Black Swan
March 24, 2011
Let’s be honest, there aren’t many ballet-centric films out there and even fewer that are good, with notable exceptions like The Red Shoes (1948) and the underrated Robert Altman film The Company (2003). So Darren Aronofsky had his work cut out for...
My Blueberry Nights
June 27, 2008
For years, Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai has resisted the lure of the United States, content to make his films in his native country (with the exception of Happy Together which was shot in South America) without any Hollywood movie stars. This has...
Paris, Je T’aime
December 18, 2007
The short film, much like the short story, is an artform unto itself. It takes a certain set of skills as a storyteller to be able to tell a tale succinctly. People who make commercials have even less time. Unfortunately, outside of television stations...
V for Vendetta: Two-Disc Special Edition
August 1, 2006
Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s graphic novel V for Vendetta was a product of its time. Moore was disgusted with Margaret Thatcher’s ultra-conservative regime and scared at how close the world was coming to nuclear war. His book was a reaction to what...
Beautiful Girls
January 21, 2006
There is something about turning 30 that makes one re-evaluate their life. It is that time when you are forced to grow up, find direction, settle down and become an adult. Beautiful Girls (1996) concerns a group of men faced with this dilemma. They have...
Closer
August 30, 2005
Mike Nichols is enjoying something of a comeback. First, there was the critically-lauded Angels in America mini-series that aired on HBO and now the equally successful Closer (2004). Together, they prove that there is an audience for smart dramas by and...
Heat: Special Edition
August 21, 2005
After the commercial and critical success of The Last of the Mohicans (1992), filmmaker Michael Mann made his most ambitious film up to that point in his career with Heat (1996). He cast legendary actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as the leads in what...
Leon, The Professional: Deluxe Edition
August 2, 2005
Fresh from the international success of La Femme Nikita (1990), Luc Besson attempted to conquer America with Leon (1994). Trimmed of a few minutes for a potentially uncomfortable scene involving a little girl proclaiming her love for a hitman and renamed...
Garden State
April 29, 2005
Zach Braff’s directorial debut, Garden State (2004), is the essence of an independent film. Made for a paltry (by Hollywood standards) $2.5 million, it has gone on to gross over ten times its budget and, more importantly, become the defining film for...
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
July 23, 2003
A long time ago in a cinema far, far away Star Wars Episode II was released. It has now made the arduous journey to DVD, and the circle is complete. It’s cool to knock success, it happens all the time. The media build up a person, raving about how...
