http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/ A discerning list of 2009’s best DVD releases Year-end “best-of” lists give me the jitters. Yes, I know: poor Phil. It’s true, though. Ranking 12 months’ worth of DVD releases is an overwhelming task. Worse still is the mad rush to watch as many as possible as the year fades in an effort to catch an overlooked title. The stacks of unwatched screeners that skyscraper over my desk only compound the nerves.]]> Magnolia, 2009, Rated R Australia immediately stirs the imagination. Outback regions populated by Aborigines and exotic animals. Free spirits devoted to surf and sand. Apocalyptic, anti-authoritarian warriors tearing up the landscape with hellcars.]]> Shout Factory, 1986-1990, Not Rated There are many reasons why you might not have heard of this fine sitcom. It initially ran on Showtime, before pay cable was a hip destination for original programming. A broadcast outlet picked it up, but FOX was only two years into its existence and audiences were still finding out about the “fourth network.”]]> Paramount, 1981-82, Not Rated Every now and then, some entertainment publication tries to come up with a list of the funniest sitcom episodes of all time. There are a lot of great choices to be sure. “Soup Nazi” (Seinfeld), “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” (Friends) “Turkey’s Away” (WKRP in Cincinnati), the list really could go on and on...]]> Sony, 2009, Rated R James Toback’s documentary should be subtitled Mike on Mike: It’s 90 minutes of a recently interviewed Tyson speaking directly to the camera — a single-minded perspective that proves both frustrating and fascinatingly intimate. Rambling, emotional and often surprisingly articulate, Tyson ruminates on everything from his troubled childhood and meteoric rise as a boxer.]]> Magnolia, 2008, Rated R In a distant future, competing corporations have divided the Earth, turning it into a non-stop war-field of nationalistic, Orwellian proportions. Battles rage across the globe, and during one particularly brutal frontline assault, an ancient, dormant race of mindless killer mutants is unknowingly unleashed from a prison deep within the planet’s bowels.]]> A discerning list of 2009’s best DVD releases Year-end “best-of” lists give me the jitters. Yes, I know: poor Phil. It’s true, though. Ranking 12 months’ worth of DVD releases is an overwhelming task. Worse still is the mad rush to watch as many as possible as the year fades in an effort to catch an overlooked title. The stacks of unwatched screeners that skyscraper over my desk only compound the nerves.]]> Right-wing pundits are going nuts over Avatar's 'anti-American' sentiments While conservative political pundits pile on 'Avatar,' one can't help wondering whether the right has finally tired of attacking President Obama and his administration. But they're wrong: The public clearly prefers to see a movie where the revolutionaries throw out the SOBs in power than one where the SOBs in power brutally crush the rebels. It's also why so many of us despise the New York Yankees.]]> Romantic melodrama piles on the schmaltz Lasse Hallstrom's adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel 'Dear John' places his usual relationship melodrama against the topical backdrop of wartime service. Sparks' stories are known for sentimental and soap-lite scripting, but Hallstrom's marks the first time that, as a critic, I came to understand the pejorative meaning of "chick flick." Grade: D-. ]]> A peek at the sincerity beneath absurdity in Manhattan's art world Adam Goldberg embodies Adrian Jacobs, a pretentious avant-garde composer and leader of an experimental musical trio called New Sound Ensemble, in Jonathan Parker's send up of Manhattan's art world. In showing the sincerity beneath the absurdity of the experimental art world, Parker gives a window of empathy for the brittle characters on display. Grade: B.]]> When the snow cleared at Sundance, the documentaries were way ahead of the fiction films As the films in the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Dramatic Competition category — the centerpiece for potential discoveries — started to roll, it was easy to wonder if it was all worth it. Thank heavens for the documentaries, which again provided the brilliance so often missing from the fiction features.]]> Romantic comedy is inept and mundane The severity of this grade is by no means an attempt to leave a searing scarlet brand marking it as the worst film ever made, but it does signify that the filmmakers committed the unforgivable sin of taking a premise that could be magical and rendering it in the most inept and mundane fashion. Grade: F.]]> Nicolas Cage deliriously over the top as drug-addled homicide detective German wild-man Werner Herzog blissfully resurrects old-school Nicolas Cage in this hilarious, noir-infested tale about a drug-addled homicide detective whose disintegration (both moral and physical) coincides with that of his hurricane-ravaged hometown. Cage hasn't been this deliriously over the top since 'Wild at Heart.' Grade: A-.]]> Jackie Chan can't save this 'Spy Kids' knockoff Jackie Chan has been scaling back his headlong rush into the action-oriented abyss, mixing his slap-sticky martial arts mania with misdirection based on his bumbling and mangling of the English language. His pairings with various comic performers (Chris Tucker and Owen Wilson) have rendered him a box-office draw of some note, but now he's preparing to go it alone in the family friendly market. Grade: D.]]> Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson takes a step back in lightweight kid-friendly flick Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continues to mine the kid-friendly project pool with this lightweight pitch about an arrogant aging hockey star, busted into the ranks of the tooth fairies (since Santa's been abused, it would seem the Easter Bunny might be next). Grade: D-.]]> Post-apocalyptic action thriller has nothing substantive to say The angel Michael (Paul Bettany) defies an order from God and comes to the defense of humanity as the rest of the angels prepare to make Earth a vacation getaway. Following a bit too closely on the heels of 'The Book of Eli,' this potential franchise smacks of 'The Prophecy' in that it has nothing substantive to say about faith, hope or humanity (or the trendy fascination with the post-apocalyptic landscape). Grade: D.]]> PBS documentary 'Orange Revolution' arrives on the fifth anniversary of Ukraine election protests It was a story that made headlines in the International sections of U.S. newspapers and occupied a nearly three-week slot in the 24-hour cable news cycle, but few Americans took notice of the actual events in Ukraine back in 2004 as that country's presidential elections took a decidedly undemocratic turn. The resulting peaceful revolution is is the subject of a fascinating and timely documentary by veteran filmmaker Steve York, airing Sunday night on public television.]]> A discerning list of 2009’s best DVD releases Year-end “best-of” lists give me the jitters. Yes, I know: poor Phil. It’s true, though. Ranking 12 months’ worth of DVD releases is an overwhelming task. Worse still is the mad rush to watch as many as possible as the year fades in an effort to catch an overlooked title. The stacks of unwatched screeners that skyscraper over my desk only compound the nerves.]]> Magnolia, 2009, Rated R Australia immediately stirs the imagination. Outback regions populated by Aborigines and exotic animals. Free spirits devoted to surf and sand. Apocalyptic, anti-authoritarian warriors tearing up the landscape with hellcars.]]> Shout Factory, 1986-1990, Not Rated There are many reasons why you might not have heard of this fine sitcom. It initially ran on Showtime, before pay cable was a hip destination for original programming. A broadcast outlet picked it up, but FOX was only two years into its existence and audiences were still finding out about the “fourth network.”]]> Paramount, 1981-82, Not Rated Every now and then, some entertainment publication tries to come up with a list of the funniest sitcom episodes of all time. There are a lot of great choices to be sure. “Soup Nazi” (Seinfeld), “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” (Friends) “Turkey’s Away” (WKRP in Cincinnati), the list really could go on and on...]]> Sony, 2009, Rated R James Toback’s documentary should be subtitled Mike on Mike: It’s 90 minutes of a recently interviewed Tyson speaking directly to the camera — a single-minded perspective that proves both frustrating and fascinatingly intimate. Rambling, emotional and often surprisingly articulate, Tyson ruminates on everything from his troubled childhood and meteoric rise as a boxer.]]> Magnolia, 2008, Rated R In a distant future, competing corporations have divided the Earth, turning it into a non-stop war-field of nationalistic, Orwellian proportions. Battles rage across the globe, and during one particularly brutal frontline assault, an ancient, dormant race of mindless killer mutants is unknowingly unleashed from a prison deep within the planet’s bowels.]]> Warner, 2009, Not Rated At first glance it’s easy to dismiss The Big Bang Theory. Some might have no time for what appears to be clichéd aspects of geekdom. Indeed, there’s lots of video game playing, comic book collecting and Star Trek references to be had here.]]> Koch Lorber, 1964, Not Rated The career of French auteur Jean-Luc Godard can be viewed in stages: a celebrated debut with the Nouvelle Vague; a controversial, confrontational, Maoist phase; and an uncompromising, artistically vibrant period that runs into the present and finds the onetime enfant terrible of the press working far from the spotlight.]]> When the snow cleared at Sundance, the documentaries were way ahead of the fiction films As the films in the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Dramatic Competition category — the centerpiece for potential discoveries — started to roll, it was easy to wonder if it was all worth it. Thank heavens for the documentaries, which again provided the brilliance so often missing from the fiction features.]]> Apocalyptic story more interested in shooting guns than character development Falling on the heels of 'The Road,' here is a similarly themed vision of a post-apocalyptic dystopia where cannibals and criminals make up what's left of the human species. Survivalist extraordinaire Eli (Denzel Washington) is a loner badass with a Bible, and if that isn't good enough for an audience to empathize with, then the exit doors are located at the front and rear of the cinema. Grade: C.]]> Lame sequel picks up where the first installment left off This sequel to the update of the singing cartoon chipsters picks up right where the first installment left off — with Alvin and the boys smart-alecking their way through the new millennium (and apparently into school) until they meet their match: the Beyonce-inspired Chipettes. David Cross returns as the shady manager, while Jason Lee mostly sits out, which allows him to squeak by with a modicum of dignity. Grade: D.]]> Bestselling novel becomes 14-year-old girl's surreal dreamscape Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) narrates the story of ... what exactly? She tells us almost from the start that she died at 14 years old. And it's not simply that she died; she was murdered by a neighbor (Stanley Tucci), an evil serial molester, all the more sinister in skewed feverish angles. Unfortunately, Peter Jackson ('The Lord of the Rings' trilogy) just isn't in tune with the magic of female adolescence (and early teenage male longing) in the 1970s. Grade: B-.]]> Jackie Chan can't save this 'Spy Kids' knockoff Jackie Chan has been scaling back his headlong rush into the action-oriented abyss, mixing his slap-sticky martial arts mania with misdirection based on his bumbling and mangling of the English language. His pairings with various comic performers (Chris Tucker and Owen Wilson) have rendered him a box-office draw of some note, but now he's preparing to go it alone in the family friendly market. Grade: D.]]> Blood is a commodity in latest vampire flick Sibling Australian filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig flip Hollywood's teen-friendly vampire trend on its head with 'Daybreakers,' a gory sci-fi world run by a majority population of bloodsuckers. Its greatest achievement could be that it keeps Generation X poster-boy Ethan Hawke in an action setting where his modulated style gets more traction than two Nicolas Cages put together. Grade: B-.]]> Gibson a bit rusty is his return to the big screen Acting in his first film since 2003, Mel Gibson is a bit rusty as retiring Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven in a part corporate thriller, part old-school revenge fantasy that feels dated from the start. Despite its formulaic storyline, insincere subplots and a wobbly performance from Gibson, quick pacing works to the film's advantage. Grade: C-.]]> Michael Cera-led comedy is a fresh breeze of youthful rebellion Director Miguel Arteta adapts C.D. Payne's 1993 novel to predictably comic, if not full-blown, outrageous effect. Michael Cera is well cast as Nick Twisp, the precocious lust-driven teenage son of separated low-life parents. He might not be Holden Caulfield, but in this day and age Nick represents a fresh breeze of youthful rebellion. Grade: B.]]> True-life sports story aided by light touch The true story of Baltimore Ravens rookie Michael Oher (played by newcomer Quinton Aaron) gets the big-screen treatment from writer/director John Lee Hancock ('The Rookie'), who at this stage appears to be the only filmmaker in Hollywood who understands that in real-life dramas about athletics sometimes there is no big game moment that changes lives forever. Grade: B.]]> Diary of a sad black woman is a powerful, gritty urban fairy tale Do you need to know Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe) or an inner city girl (read: a young black teenager) like her? Does it matter how "real" she is, both as a character and an embodiment of a socio-cultural dynamic that we haven't been able to overcome? No, this film allows Precious to speak for herself, and we would be wise to simply try our best to listen to her tale. Grade: A.]]> Sweet story pays homage to past sci-fi icons Many of the comparisons that will be made about this animated tale will focus primarily on the space-age science-fiction variety because it's packed to the gills with references to everything from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' to 'Wall-E' and 'Star Wars.' But at its rather sweet core, 'Planet 51,' despite all of the who's-an-alien jokes being bandied about, the most appropriate and loving homage in the movie is toward the 'Back to the Future' series. Grade: C plus.]]> Latest in emo-laden vampire series is cheesy and incoherent The unexpected box-office success of Catherine Hardwicke’s first installment led to the quick green light of the second of Stephanie Meyer’s source novels, New Moon. Ironically, the latest movie flips the formula of the first: Its elaborate special effects, seamlessly guided by new director Chris Weitz, trump its inert, often incoherent story. Grade: C.]]> Disney's latest is a brisk, entertaining tale Disney seeks to right a social wrong by adding an African-American princess to its hallowed galley of snow white maidens. Anika Noni Rose gives voice to Tiana, a New Orleans girl with dreams of openin]]> Jim Sheridan's affectingly-acted drama is well-meaning but tonally disjointed Jim Sheridan reworks Danish director Susanne Bier’s Brodre in the prescient story of a U.S. Marine captain (Tobey Maguire) who, once thought killed in Afghanistan, returns home to discover his b]]> Medical drama too predictable for its own good Director Tom Vaughan ('What Happens in Vegas') grinds his way through a script that does nothing but occupy 105 minutes of your life and leave you feeling vaguely more uplifted afterwards. Turn on the Oxygen or Lifetime cable channels any weeknight evening and you can achieve the same result without leaving your couch. Grade: D-plus.]]> Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela in Eastwood's newest film Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood's 'Invictus' could mistakenly be considered the story of Nelson Mandela's first days as president of South Africa. It's not that story at all. In typical Eastwood fashion, he has produced and directed something more basic and elemental than that because the film is nothing more than a bare recounting of a country and its first inspired steps toward unification. Grade: B plus.]]> Roland Emmerich's latest diaster flick is a diaster What has technology unleashed on us now? At one time, filmmakers were content to tease audiences with catastrophic events like the sinking of an ocean liner or a blazing high-rise. Now Roland Emmerich, the doomsayer to end all doomsayers, gives us the end of the world, using the Mayan calendar as his compass. Grade: F.]]> Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson takes a step back in lightweight kid-friendly flick Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continues to mine the kid-friendly project pool with this lightweight pitch about an arrogant aging hockey star, busted into the ranks of the tooth fairies (since Santa's been abused, it would seem the Easter Bunny might be next). Grade: D-.]]> John Travolta and Robin Williams wallow in the mud It could be argued, I suppose, that the dog reference in the title of John Travolta's latest mindless mainstream movie stands in higher regard than the pigs in 'Wild Hogs,' yet another abysmally bad broad comedy the dancing fool attached himself to recently. But even old dogs would have known to stay away from this piece of crap. Grade: F.]]> Clooney and co. shine in Jason Reitman's entertaining drama Don't over-think this one, folks. As awards season kicks into high gear, commentators of all stripes are going to talk about 'Up in the Air' in terms of its zeitgeist relevance, its timely attention to economic instability and the corporations that feast on the carrion of the down-sized and dispossessed. And in so doing, they will overlook how simply satisfying it is as a piece of filmmaking. Grade: A-.]]> Alec Baldwin charms in Nancy Meyers' latest romantic comedy One could spend much time on the shortcomings of It’s Complicated, writer/director Nancy Meyers’ (Something’s Gotta Give) latest romantic comedy about the love lives of the middle-aged and wealthy. (This time the setting is Santa Barbara.) Its tone is out of synch with our recessionary times. Grade: B]]> Well-crafted period romance features a disarming Emily Blunt The secret to any period romance drama lies in making it seem effortless. Without emitting so much as a sigh, Emily Blunt owns the role of Britain’s young Queen Victoria. Looking suspiciously like Orlando Bloom’s evil (and more compelling) twin, Rupert Friend eventually hits his stride in the supporting part as Prince Albert, the love of Victoria’s life. Grade: B]]> Colin Firth anchors Tom Ford's impressive filmmaking debut Tom Ford arrives on the filmmaking scene fully formed, no doubt the product of a man who has been cultivating and manipulating images for nearly two decades as a bigwig fashion designer. His adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel benefits from strong performances, evocative, detail-rich production design and an effectively melancholy mood that only occasionally drifts into slick stylization. Grade: A-.]]> Children's book gets the 3-D treatment The onslaught of animated features taking advantage of the latest 3-D technology is in full swing, and Sony's animated production arm looks ready to join the cast of the usual suspects. Adapted from the children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, this film feels like the kind of meal the whole family can enjoy without too much consideration for the high junk factor because it goes down quick and easy. Grade: B-.]]> Vince Vaughn can't save this directionless comedy If ever there was need for an example of the whole not adding up to the sum of its parts, then let 'Couples Retreat' hereby stand as Exhibit A. The movie assembles four couples in relationships in various stages of duress and quickly trots them off to an island paradise where all of their problems will be solved — not before they go out of their ways to make things much worse, of course. Grade: D.]]> Amazing to look at but painful to listen to As Michael Bay has proved over and over again, writing bigger and bigger checks doesn't automatically make a director a better judge of a script. The story that matters — the only story that should matter — is what's on the screen. James Cameron puts a hell of a lot on the screen in 'Avatar,' but he still has to contend with something he can't finance his way out of: his own limitations as a writer. Grade: C plus. ]]> Spike Jonze delivers a melancholy adaptation of a classic children’s book To say that Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are' sometimes plays like a wrenchingly melancholy, Bergman-esque domestic drama isn't much help to people who want to know if children will like it.]]> Romantic comedy bearable via the reliably perky Amy Adams Amy Adams has cornered the market on adorably cute and feisty young women seeking either the perfect guy or the recipe to change their lives. Here she's in the solid and rather capable hands of romantic partner Matthew Goode (he benefits from her firm grasps as well) as they swing through the familiar highs and lows of a meet-cute couple forced to travel together for a rendezvous with a third wheel (Adam Scott). Grade: C-.]]> Jackie Chan can't save this 'Spy Kids' knockoff Jackie Chan has been scaling back his headlong rush into the action-oriented abyss, mixing his slap-sticky martial arts mania with misdirection based on his bumbling and mangling of the English language. His pairings with various comic performers (Chris Tucker and Owen Wilson) have rendered him a box-office draw of some note, but now he's preparing to go it alone in the family friendly market. Grade: D.]]> Jeff Bridges' portrayal of broken-down Country singer a tour de force Jeff Bridges has been steadily rolling on screen for so long that it's easy to overlook him or simply forget the numerous stops along the way. But he's back again, and his portrayal of Country singer-songwriter Bad Blake in rookie director Scott Cooper's 'Crazy Heart' is poised to be his destination of distinction. Grade: B-plus.]]> Joel and Ethan Coen mine their childhood in 'A Serious Man' Joel and Ethan Coen occupy a unique place in American movies: They essentially make what they want, when they want and (usually) with whom they want. None of their 14 films suffer from a lack of distinction, yet the latest, 'A Serious Man,' feels like a departure and is their most overtly personal film to date.]]> Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law try on a historical bromance Bromance is alive and well in Guy Ritchie's rather popular adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr. trades quips and quibbles with an astute and reliable Jude Law as Dr. Watson, so there are levels of intrigue beyond the shiny surface. Grade: B-.]]> Rob Marshall offers up a helter-skelter film adaptation of Tony winner Academy Award-wining director Rob Marshall unfortunately succumbs here to the influences of the cut-and-paste aesthetic of music videos. The show tunes are wannabe 'VH1 Countdown' hits, all style and flash rendered with a sure hand, offering little to truly deepen the emotional arc of individual characters or the story as a whole. With a lead performer like Daniel Day-Lewis, we expect the feral magnetic intensity of Bill the Butcher or Daniel Plainview, but it's not to be. Grade: B.]]> Post-apocalyptic action thriller has nothing substantive to say The angel Michael (Paul Bettany) defies an order from God and comes to the defense of humanity as the rest of the angels prepare to make Earth a vacation getaway. Following a bit too closely on the heels of 'The Book of Eli,' this potential franchise smacks of 'The Prophecy' in that it has nothing substantive to say about faith, hope or humanity (or the trendy fascination with the post-apocalyptic landscape). Grade: D.]]> Terry Gilliam takes us on a surprising, delightful journey For the first time in a decade, Terry Gilliam has made a film that delivers on his reputation as a master of cinematic fantasy. While he hasn't made a flawless film, Gilliam manages to preserve the memory of Heath Ledger (appearing here in his final screen performance) in an appropriate and inspired way. Grade: B.]]> Romantic comedy is inept and mundane The severity of this grade is by no means an attempt to leave a searing scarlet brand marking it as the worst film ever made, but it does signify that the filmmakers committed the unforgivable sin of taking a premise that could be magical and rendering it in the most inept and mundane fashion. Grade: F.]]> A peek at the sincerity beneath absurdity in Manhattan's art world Adam Goldberg embodies Adrian Jacobs, a pretentious avant-garde composer and leader of an experimental musical trio called New Sound Ensemble, in Jonathan Parker's send up of Manhattan's art world. In showing the sincerity beneath the absurdity of the experimental art world, Parker gives a window of empathy for the brittle characters on display. Grade: B.]]> Nicolas Cage deliriously over the top as drug-addled homicide detective German wild-man Werner Herzog blissfully resurrects old-school Nicolas Cage in this hilarious, noir-infested tale about a drug-addled homicide detective whose disintegration (both moral and physical) coincides with that of his hurricane-ravaged hometown. Cage hasn't been this deliriously over the top since 'Wild at Heart.' Grade: A-.]]> Romantic melodrama piles on the schmaltz Lasse Hallstrom's adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel 'Dear John' places his usual relationship melodrama against the topical backdrop of wartime service. Sparks' stories are known for sentimental and soap-lite scripting, but Hallstrom's marks the first time that, as a critic, I came to understand the pejorative meaning of "chick flick." Grade: D-. ]]>