Film/TV

“Harper’s Island” Premieres on CBS

April 5th, 2009 · No Comments

Brian Seay offers his thoughts on a new CBS series.

harpers_island.jpgStarting April 9, CBS Network will premiere a new 13-episode murder mystery series called Harper’s Island. This show is about a group of family and friends traveling to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle who die off one by one. Now if anyone thinks this is an original idea that just brilliantly came from the pen of a scriptwriter or the mind of some director from today’s crop of modern filmmakers you are dead (no pun intended) wrong. (more…)

Now Playing: Coraline 3D

February 19th, 2009 · No Comments

In addition to being the first stop-motion animation film released in 3-D, Coraline has a lot going for it. I suppose I should admit up-front that I pretty much knew going in that there was no way I wasn’t going to love it.

You have a story by author Neil Gaiman; Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick; comedian John Hodgman voicing the Father/Other Father; an original song by They Might Be Giants, and an impossibly intricate handmade set, featuring the world’s tiniest knitted sweater and gloves. (more…)

Now Playing: Frost/Nixon

February 16th, 2009 · No Comments

frost_nixon.jpgRon Howard helms this interesting film paradox—a stage-to-screen adaptation of a two-man play concerning a political television interview. The premise may not sound too appealing at first, but from the first few minutes Frost/Nixon proves to be a thought- provoking and revelatory entertainment.

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Now Playing: The Reader

January 27th, 2009 · No Comments

thereader.jpgBased on Bernhard Schlink’s award-winning novel, director Stephen Daldry’s The Reader on the surface represents a typical addition to Holocaust film canon. Few years float by without a slate of productions depicting the beyond tragic events of those dark days. (more…)

Now Playing: Gran Torino

January 12th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Clint Eastwood in Gran TorinoThe irrepressible, incomparable, and apparently inexhaustible talent of Clint Eastwood continues to amaze as his indelible mark on film history becomes evermore expansive. With a career sprawling over half a century and a stack of awards that would fill 50 saddle bags, it appears that film’s Dorian Gray has no plans to retire. Already having one film in the books for 2008 (The Changeling), Eastwood is back in his familiar role of director/producer/actor/composer with Gran Torino.

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Now Playing: Milk

January 5th, 2009 · No Comments

Once deemed one of the most radical and influential directors of modern times, Gus Van Sant’s recent filmography has been defined by minor successes and colossal blunders.

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