Note: Thanks to Jay Herzog for his literate but totally misguided reviews the past two weeks. (Just kidding, except for the literate part.) Also, apologies to my editor — I really did think about going toSuperbadbut it was fourth in a list of four. I’ll try to improve, honest. Previews Opening Friday, Aug. 24, is […]
Charlie Myers
Posted inArts + Scene
Lindsay Lohan’s bad week
Previews Opening Friday, August 3 is the concluding film of the Bourne trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum , which began in 2002 with The Bourne Identity . These spy thrillers, based on the novels of Robert Ludlum, are on my all-time top five list for this genre (which, pending my actually seeing Ultimatum , only leaves […]
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Shue, nerd — NCRT’s new production trapped in the ’80s
If you’re interested in a summer night out, perhaps contributing to a worthy cause while seeing some friends and having some laughs, the North Coast Repertory Theatre production of The Nerd will probably satisfy. If your demands and desires are greater, maybe not so much. This comedy is set in Terre Haute, Ind., in the […]
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Homer & Hairspray
Previews Fans of Homer Simpson, and they are legion, need no introduction to his big-screen debut in The Simpsons Movie after 18 seasons on TV. The story is not a surprise: Homer must save the world from a disaster of his own making. With a new pet pig and the familiar cast of voices that […]
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Hairspray, Larry and Harry
Previews I suppose the major opening on Friday, July 20, is Hairspray , a film musical based on the successful Broadway musical that was, in turn, based on John Waters’ 1988 campy film comedy of the same name. There is no John Waters in sight here, as the film version is directed by sometime choreographer […]
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‘Ratatouille’ charms, ‘Transformers’ disappoints
Previews Opening Wednesday, July 11, is one of the major films of the summer: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . The fifth in the Boy Wizard series features the usual all-star cast of British actors and new director David Yates who will also helm the sixth Harry Potter ( Half-Blood Prince ). […]
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Charlie’s vacation, staffers preview
Charlie is off on a classical music binge in Portland this week so we’ve brought in Jay Herzog (who wrote "Battle for Boomer Jack" for us a few weeks back) as a guest reviewer — but diehard movie buff that Charlie is, he went to the opening of the latest Bruce Willis Die Hard flick […]
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Mighty, Almighty
Previews The Christian-themed Evan Almighty may not have lived up to box office expectations last weekend, but I’ll bet that old reliable Bruce Willis will. Opening Wednesday, June 27, is Live Free or Die Hard, a.k.a. Die Hard 4, which brings back Willis’ John McClane. This time, McClane is after an Internet terrorist group which, […]
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‘Nancy Drew’ bland, but ‘Valet’ delicious
Previews Opening Friday, June 22, is the next film that is no doubt destined to top the weekend box office: Evan Almighty . A sort of sequel to 2003’s Bruce Almighty , Morgan Freeman is back as God, but Jim Carrey has been replaced by Steve Carell as God’s lackey — uh, Earthly representative, or […]
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Charlie surivives Ocean’s Thirteen
PREVIEWS Based on my experience with Fantastic Four, I found nothing particularly fantastic about the four. Nonetheless, opening Friday, June 15, is Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , which brings back director Tim Story and the same quartet of actors as Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba — so beautiful, such […]
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‘Pirates’ stands up to ‘Knocked Up’
Previews Knocked Up failed to dislodge Pirates from atop the box office, but perhaps Ocean’s Thirteen will accomplish that feat. Happily set back in Las Vegas after the European setting of the disastrous Twelve, Steven Soderbergh returns as director and Pitt, Clooney and Damon now face a new enemy and scamee in Al Pacino, one […]