James Franco Reviews Gatsby, Is Reminded of Fingerbanging
James Franco penned a review of The Great Gatsby for Vice. A few highlights:
'I'd Rather Gouge My Eyes Out With Spoons': The Big Wedding, Reviewed
If you didn't know better, you might think The Big Wedding — opening in theaters today — has all the ingredients of a good movie. Get a load of that award-winning cast: Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton!
Roger Ebert's Twenty Best Reviews
Roger Ebert was anything but your stereotypical snobbish film critic; he was a man who would review anything. He was also what some have called "a stealth feminist", though perhaps he was less stealth than he appeared. Though he's been praised for his amazing take-downs, Ebert also had a way of delicately lifting up…
Not All The Stars In Hollywood Can Keep New Year's Eve From Being…
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Honestly, Love, Actually was not a bad movie. Unfortunately, its success taught Hollywood a terrible lesson: Cram a crapload of stars into one flick, and the masses will pay to see it. Off course, by "masses," we mean women, because we're the ones these projects are aggressively marketed towards. After He's Just Not…
Hugh Hefner As A Rebel, Without The Sleaze
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The documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel claims to go beneath Hef's bathrobed persona to reveal the man who championed civil rights, equality, and free speech. Critics say it's a two-hour infomercial that glosses over Playboy's objectification of women.
Catching Up With The Quimbys: Reviewing Ramona And Beezus
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I don't know if there is a character in children's literature whom I love more than Ramona Geraldine Quimby. So despite my reservations brought on by the trailer, I went to see Ramona and Beezus last night.
Secrets Of The Sex & The City 2 Reviews
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Yes, the reviews are in, and Sex & the City 2 didn't fare particularly well. Neither did its actresses. Let's take a look at the language used to describe the ladies.
Shrek Forever After Offers A Happy Ending
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The It's A Wonderful Life-inspired plot of Shrek Forever After, the fourth and ostensibly final Shrek film, is a bit stale, but a funny script and fewer pop-culture references make it better than previous sequels.
Chloe: "A Canadian Lesbian Version Of Fatal Attraction"
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Chloe, which opens today, starts as a sexy psychological drama, but devolves into a "Canadian lesbian version of Fatal Attraction." It's titillating, but ultimately the film "can't be recommended even to people who just want to see Amanda Seyfried naked."
A Night Out With Alice: "Something's Missing," Indeed
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When I heard that Tim Burton was planning to direct a take on Alice in Wonderland, my first thought was: "This will either be great, or it will be terrible." Turns out it's a little bit of both:
Scorsese Elevates B-Movie Thriller With Shutter Island
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Shutter Island may be packed with too many flashbacks and plot twists, but critics say that director Martin Scorsese succeeds in crafting a ghastly, psychologically disturbing world and elevating the pulpy, B-movie thriller of the '50s to high art.
Valentine's Day: "A Date Movie From Hell"
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Though critics thoroughly despise Valentine's Day, its release date and sheer volume of stars may guarantee box office success, making it the film equivalent of being jumped by a gang of Hollywood actors and having $10.50 stolen from your wallet.
So That's A Pan, Right?
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"According to "Murder in Fashion," a hysterical, fictionalized account of Cunanan's three-month, four-state, five-victim 1997 killing jag that culminated with the murder of the fashion designer Gianni Versace, the real culprit was the aesthetic tyranny of gay culture." [NYT]
Precious Is Heartbreaking, Hopeful
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The reviews are in for Precious, and though some critics object to director Lee Daniels' "need to shove the reality of Precious' life in our faces," most say it's a brilliant film about hideous truths Hollywood usually ignores.
Amelia: "The Whole Movie Is A Failure To Communicate"
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Ouch. And it doesn't get much better, either.
Where The Wild Things Are: More Moody Than Wild
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Where The Wild Things Are isn't a film for children, but about them. Many critics love it, but others say it's "made by, and for, members of a generation who feel it's unfair to have to grow up."
Critics Say You Must (See) Whip It
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How's Drew Barrymore's directorial debut? Well, some critics say it's a bit slow and predictable. However, all agree that despite its faults, the rollerderby film is "unreasonably entertaining" and more intelligent and empowering than most films marketed to women.
Critics Have Violently Different Views Of Jennifer's Body
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Reviewers are divided on whether Jennifer's Body is a clever satire of friendships between teen girls or like a "thing a cat might bury in a litter box and still keep building the covering because the stench can't be smothered."
The September Issue Reveals Wintour's Not That Devilish, Prefers To…
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While there's plenty of eye rolling and passive-aggressive banter in The September Issue, critics say Anna Wintour doesn't live up to her bitchy reputation. Either she's actually just a decisive boss, or she knew not to berate underlings on camera.
Basterds Is Glorious, Entertaining (If You Don't Mind Rewritten History)
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Fans of Quentin Tarantino say Inglourious Basterds is his best film since Pulp Fiction and the most creative World War II movie ever. But other critics are disappointed that (like many Tarantino films) it's just a pointless, bloody revenge fantasy.