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B
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Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
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Almost custom-made for anyone interested in theater, particularly about how actors are trained for physical action.
Posted Jun 14, 2020
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B+
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Hitler's Hollywood
(2017)
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Harvey S. Karten
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Goebbels knew that movies could influence the masses of German people, so he picked particular films using the commercial Hollywood style to show in theaters. A top-notch collage of such works.
Posted Apr 08, 2018
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B
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Drinking Buddies
(2013)
|
Harvey S. Karten
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A realistic look at choices today's unmarried youths must make.
Posted Aug 17, 2013
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8.5/10
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Django Unchained
(2012)
|
Katherine Brodsky
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Reminds you why you love the movies the way that only Quentin Tarantino cam. Christoph Waltz is a flawless charmer.
Posted Jun 04, 2013
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7/10
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Barney's Version
(2010)
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Katherine Brodsky
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...charming and moving. It is at once both sardonically funny and bitterly sad.
Posted Jun 04, 2013
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7.5/10
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Incendies
(2010)
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Katherine Brodsky
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To say that 'Incendies' is an intense film would be a gross understatement. It is a disturbingly painful film that is difficult to shake off.
Posted Jun 04, 2013
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6/10
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No Strings Attached
(2011)
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Katherine Brodsky
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In some ways, "No Strings Attached" plays out rather conventionally within its genre. At the same time, there is a certain rawness to it that makes it fresher than most rom-com flicks.
Posted Jun 04, 2013
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8.5/10
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Black Swan
(2010)
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Katherine Brodsky
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Darren Aronofsky takes you to the edge and pushes you beyond...A visceral experience, set to an intoxicating score and cinematography.
Posted Jun 04, 2013
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B
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Bride Flight
(2008)
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Harvey S. Karten
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An expensively filmed chick flick about three Dutch women who seek a better life among the Kiwis.
Posted May 17, 2011
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B
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Water for Elephants
(2011)
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Harvey S. Karten
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One of the better pics from Hollywood but you won't want to run away to join this circus.
Posted Apr 21, 2011
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B+
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Budrus
(2009)
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Harvey S. Karten
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An intense, albeit one-sided, documentary on location during demonstrations by the Palestinians in the village of Budrus against Israeli encroachments.
Posted Apr 14, 2011
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B-
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Sanctum
(2011)
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Harvey S. Karten
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Lacking plot and witty dialogue, this deserves a 'fresh' strictly for its photography.
Posted Feb 03, 2011
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B
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True Grit
(2010)
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Harvey S. Karten
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Its great strength is its contrast between a brash young innocent and a seen-it-all, laid-back older man.
Posted Dec 19, 2010
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A
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Irréversible
(2002)
|
Brian Orndorf
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Contains crippling, extended acts of sexual violence and general inhumanity, yet, under the bleeding rawness of it all, was a film of brilliant technical achievement and unrivaled, unrelenting ferocity.
Posted Dec 28, 2009
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A
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The Royal Tenenbaums
(2001)
|
Brian Orndorf
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The filmmaker's great conjunction picture, where every element, from casting to cinematography, found perfect alignment, bringing about Anderson's most emotionally pulling, visually arresting feature.
Posted Dec 28, 2009
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A
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Punch-Drunk Love
(2002)
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Brian Orndorf
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While certainly sweet, Love is more compelling as a veiled threat, with Anderson jerking the audience around, wielding abrasive characters and hostile situations in a manner I've come to adore.
Posted Dec 28, 2009
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A
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Lost in Translation
(2003)
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Brian Orndorf
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A relationship picture with elegant connective tissue; it's brittle and real, focused on the nuances of body language and unspoken desire, while indulging in a cheeky bit of knowing absurdity when the mood strikes.
Posted Dec 28, 2009
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A
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Kill Bill: Vol. 1
(2003)
|
Brian Orndorf
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A head-spinning dream project of extraordinarily bi-polar, nutso invention, Vol. 1 is a candy store rampage, cheering on Tarantino's fetishes as he built a colorful war machine of ideal double-feature dementia.
Posted Dec 28, 2009
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A
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Open Range
(2003)
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Brian Orndorf
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Range is handed a stunning period scope by Costner's directorial eye, while forming an unexpectedly tender core to help endear these character past their grizzled exterior.
Posted Dec 17, 2009
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A
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X2
(2003)
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Brian Orndorf
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For this brief shining moment, the "X-Men" universe held perfect pitch, and funny book movies had a new standard of execution to live up to.
Posted Dec 07, 2009
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3/10
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Glitter
(2001)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Posted Mar 31, 2007
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|
F
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Summer Catch
(2001)
|
Brian Orndorf
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The element of Summer Catch that sours it all for good is that so many actors decided it would be a good idea to be in this film.
Posted Mar 31, 2007
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2/10
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Corky Romano
(2001)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Posted Mar 31, 2007
|
|
6/10
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Open Season
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Mischievous and spunky, it's aimed at family fun.
Posted Sep 28, 2006
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8/10
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The Guardian
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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An exciting crowd-pleaser, examining what it takes - physically and psychologically - to be a hero. Think of it as "Top Fin"!
Posted Sep 28, 2006
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5/10
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Flyboys
(2006)
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Susan Granger
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In the sky, the scenes soar - but the ground story never takes off.
Posted Sep 28, 2006
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1/10
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Jackass: Number Two
(2006)
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Susan Granger
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It tells us seomthing about the demoralizing state of movie audiences today when donkey dung like this tops the box-office.
Posted Sep 28, 2006
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8/10
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The Last King of Scotland
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Featuring an extraordinary, Oscar-worthy performance by Forest Whitaker, this gripping drama interweaves historical fact with fiction into an edgy, eye-riveting tale.
Posted Sep 27, 2006
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5/10
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Fearless
(2006)
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Susan Granger
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While no "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," this chop-socky features Jet Li's flying fists and feet doing Chinese We Shu martial arts.
Posted Sep 22, 2006
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6/10
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All the King's Men
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Ponderous and pretentious - nstead of a timeless, relevant political commentary, it just feels discordant and tediously dated.
Posted Sep 22, 2006
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5/10
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Gridiron Gang
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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No sappy sports cliche or trite inspirational slogan is ignored.
Posted Sep 20, 2006
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2/10
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The Covenant
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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This supernatural story doesn't muster much horror, much less tap into the thriller aspect.
Posted Sep 14, 2006
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4/10
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The Black Dahlia
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Plot threads get tangled in a florid web of confusion, and the cast's tawdry, melodramatic antics often evoke unintentional amusement.
Posted Sep 14, 2006
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3/10
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Beerfest
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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This tepid celebration of binge drinking goes flat fast.
Posted Sep 08, 2006
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4/10
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The Quiet
(2005)
|
Susan Granger
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Perversely sordid, some of the creepy soft-core scenes cross the lurid line of bad taste.
Posted Sep 04, 2006
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4/10
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Crank
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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A reckless, relentless rush that goes nowhere in an exhausting 83 minutes.
Posted Sep 02, 2006
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8/10
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Hollywoodland
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Ben Affleck exudes sleaziness, Diane Lane is slyly manipulative and Adrien Brody scores as the scummy gumshoe...it's an enigmatic and intriguing tale.
Posted Aug 31, 2006
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6/10
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Accepted
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Subversive, sophomoric comedy
Posted Aug 26, 2006
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9/10
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The Illusionist
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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This lavishly romantic tale of magic and mystery is utterly spellbinding, teasing and tantalizing you with the truth while juggling smoke and mirrors.
Posted Aug 26, 2006
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7/10
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Lassie
(2005)
|
Susan Granger
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Yes, they're still making a few timeless, sentimental family films the way they used to - with no CGI.
Posted Aug 26, 2006
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8/10
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Snakes on a Plane
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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This repitilian horror thriller is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
Posted Aug 23, 2006
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2/10
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Zoom
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Just exactly how desperate are you to get the kids out of the house and into the theater?
Posted Aug 15, 2006
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5/10
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Step Up
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Formulaic story, filled with flashy, toe-tapping interludes...
Posted Aug 12, 2006
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7/10
|
World Trade Center
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
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Somber and life-affirming, intense yet respectful, it marks the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attack.
Posted Aug 10, 2006
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4/10
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The Descent
(2005)
|
Susan Granger
|
A mindless, tense fright-fest
Posted Aug 08, 2006
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6/10
|
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
|
Silly, squealing spoof of dopey daredevils who clearly have a few lug nuts loose.
Posted Aug 08, 2006
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6/10
|
The Night Listener
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
|
It's fitting that kaleidoscopic images introduce this psychological thriller in which reality and fantasy collide and splinter into cinematic fragments.
Posted Aug 06, 2006
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4/10
|
John Tucker Must Die
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
|
Tepid teen revenge fantasy
Posted Jul 29, 2006
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|
8/10
|
The Ant Bully
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
|
A fun-filled, enormously entertaining fable about family, friendship and fair play
Posted Jul 27, 2006
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6/10
|
Miami Vice
(2006)
|
Susan Granger
|
It's style over substance in this explosive, shoot 'em up that tries to make up with fast pace and visceral atmosphere what it lacks in characterization and coherence.
Posted Jul 27, 2006
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