Alice In Wonderland #2
Most of us remember the old Disney version of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland from the simpler time when we were much younger and for most people it would be difficult to picture the story in any other way than that early animated version.  When I saw the ads for the new version, directed by Tim Burton, I was openly bothered with the billboard sized pictures of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and the overly large balloon head of the Red Queen which to me at least, was as annoying as a festering mosquito bite that I couldn't scratch.  Honestly, I didn't want to see this movie from the moment I saw the first advertisement.       For those people who've lived under a rock... READ MORE >>>

Alice In Wonderland
I was excited when I heard Tim Burton was making an Alice in Wonderland movie.  It feels like something that’s been that’s been sitting in the rumor mill for over a decade, just waiting to happen. Burton’s films have always had a sense of wonder about them, from the man-child road movie, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, to the more serious Big Fish, where a father and son bond through the power of imagination. Burton’s vision is surreal and expressionistic, producing just enough fantasy to make us acknowledge the smallest bits of real magic in our world. With that in mind, part of me likes the new Alice in Wonderland, and the other part is unsatisfied.      The setup of the new Alice is similar to... READ MORE >>>

Greenberg
Looks like Ben Stiller is going the way of Adam Sandler (Funny People).  Take a serious story with room for humor to showcase the star's acting skills so he can be taken more seriously - Hollywood style.  I say Hollywood style since Greenberg is far from a serious drama, but more serious than previous Stiller vehicles.     Stiller plays, not a ne'er do well, but a not interested in doing well who just wants to do nothing, at least for a while.  Roger Greenberg is just chilling out after recently being released from a mental institution for a breakdown.  His brother, who is taking his family on a vacation to Vietnam, has offered his home in Los Angeles for some rest and recovery.  And Roger's... READ MORE >>>

The Yellow Handkerchief
Three strangers end up in the same car for several days, going south on a path parallel to the Mississippi River.  None would admit to making a conscious decision to share each other's company, or even having ever made an important decision in their lives.  All are sad, lonely, outsiders who have no destination or are afraid to admit to themselves they do.  One is 15 year old Martine (Kristen Stewart) who gets in the car to make her boyfriend, her father, anyone worry about where she may have gone off to.  Another is an awkward young man who calls himself a Native American Indian.  Gordy (Eddie Redmayne) feels he just has to see more, as his native spirit demands.  Still another is ex-con Brett... READ MORE >>>

Brooklyn's Finest
I’m a big fan of the gangster/mobster/underworld sub-genre, so I was looking forward to seeing Brooklyn’s Finest, the latest by director Antoine Fuqua, he of Training Day fame.  Like other films recently, I was let down.  On the other hand, it’s better than most things out there.     Being able to make an urban, crime drama takes a very deft hand.  Screw it up and it comes off clichéd , phony or silly.  Do it right, and you’ve got something close to a perfect allegory for life.  Brooklyn’s Finest is at neither end of this spectrum.  It’s the kind of film that has potential, but it gets in its own way.     Fuqua puts together the kind of cast that could pull off something very intriguing:  Don... READ MORE >>>