air’ better left for another day
The filmmakers behind “Next Day Air” probably have posters of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino lining their bedroom walls. The movie is like a fanboy love letter, but you end up wishing...
Animated film ‘Battle for Terra’ a minor skirmish
“Battle for Terra” wins the low-expectations game. If you go into the theater expecting little — and if you’ve seen the film’s ho-hum trailer, that will probably be the...
Even McConaughey can’t lift ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’
If you think the idea of combining a chick flick with “A Christmas Carol” sounds like a bad idea, you’d be mostly right.
‘Sugar’ loads the bases, hits a home run
On its surface, “Sugar” is a baseball film, and a good one.
Oscar-nominated ‘Trouble the Water’ presents an eyewitness view of Katrina
Fortune — you can call it good or bad, depending on your point of view — is the key element to the 2009 Oscar-nominated documentary “Trouble the Water.”
Charm overcomes predictability of ‘Anybody There’
In an age of hype, buzz and multi-platform promotion, it’s such a delight when a small movie sneaks up on you.
Empty characters slog through ‘Informers’
Bleak, soulless, vapid and more (or is it less?), “The Informers” is a thoroughly depressing way to spend a couple of hours.
‘Lymelife’ is shining, suburban dysfunction
There is no particular reason for “Lymelife” to exist now, and yet, thanks to powerful performances, it’s a good thing that it does.
Fascinating characters, plot make rousing ‘State of Play’
“State of Play,” based on the outstanding British television series, is a first-rate political thriller, but it’s also something more.
‘Anvil!’ releases heavy metal bandmates from obscurity
You’ve heard of celebrities who are “famous for being famous.” But how about famous for not being famous?
Unvarnished ‘Gomorrah’ documents joyless brutality of the Mafia
We watch, and often love, gangsters on screen without apology.
Rogen’s rogue cop redeems messy ‘Observe and Report’
Jody Hill is an ambitious filmmaker, one for whom nothing is sacred.
‘Fast & Furious’ puts franchise in neutral
Though the original quartet is back for the fourth outing, “Fast & Furious” feels about as fresh and lively as a piece of burnt rubber.
‘Alien’ takes a cheesy trip down sci-fi memory lane
The wink-wink premise of “Alien Trespass” is that it’s a long-lost sci-fi flick from the ‘50s, and the filmmakers go out of their way to stick to that story.
‘Adventureland’ offers fun ride back to the future
“Adventureland” is not what it seems. That’s not a bad thing.
Cliché-ridden ghost story seems hauntingly familiar
“The Haunting in Connecticut” goes out of its way to establish its “real-life” bona fides, not only with its oddly mundane title, but also with its opening scene of a...
Laughs for all in ‘Monsters vs. Aliens’
The best animated films offer something for everyone.
Time travel, twists doom ‘Duplicity’
It sounds like a dream project: Tony Gilroy, nominated for writing and directing “Michael Clayton,” assumes both duties for a film starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.
There’s no telling what ‘Knowing’ is lacking
“Knowing” doesn’t blend genres so much as partition them and present them separately, in an odd film that becomes less effective every time it shifts gears.
Take a detour around ‘Witch Mountain’
“Race to Witch Mountain” is more like a slog.
‘Sunshine Cleaning’ scours away quirkiness for fresh look at relationships
“Sunshine Cleaning” succeeds almost in spite of itself.
Film review: ‘Brothers at War’
Jake Rademacher was the one who was supposed to be in Iraq. He spent his high school years preparing for West Point and seemed destined to find his way into battle.
‘Project Runway’ winner McCarroll extends his 15 minutes of fame
Ever wonder what happens to reality show contestants after the season is over?
There is nothing to cheer about in ‘Fired Up’
The problem with “Fired Up” is that it doesn’t follow a simple rule of the genre: If you’re going to make a raunchy teen sex comedy, go all the way.
Over-the-top ‘Madea’ suffers from confusing plotlines
What a mixed-up jumble “Madea Goes to Jail” is.
Get in the mood: 12 swoon-worthy movies for Valentine’s Day
What’s better for Valentine’s Day than a romantic movie?
‘Friday’ is back with a vengeance and more gore
Life is full of things that are better in our memories than they were when they were around.
‘Shopaholic’: Fun, but falters on its moral message
Part shopping fantasy, part cautionary debt tale and all chick flick, all the time, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” is sort of like “Sex and the City” with a lower I.Q.
‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ delves into cliché romantic trials and tribulations
“He’s Just Not That Into You” is derivative, predictable and probably going to make a mint at the box office.
‘Coraline’ delivers fantastic animation and an innovative, scary twist
One of the classic kid nightmares is finding out those you love and trust aren’t really who they seem to be.
Even Steve Martin can’t save ‘Panther 2’ from its idiotic storyline
What’s the deal with Steve Martin? He is a brilliant comedian, a thoughtful essayist, an expert banjo player, a talented actor. And the star and co-writer of “The Pink Panther 2.”...
Have you seen ‘New in Town’ before? You betcha
If you’ve seen just about any other film or television program about a city slicker who finds himself in a quirky small town — think “Local Hero” or “Northern...
Rourke offers compelling performance in ‘Killshot’
Who knows what Mickey Rourke was doing during his self-imposed exile from the Hollywood hot list?
Fantastical ‘Inkheart’ is all about the power of words
You get the idea that there’s a better movie lurking in “Inkheart,” if only it was a little easier to figure out what was really going on.
World War II rages on at the multiplex
World War II never dies. It doesn’t even fade away. It lives forever in the creative fields of Hollywood. Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq? Not so much. So here we are again, more than 63...
‘Chandni’ is a delightful blend of Bollywood and kung fu flicks
If “Chandni Chowk to China” is any indication, a combination of Bollywood and kung fu movies is something the world needed without even knowing it.
‘Notorious’ doesn’t fully capture the emotional drama of Biggie’s life
If there’s a guidebook on how to create a standard rags-to-riches music biopic, the makers of “Notorious” must have memorized every page.
‘Mall Cop’ is chockfull of slapstick antics that fail to save the movie
Give this to “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”: It delivers on everything it promises — which is to say, almost nothing.
‘Hotel’ delivers cute dog tricks but no real substance
“Hotel for Dogs” is a cute movie about a couple of kids who start, well, see if you can figure it out.
Martin’s clueless Clouseau is back on the case
Steve Martin is seeing pink.
World War II rages on at the multiplex
World War II never dies. It doesn’t even fade away. It lives forever in the creative fields of Hollywood.
Lame ‘Bride’ offers silly gags and a predictable plot
Let us use the release of “Bride Wars” to officially retire Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be” as the go-to theme for lame big-screen comedies. The tune already has popped up...
‘Defiance’ tells vital, yet clichéd WWII story
“Defiance” is based on the true story of Jews who hid out and fought the Nazis in the tree-choked woods of Belarus during World War II.
There’s nothing magic about Emma Watson
NEW YORK — Muggles know her as Hermione Granger, the outspoken, academically gifted witch from the Harry Potter movies.
Holiday movies focus on the power of transformation
The Grinch gets a raw deal. So does Scrooge.
Vince Vaughn to star in ‘Couples Retreat’
Vince Vaughn finally is getting that tropical paradise getaway so cruelly denied to him in his dysfunctional-family holiday hit “Four Christmases.”
‘Wendy’ is rich in dismay, hope
“Wendy and Lucy” (Three and one half-stars out of four) is about the persistence of devotion despite harsh economic times. Told sparely and with deliberate pacing, it’s a profoundly...
Kate Winslet wrestles with the demons of her past in ‘Reader’
Is there a point past forgiveness?
Brutal punishment
If you love the sight of blood, brace yourself. “Punisher: War Zone” is the holiday movie for which you’ve been waiting. This is easily one of the most brutal mainstream films of...
Alan Rickman shines as the rude, arrogant professor in ‘Nobel’So you take an academic story about an arrogant, lecherous professor who...
‘Cadillac’ tells the fascinating tale of Chess Records’ rise
Sex, drugs and ... blues?
‘Frost/Nixon’ shows shamed president’s core
Say the name Nixon to most people over the age of 40 or so and all sorts of images are conjured up, most of them unpleasant: Watergate, resignation, the 18-minute gap, Cambodia, etc.
‘Bolt’ is a sweet, though predictable, canine caper
“Bolt” isn’t a dog of a movie by any means, but it doesn’t teach an old genre any new tricks, either.
‘Twilight’ will make teens swoon, but story lacks bite
Long on looks but short on story and, especially, meaningful dialogue, “Twilight,” the much-anticipated film based on Stephenie Meyer’s novel, still resonates — but mostly if...
Brooding Bond
Bond is back, and boy, is he ticked.
Rudd, Scott serve as unconventional and hilarious ‘Role Models’It’s not fair, but there will always be part of me that sees Seann...
Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson unite for hilarious romp in ‘Soul Men’
“Soul Men” is a raucous send-off for the late Bernie Mac, a gleefully profane take on the road-trip movie that earns its R rating early and often.
Harrowing ‘Boy’ revisits the horrors of the Holocaust
Though it’s told from the perspective of a child, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” is as shattering as any film about the Holocaust could be, perhaps even more so.
‘Zack and Miri’ is more about budding romance than porn
Might as well get this out of the way up front: In “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” they really do.
Kristin Scott Thomas is much ‘Loved’
Some actors grow more skilled seemingly under the radar. Hence the notion that major performances are “a revelation” or a happy surprise.
School’s over: ‘HSM3’ lacks the spark of the original
My kids will kill me for this. Yours, too, probably, if they’re between the ages of 6 and 14. But it must be said: The romance between Troy and Gabriella is the most boring thing about...
More gore: The popularity of slasher films lives on
Time to pull out the knives and the hockey masks.
Clint Eastwood delivers a riveting true crime drama
“Changeling” plays like a film meant to be admired more than enjoyed — or, more to the point, showered with award nominations.
Art imitates life and vice versa in ‘Synecdoche, New York’
On the face of it, “Synecdoche, New York” has a lot of things going against it.
‘W’: Actors are good, story is flat
“W.”
‘What’ explores antics of Hollywood hotshots
One of the enjoyable things about a film like “What Just Happened” in which a movie producer struggles through a rough two-week period trying to get a couple of high-profile projects made...
‘Bees’ doesn’t sugarcoat heroines’ trials
Break out the tissues.
Review: ‘The Express,’ 3 stars
“The Express” tells the true story of football player Ernie Davis. It is such a naturally compelling tale that one wonders why it hasn’t been filmed before.
Review: ‘Body of Lies,’ 3½ stars
It’s no surprise that Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe are so good in “Body of Lies,” Ridley Scott’s thrilling film about the war on terror, its costs and its frustrations.
‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ starts off mangy, but eventually gets cute
The first 30 minutes of the kids’ film “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” are almost unwatchable. It’s full of creepy, talking pampered pooches and their annoying owners.
Hathaway’s messed-up ‘Rachel’ is a career breakthrough
With a powerhouse performance in “Rachel Getting Married,” Anne Hathaway slams the book on the “Princess Diaries” and such with authority.
‘Blindness’ awash in affectations
How’s this for irony: “Blindness,” director Fernando Meirelles’ film about a sudden onset of sightlessness that reduces man to primal behavior, suffers from an excess of...
Pegg alienates a few savvy New Yorkers in ‘Friends’
Is the current crop of British comedy geniuses selling out?
Despite minor nits, ‘Nick and Norah’ sings in tune
The best teen romantic comedies exist beyond nearly every word of that description.
Kinnear shines in ‘Flash of Genius’
Sentences you never thought you’d read: Greg Kinnear’s performance is what elevates “Flash of Genius” beyond its mediocre trappings.
Holy smoke: In ‘Religulous,’ no one has a prayer
The central question raised in “Religulous,” comedian Bill Maher’s examination of religion, is as much one of definition as it is of faith.
Film Review: ‘All Roads Lead Home,’ 1½ stars
Starting with the ominous caveat “inspired by a true story,” there is little indication that “All Roads Lead Home” is going anywhere interesting.
‘Appaloosa’ a Harris homage to classics
“Appaloosa,” 3 stars (Good)
Royal performances given in ‘Duchess’
Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, was a beautiful, famous, independent woman whose tastes wielded great influence over popular culture. She was more beloved by the British people than her...
Gervais’ infectious humor elevates ‘Ghost’ to comedic heights
Ricky Gervais is a genius.
‘Towelhead’: Solid, but draped in discomfort
“Towelhead” tries hard to be incendiary and gutsy, and it sometimes succeeds. But to what gain?
Wanted: George Cukor to spice up the lackluster ‘Women’
Remake a classic at your peril.
Czech ‘King’ rules with delicious wit and humor
A Czech political prisoner gets out of prison at the beginning of “I Served the King of England.” He was sentenced to 15 years but gets out three months early “for good...
Strong dramas could earn multiple Oscars
Summer was huge at the movies, at least in terms of box office.
Review: Cheadle great as ‘Traitor’
When a movie is titled “Traitor,” you know to expect a few twists.
‘Elegy’ is a gripping, superbly acted drama
The description is accurate but the implications misleading: Yes, “Elegy” is a film about an aging New York writer.
From ‘Thunder’ to ‘Hamlet 2,’ Steve Coogan is on a roll
With a small role in Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” and a leading part in the independent comedy “Hamlet 2,” British comedian Steve Coogan is becoming a multiplex...
‘The Rocker’ triumphs with a winning story
Despite its title, “The Rocker” isn’t about music.
‘Thunder’ storms past ‘Dark Knight’
“The Dark Knight” has finally fallen, but not before taking one more foe with him: George Lucas.
Teddy Geiger rocks out in ‘The Rocker’
Teddy Geiger said he doesn’t think Rainn Wilson could play the drums before working on “The Rocker,” but the comedian can play them now.
‘Hamlet 2’ gleefully chooses ‘to be’
For a film like “Hamlet 2” to work — even the title is hilariously ridiculous — it has to sell the absurdity completely.
Film Review: ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ 2½ stars
The conspicuous lack of hype surrounding “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” signals that the grand ambitions of George Lucas’ sci-fi empire have been spent.
Film Review: ‘Henry Poole is Here,’ 3½ stars
Luke Wilson plays the title character in “Henry Poole Is Here,” who is struggling with some big issues. He is terminally glum, spending his days and nights alone. A typical meal consists...
Film Review: ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ 1½ stars
“Fly Me to the Moon” boasts stunning 3-D animation, truly remarkable effects that will have audiences ducking in their seats to avoid the objects seemingly hurtling out of the screen at...
Film Review: ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona,’ 1½ stars
There are few fans in moviedom more long suffering than Woody Allen’s faithful.
Spirits don’t really soar in ‘Bottle Shock’
Somewhere deep down inside of “Bottle Shock,” there is a good movie trying to get out.
Many tweens seeing ‘R’ films, despite rating
Researchers know what your tween saw last summer: savage beatings, severed heads, murder, rape and torture.
The best ‘Mummy’ yet
The “Mummy” franchise hasn’t consisted of great movies. They’re popcorn flicks with razzle-dazzle special effects, quirky humor and Brendan Fraser’s endearing mix of...
Film Review: ‘Swing Vote,’ 2½ stars
After years of misfires, Kevin Costner’s finally hit upon a strategy to make himself likable in a movie: by playing someone completely unlikable.
Moronic ‘Step Brothers’ is a hilarious ride
“Step Brothers” is stupid. Childish. Moronic. Simple. Juvenile. Silly. Just ridiculous.
Country superstar Toby Keith takes on Hollywood
Country superstar Toby Keith has wrapped up his latest summer tour, but his mind seems to largely be on his new movie, “Beer for My Horses.”
Vivid desperation captured in ‘Frozen River’
“Frozen River,” a story of abject desperation, feels so real and immediate that it plays almost like a documentary.
Art of spoofing turning into ‘Disaster’
We’ve gone spoofs crazy.
‘Sex Drive’ more than another sex comedy
If Judd Apatow revived the raunchy sex comedy with such films as “Superbad” and “Knocked Up,” Sean Anders happily advances the genre with “Sex Drive.”
Van Damme is more than muscle in ‘JCVD’
In “JCVD,” the “Muscles from Brussels” shows us something far more riveting than his killer moves: his mind.
Powerful performances elevate ‘Torino’
“Gran Torino” is an unlikely tale made plausible almost solely by the quality of Clint Eastwood’s performance.
‘The Class’ succeeds without lecturing
“The Class” is light-years away from recent schoolroom dramas. No one is standing and delivering or writing about freedom, and the young minds are not exactly dangerous.

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TRU SPEC Fleece Jacket Liner
Due to popular demand the 100% polyester micro fleece jacket liner for the Gen I H20 ECWCS Parka can now be purchased separately. Great by itself, this fleece will be a great addition in colder climates.

Price: $20.99