Friday, May 17, 2013
'Into Darkness' is excitement at Warp Factor 10. Film is rated PG-13.
Boy, this is going to be one short review. This movie has more spoilers than the 1967 Enterprise had Tribbles…and in the interest of full disclosure, this is written by the Cinema Siren who owns chairs from the Voyager show, can list the original episodes in order of appearance, has a T-shirt with a quote in Klingon, and a model of the Enterprise signed by all the original cast members. That is to say, fandom lives here. Any experience of watching the new release by director J. J. Abrams would naturally be filtered through a brain steeped in Star Trek knowledge and lore. That being said, there is, unlike some long-term fans, no automatic hate for anything new. To my mind, the cast, theme, and story lines of the reboot are very much in …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
PG-13 film in theaters this weekend.
Let's face it. Those of you who are interested in films of Iron Man's ilk and have waited through a year of Comic-Cons dressed like your favorite Marvel superhero, do not need Cinema Siren to tell you whether to head out this weekend to keep one of Hollywood's biggest studio franchises alive and Robert Downey Jr. out of the poorhouse. You already have your tickets. It is the souls who usually stay home with a glass of wine watching Downton Abbey, and occasion the multiplex only for the most hyped and well reviewed blockbusters they want to charm into theaters. Iron Man 3 is playing at Rave Cinemas Centreville 12 and Fairfax Towne Center this weekend. See showtimes and buy tickets here. With its mix of magnetic superstar power, exciting …
Friday, April 5, 2013
The 3D enhancements make it worth seeing again on the big screen.
Once again we are at an old vs. new and purist vs. innovator crossroads. Why in the world would anyone go out to see Jurassic Park in the theatre for $12+ when they can snuggle at home and watch it on their own 40-inch HDTV? What could make this release worth the time of movie fans out there when my own Siren spouse couldn't be cajoled into seeing it with me at the multiplex? It all comes down to the experience. We haven't seen Jurassic Park in the movie theaters since its release in 1993. They could have rereleased it without the new bells and whistles and I'd have been halfway there. Jurassic Park 3D is playing at Rave Cinemas Centreville 12 and Fairfax Towne Center this weekend. See showtimes and buy tickets here. With all the …
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.
Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator, who is actually from the DC area, and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, running from April 25-28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and Cinema Siren can attest to the fact that they feature both great movies and great guest stars. This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites. When I talked to Mankeiwitcz, he said those who attend are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world, but surprisingly diverse in age. He said one fan who expertly …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Doesn't amount to a hill of beans; two out of 5 starfish.
By the time the bombastic yet tragic minor-keyed Lord of the Rings-type theme music swelled to accompany Jack The Giant Slayer's climactic battle scenes, I was tempted to flamboyantly roll my eyes in slow motion. I couldn't have cared less. This new release, that was slated for last summer and tellingly sat on the shelf until now, is exceedingly straight-ahead, uninventive and laden with special effects. It leaves the audience feeling like it spent an evening at an expensive restaurant expecting to taste some delicious, innovative dish, only to find themselves digesting a bland, flavorless Betty Crocker casserole. Not only is the cuisine uninspired, ultimately, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Something new? Not hardly. Jack buys …
Friday, February 22, 2013
Join us at 7 p.m. Sunday to discuss the 85th annual Academy Awards in a Patch live chat with Cinema Siren.
Who will hit the red carpet in style? Is Ben Affleck still being punished for Gigli? Who's going to take the Best Picture award home? Join area Patch columnists and editors as we chat about the Oscars starting at 7 p.m. Sunday. [Find more details about Sunday night's award show, including what channel it airs on locally by clicking here.] Expect a bit of snark, a few jokes, some questioning of the Academy's choices, and more. Put on your finest — or just your pajamas — and accompany us virtually to the red carpet at 7 p.m. and the awards at 8:30 p.m. for some Oscars live chat fun. Enter your email address in the Cover It Live box above to get an email reminder for the live chat and don't miss a minute. For a look at all of this year's …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Inspired by a trip this weekend to London to see 'Macbeth,' performed by James McAvoy, Cinema Siren showcases her favorite films influenced by the Bard.
LONDON — Cinema Siren is writing from London this week, and preparing to see James McAvoy in Macbeth at Trafalgar Transformed. A fan of his work for years, I jumped at the chance to see a new and exciting version of the play put together by the famous British stage director Jamie Lloyd with production design by Soutra Gilmour, who won the 2012 Evening Standard award for Best Design. It got me thinking about the many cinematic versions of Shakespeare's work in film history. Shakespeare never goes out of style, as witnessed by the recent release directed by Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus in 2012. Joss Whedon is about to release a home movie version of Much Ado About Nothing (no kidding, it was filmed at his house) on June 7, starring his usual …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The great, the bizarre and the awful.
The box office receipts didn't automatically match studio expectations in 2012. For once, some of the most lauded movies took money away from the mediocre ones. This year we saw superheroes, grown-up movies, genre mash-ups and cartoons scoring places at the top of the box office. Much was made about big flops, from the divisive John Carter and ridiculous Battleship, both of which starred the same unlucky actor. This topsy turvy year in the world of film is likely to lead to some interesting shifts in focus for actors and filmmakers alike. Out of respect and a hope for healing I'm sure we all wish for the families involved in Colorado, Cinema Siren isn't going to spend much time on the movie event in 2012 that made the most newspapers. …
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Cinema Siren's top picks for 2012.
Last year I offered my top 10 Christmas cartoons for the first time. As an animation art gallery owner of 25 years, and an animation historian, I have been studying and enjoying them a long time. What an uproar I caused! I got a veritable avalanche of emails about the cartoons I "couldn't possibly overlook." While I stand by all last year's excellent offerings, I do have some amendments this year. Here is the list with some considered additions and subtractions. The cartoons listed below are all classics and are wonderful opportunities for holiday viewing with friends and family. You can enjoy them while chomping down highly caloric peppermint bark, or swilling down highly spiked eggnog! #10. Arthur Christmas - 2011 Such a new movie…
Friday, November 9, 2012
Review of latest James Bond film.
In its 50th year, there is much at stake for the Bond franchise. So many great movies, producing such a cultural icon, they want to create a movie worthy of release in the anniversary year. Something mediocre or forgettable just wouldn't do (ahem, Moonraker, I'm talking to you…). They have their past and their future to think of. They don't want to be asking "Will Bond live to die another day?" By showing due respect to its pedigree, adding some exciting new elements, featuring a great script, acting, and production design, Skyfall rises to the top as one of this year's best films, Bond or otherwise. Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) helms the story wherein a madman (of course) winds up with the hard drive that reveals …
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