11/08/2009

MOVIES
Actor plays drug popping guru of a military unit that experiments with mental powers

11/06/2009

TOP RENTALS
Source: Redbox / MCT

Video Reviews by Michael Janusonis: You want explosions? Sign up for ‘G.I. Joe’
Possibly the most violent PG-13 movie ever, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (Paramount, $29.99) has cardboard characters, relentless blam-blam-blam action, plenty of explosions, and a too-long running time. When it’s over, you may feel as though you’ve been playing a video game for two hours. Of course the film was a hit in theaters late last summer.

Locally produced “Death Force” finally hits the screen
Two days before Rick Laprade of Narragansett had scheduled the world premiere of his post-apocalyptic thriller “Death Force” at the Columbus Theatre last Aug. 29, the place was closed on orders of the Providence Fire Dept. as a safety hazard.

Movie Review: ‘Coco Before Chanel’ has a certain style
At the turn of the 20th century, French women of style were gilded peacocks festooned with jewels, gaudy things cinched so tightly at the waist that they could not breathe, teetering on claw feet.

Movie Review: Prison brute turns film star in ‘Bronson’
“Bronson” portrays a real-life British bruiser as a psychotic performance artist. It’s an assaultive work about an assaultive fellow, Michael Peterson, Britain’s most notorious prisoner.

‘Twilight’ gets a re-release
HOLLYWOOD — Wanting to capitalize on the teen vampire movie craze it stirred last year, Summit Entertainment is planning to re-release “Twilight” in more than 2,000 theaters Nov. 19, the night before the arrival of the highly anticipated sequel, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

11/05/2009

‘Death Force’ premieres
“Death Force,” a post-apocalypse thriller that was filmed in Rhode Island as the first feature film from the independent 12 Gauge Pictures, will have its premiere Friday and Saturday at the Cable Car Cinema. The film was written by Ricky Laprade and Corey Gomes and directed by Laprade. It will be shown at 9 and 11 p.m. both nights. It is not rated, but is not recommended for children because of its violence and profanity.

10/31/2009

Micro-budget horror flick
The supernatural thriller “Paranormal Activity” has become one of the year’s biggest success stories

10/29/2009

“This Is It” is a thrilling tribute to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson lives!

10/30/2009

Video: ‘Ice Age 3’ adds a lost world full of dinosaurs to the fun
Extinct creatures proved to be timeless once again in “Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (Fox, $29.98). But this second sequel to the popular series about prehistoric mammoths and saber-toothed tigers added extra insurance by teaming them up with a lost world full of dinosaurs, even though dinosaurs had been extinct for 65 million years by the time the Ice Age giants arrived 10,000 years ago.

‘Boondock Saints’ producer, director counting on loyal fans
BOSTON — Although the vigilante film “The Boondock Saints” was released in 1999 for a limited run of only two weeks in just six theaters, producer Chris Brinker says that the film, which many people have never heard of, has “conservatively” grossed more than $60 million in home video sales and “is passing $100 million worldwide.”

Edward Norton running for a cause
NEW YORK — Edward Norton settles around a table in a small office overlooking Times Square, the American actor dressed smartly in a black collared shirt. Next to him is Samson Parashina, a Maasai warrior from the East African savannah, wearing a colorful tunic and intricately beaded jewelry.

TOP RENTALS
Source: Redbox / MCT

Movie review: ‘Beeswax’ a subtle, elegant exploration of modern relationships
The title of “Beeswax,” Andrew Bujalski’s third feature, evokes the sticky medium of social insects and also the idioms of childhood speech. “It’s none of your beeswax,” say the Queen Bees on the playground, and just what is or isn’t someone else’s business is one of the questions Bujalski and his characters explore.

Movies, videos give Halloween chill-seekers plenty to scream about
Halloween chill-seekers have plenty to scream about

Sales are booming
Sales of albums, songs, documentary tickets are booming

CRITICS’ CORNER
Movies are ranked according to the Journal’s system of one to five stars, with one star being the lowest.

10/28/2009

The many meanings of Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’
Jackson was serious about “This Is It” as his final curtain call.

10/27/2009

Partisan politics are pervading the pop culture world
Billions of years ago, we had the Big Bang. Today, we’re living through the Big Blur. Politicians becoming celebrities, news turning into entertainment. With the explosion of media and technology, every area of public life seemed to go pop.

10/26/2009

Harry Potter exhibition is at Boston’s Museum of Science
BOSTON –– Between now and Feb. 21 junior wizards from all across New England are certain to be putting on their capes and flocking to the Museum of Science where “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” has set up shop with more than 200 costumes and props from the six-film series, including Harry’s own wand.

10/25/2009

Today’s vampires are in a different vein
Forget those vicious vampires made famous by scary guys like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. Today’s vampires are downright sweet: lovesick teenagers, studly heartthrobs, folks just like you and me — except for that taste for human blood.

Francis Ford Coppola sees cinema world falling apart
“The cinema as we know it is falling apart,” says Francis Ford Coppola.

Amelia Earhart still charms
SEATTLE Nearly a century ago at a fair in Toronto, a young nurse’s aide watched an exhibition of stunt flying, as a pilot began diving at the crowd. “I remember the mingled fear and pleasure which surged over me as I watched that small plane at the top of its earthward swoop,” she would write, years later. “I did not understand it at the time, but I believe that little red airplane said something to me as it swished by.”

10/23/2009

Horror Film Festival runs through Sunday
One of the most popular — and cheapest to make — movie genres is the horror film. That’s one reason you will find 37 horror films culled from 250 submissions to the Rhode Island International Film Festival to be part of its 10th annual Horror Film Festival running through Sunday.

URI’s India Film Festival is Friday, Saturday
A look at India, from its split with Pakistan in 1947, to today’s Bollywood musicals will be on screen during the University of Rhode Island’s India Film Festival Friday and Saturday as well as Nov. 13 and 14.

Scott Caan to play title role in ‘Paz’
Scott Caan, who co-starred in the Ocean’s Eleven movie series and in Michael Corrente’s Brooklyn Rules, has been signed to play boxing champion Vinny Paz in Paz, the inspirational story of the boxer’s comeback from a car wreck.

Character actor John Reilly ‘a real character’
ORLANDO, Fla. — The sight, strolling into the Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant corner of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, was enough to give John C. Reilly a start.

Decepticons, Autobots slug it out
Source: Redbox / MCT

10/20/2009

Clooney steals chickens, lends voice to Fantastic Mr. Fox
George Clooney plays a chicken-stealing “fox about town” in a new movie.

10/18/2009

Maurice Sendak sees ‘Wild Things’ become a movie
NEW YORK About the hoopla surrounding the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak is characteristically gruff.