Dan Vinton

GET ARKIN

For a lot of folks, Alan Arkin’s Oscar win for Supporting Actor was the equivalent of waking up with three beautiful women and a squirrel in your underpants. It was that surprising, considering a lot of people were leaning toward the Eddie Murphy "it’s due" theory, including Eddie Murphy (who is rumored to have quietly … Continue reading

DARWININ’

James Cameron is causing all kinds of undue fuss about his discovery (er… Israeli discovery 17 years ago) of some tomb with the bones of some of people named Jesus and Mary. Well, Charles Darwin isn’t gonna take that faith-smacking junk lying down. By evolution! He’s going to be the agnostic firebrand in this century … Continue reading

THE SECOND TO THE LAST UNICORN

Unicorns rock. Whether they’re bouncing off rainbows, adorning black velvet paintings, the folders of fifth grade girls or the gaudy websites of way too many lonely, 38-year-old women, unicorns equal super-magical. So where have the movies been? I remember Legend having unicorns, I remember The Last Unicorn — shoot, even Anchorman took a bold crack … Continue reading

DON’T DO CRACK

There’s always a rusty, necessarily tetanus edge to tales of hardcore drug abuse and Life is Hot in Cracktown is no exception. If you’ve read the book, you know its first few sentences clearly mark the territory:“Life is hot in Cracktown. The flaming sidewalk burns your feet. Steams the air, cooks the base. Blood and … Continue reading

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE REPORT

Rank Title Weekend Gross Cumulative Gross Weeks in Release 1 Ghost Rider $19,700,000 $78,660,000 2 2 The Number 23 $15,107,000 $15,107,000 1 3 Bridge to Terabithia $13,574,000 $46,222,000 2 4 Reno 911!: Miami $10,400,000 $10,400,000 1 5 Norbit $9,736,000 $74,674,000 3 6 Music and Lyrics $8,000,000 $32,063,000 2 7 Breach $6,159,000 $20,468,000 2 8 Tyler … Continue reading

LEVINSON’S NEXT LICK

Barry Levinson’s such a hit and miss guy. For every Diner, Rain Man or The Natural, we get a Toys, Sphere or Envy. Levinson currently has the Hollywood expose What Just Happened? (as reported here) shooting in March… and I’m optimistic, actually. Since we’ve just come off the stinky Man of the Year, track record … Continue reading

A-WOOKING AUSTIN

Korean Wave, (Hallyu)- the term used to describe, in part, the popularity of South Korean film, is making huge headway beyond its native asian birthplace as more folks are exposed to movies like upcoming The Host, CHUD-fave Old Boy and international export My Sassy Girl.Among the breakout stars is obviously director Chan- Wook Park (Park … Continue reading

ZOMBIES AND VAMPIRES TO MIX IT UP

Gone are the days of the vampire bat and supernaturally creepy old guy sneaking into bedrooms in the dark of night to neck with the ladies. The whole vampire genre has had a nice little post-modern renaissance, evolving into hip and suave victims of viral outbreaks. Holy water is overrated, garlic is hidden in the … Continue reading

RESIDENT EVIL: IT’S VEGAS, BABY!

Think what you’d like about the Resident Evil franchise (I think it’s magically poopalicious), but the trailers have a smug way of toying with the audience. Instead of delivering the standard "When the dead rise, humanity falls" cliche, we’ve been treated to their warm and cozy "Oh-la-la, it’s sexy time", only to be cold-cocked with … Continue reading

SAW IV GOES FOR THREE

A few new details have emerged on the latest installment of the puppet/pig mask franchise Saw. While there was never any doubt Saw IV was coming, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures have given official word Darren Lynn Bousman, director of Saw II and III, will begin filming in Toronto, the city of tax breaks, on April … Continue reading