'the lady' review

Having action filmmaker Luc Besson direct a biopic about Aung San Suu Kyi might seem like an odd pairing, but The Lady .... well, yes, it is indeed an odd pairing. And a mediocre film. I reviewed the Michelle Yeoh-starrer for Yahoo.

madvillain - all caps

One of the tough things about picking a single track off Madvillainy to spotlight is that there isn't exactly a standout track: It's all about the flow from song to song. Still, "All Caps" is pretty awesome -- and check out this video.

'hugo' review

Martin Scorsese is known for his dark tales of New York City life, but he heads off to 1930s Paris for "Hugo," his first family film. There is a lot to love -- and a lot to wish could have been a little better. I reviewed Hugo for The Projector over at Yahoo.

'arthur christmas' review

I'm in the minority on Arthur Christmas, an animated family movie I thought was merely OK. What can I say, my heart is three sizes too small. My review is up at Yahoo.

u2 - numb

You know, I still really dig Zooropa.

'the muppets' review

For the first several reels, The Muppets is very nearly perfect. It slows down after that, unfortunately, but its cheerful, idealistic spirit made me so very happy. My review is up at Screen International.

'tyrannosaur' review

Actor Paddy Considine makes his feature directorial debut with Tyrannosaur, the sort of tough, bleak film that lives or dies by the strength of its acting. I reviewed the drama for Yahoo.

'beginners' writer-director mike mills speaks

Beginners is a small little gem. It's out on DVD now, and I interviewed writer-director Mike Mills to talk about the movie. It was a very fun chat, which you can read over at Yahoo.

'happy feet two' review

Happy Feet has a permanent place in my heart, and not just because my wife adores the movie. But Happy Feet Two isn't nearly as special. I reviewed the film for The Projector over at Yahoo.

'the adventures of tintin' review

It's not high praise to say that Steven Spielberg has rebounded from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with his new film, The Adventures of Tintin. Frankly, any movie he would make would be better than that unfortunate debacle. But while Tintin is a technological feat, it doesn't feel inspired in the way that Spielberg's best movies do. I saw it last night at its North American premiere at AFI Fest, and my review is up at The Projector.

matthew sweet - into your drug

I got into a Matthew Sweet kick on Spotify and stumbled across his greatest-hits collection, Time Capsule. Decent overview, but where's "Into Your Drug"? It's right here.

'immortals' review

Big muscles! Big fights scenes! Big speeches! Welcome to the world of Immortals, which I reviewed for Screen International. I wish I liked it more than I did.

'jack and jill' review

I didn't like Jack and Jill so much, but rather than just ripping on it, I decided to spend some time in my review trying to figure out what it is about Adam Sandler that drives me nuts. The results are over at Yahoo.

eddie murphy and brett ratner exit the oscars

For The Projector last night, I wrote about Brett Ratner's resignation as Oscar producer. Then this morning, we found out that Eddie Murphy is walking, too. So, naturally, I had some things to say about that as well.

'j. edgar' review

It's practically stop-the-presses news to announce that I didn't hate J. Edgar. A lot of folks do, but I actually think it's a sturdy (if unfocused) affair. My review is up at Yahoo.

'Haywire' review

Man, oh man, Haywire is a lot of fun. This is Steven Soderbergh just rolling up his sleeves and having a blast, and while the movie does eventually lose some of its fizzy pleasure, you probably won't care all that much. And the action sequences? Man, oh man. The movie premiered last night at AFI Fest: I reviewed it for Screen International.

Lou Reed - "Baton Rouge"

Because I've been concentrating on Lulu a lot lately, I've been thinking about Lou Reed's career some. So here's a personal favorite "deep album cut" from the man. This is off Ecstasy. My dad likes this song, too. I always consider it a sign of how good a song is when both my dad and I like it.

lou reed and metallica - 'lulu' review

Oh, Lulu, why does everyone hate you so? You're not that bad at all, actually -- just a little misunderstood. I reviewed the record for About.

'a very harold & kumar 3D christmas' review

I really enjoyed the first Harold & Kumar and didn't care much for the sequel. Now we have A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, which I ultimately liked, although it's very hit-or-miss. Thankfully, John Cho and Kal Penn are as fun as ever. And, seriously, WaffleBot rules. My review is up at Screen International.

'charlotte rampling: the look' review

I've always liked Charlotte Rampling as an actress, but I gained a new appreciation for her after watching Charlotte Rampling: The Look, a documentary that's less about her acting career and more about her as a person in the here and now. She's a bright, thoughtful woman. She also seems like she's a lot of fun. My Yahoo review is up now.

'killing bono' review

U2 fans who want to know about the band's early days in Dublin will get a kick out of Neil McCormick's memoir, I Was Bono's Doppelganger. It tells about his childhood growing up with the band in the late '70s. U2 become superstars, but McCormick's rock 'n' roll dreams never materialized. Now there's a movie based on the book, but the tome's spirit, candor and insights are mostly scrubbed clean. I reviewed Killing Bono for Yahoo.