Having racked up serious box office and generally favorable reviews with the first three Paranormal Activity films, the producers of the series have finally gone to the well once too often. The fourth]]> Some 10 years later, we’re still trying to come to terms with the attacks of 9/11. Perhaps the most important aspect of art is that it allows us to examine tragedies of this sort in an attempt t]]> W.C. Fields once offered up a piece of sage showbiz advice for those worried about having a scene stolen from them. He warned never to act with dogs or children. Were he alive tod]]> I hate movies that are populated by idiots and require that I and other viewers sink to their level in order to accept their premise. Something Borrowed is such a film. While I’m sure I killed t]]> Director Juan Antonio Bayona puts us through the wringer with The Impossible, a harrowing film recounting one family’s improbable survival of the 2004 tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean. ]]> I have some vague recollections of the Dark Shadows soap opera. I remember NOT being allowed to watch it, that whenever I did sneak a peak around the corner into the living room that there was always ]]> The previews for Pixar’s Up do everything they’re suppose to do to get you to see it. They feature cute cartoon characters coupled with an intriguing premise and promise a few ]]> Untitled Document You have to give George Clooney credit. As an actor and director, he seems eager to take on anything. Whether it’s a black-and-white]]> While everyone was falling all over themselves praising the films of John Hughes for their keen insight on the plight of teenagers, I couldn’t help but scoff at the “sincerity” found]]> At one point during Brian Klugman’s and Lee Sternhal’s The Words, author Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) is told that his novel is far too artistic and delicate to be published in today&rsquo]]> Every now and then the James Bond films need to scale back to a sense of reality. The Roger Moore Bonds became a bit too spacey, but the Timothy Dalton cure didn’t take hold. A fine actor, Dalto]]> David Fincher’s The Social Network is a work of contradictions. This is never more apparent than in its examination of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg). This self-indulgent, aw]]> There’s nothing overtly offensive about Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups. There’s nothing terribly funny, or original either, in this tale about five middle age guys who reunite for a weeken]]> If there's a sacred cow left in Hollywood that isn't viciously skewered in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, I don't know what it is. The narcissism and insecurity of movie ]]> While director Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad lets us know that it’s “inspired by a true story,” it becomes clear early on that it’s much more interested in the artific]]> A solid film biography of Jackie Robinson is long overdue. Though it was made with the best of intentions and features the man himself, the 1950s The Jackie Robinson Story, isn’t a film that&rsq]]> Since its release at this year’s SXSW festival, Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods has been steadily building buzz. The writer/director’s rabid fans have taken to the blogosphere t]]> Confidence There's no question that screenwriter Doug Jung is a student of film noir. His script for Confidence touches on nearly every convention of the genre and straddles the line between homage a]]> Viewers are likely to be sharply divided after seeing J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness, his second entry in the venerable science-fiction series. Is it shamelessly derivative or an inspired ]]>