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 | Vines Run Amok In the past couple years we’ve been well informed that it is simply a bad idea to be young, horny, inebriated, and abroad on vacation. Films such as [b]Hostel[/b] and [b]Touristas[/b] have underscored the inherent risks associated with the aforementioned. You could have your organs harvested, your eye pulled out, or simply end up with a REALLY bad hangover (and an STD).More |  | The Fine Art of Losing The world of high stakes poker is a subculture rife with eccentric personalities and the vaguely misanthropic. Not too surprisingly, it is a world that is ripe for ridicule and parodying. Writer/director Zak Penn delves deep into this world with his mockumentary comedy, [b]The Grand[/b].More |  | Ten Millenia Away From Being A Great Film... The first summer blockbuster (yes, it’s a few months premature) hits the screens this week with the knuckledragging, mastodon hunting, prehistoric epic [b]10,000 B.C.[/b] This one fastidiously checks off every requisite item on the summer blockbuster list. Giant mastodons, saber-toothed tigers, vicious velociraptor-like birds, amazing action sequences, and some great CGI form the foundation of [b]10,000 B.C.[/b] Unfortunately, all of these things don't necessarily add up to a great film.More |  | Let’s Get Tropical! Will Ferrell truly became a household name after his hysterical performance in the 70s infused comedy, [b]Anchorman[/b]. Goodness knows there’s plenty of comedic gold to be mined from this bizarre period in America’s history. Disco, bell bottoms, and white men with afros just scratch the surface. Thus, it was inevitable that Ferrell would revisit the 70s given the success of [b]Anchorman[/b] and his staggering ability to pull off a killer afro. Ferrell’s gifts are on full display once again in [b]Semi-Pro[/b], a story of a struggling 70s ABA (semi-pro) basketball team on the verge of collapse.More |  | The Dead Do Tell Tales In recent years, the zombie film has spelled box office gold with films such as [b]28 Days Later[/b], the remake of [b]Dawn of the Dead[/b], and numerous others. Many of these newer films re-imagine zombies as frenzied, fast, and unrelenting which is a far cry from the slow, staggering, doddering zombies first brought to screen by George A. Romero in the original [b]Night of the Living Dead[/b]. Leave it to George to reboot the zombie franchise and actually give us a message along with the gore in his latest, [b]Diary of the Dead[/b].More |  | Definitely Sappy Everyone’s favorite heartwarming (or gutwrenching if you’re single) holiday is upon us. With cupid shooting arrows and hopeless romantics swooning, what better time is there for Hollywood to trot out a romantic comedy that will inevitably remind one that love conquers all?More |  | When In Bruges... Looking for a brief vacation? Or perhaps you’re looking to lay low after an assassination gone awry? Try Bruges. If you’re scratching your head wondering exactly where Bruges is, you’re not alone. It’s in Belgium and for Ray (Colin Farrell), an impatient assassin with a heavy conscience, it’s home…at least for a little while.More |  | Kicking off the San Francisco Film Festival Season For those who couldn't make it up to Park City for Sundance, the folks at SF Indiefest offer a more geographically convenient alternative. The 7th Annual San Francisco Independent Film Festival unspools on February 3rd offering numerous unique and eclectic celluloid gems that may never see the light of a multiplex. I had the good fortune to view a number of the films on display this year and while not all of them shined, virtually all of them explored intriguing subject matter in interesting and provocative ways.More |  | Kicking the Bucket Nothing can bring two distinctly dissimilar individuals together quite like imminent death. Or so [b]The Bucket List[/b] would seem to suggest. A disgustingly wealthy, cantankerous Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) finds himself stricken with terminal cancer and laid up in a hospital bed next to a comparatively poor auto mechanic, Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman). Rather than resign themselves to their ultimate demise, this odd couple decides to craft a list of all the things they’d like to do before they die...and set out to do them.More |  | P.S. I Hate You The trailer for [b]P.S. I Love You[/b] would lead you to believe the film is a sweet, charming (albeit somewhat saccharine) romantic comedy with a solid cast including Kathy Bates, Hilary Swank, Lisa Kudrow, and Harry Connick Jr. While the cast is unarguably solid, [b]P.S. I Love You[/b] strays far from charming, and if you were looking for a romantic comedy just in time for the holiday season, prepare for serious disappointment.More |
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