Like Us
Follow Us
| 1. |
"Safe Haven" offers no protection from Sparks' clichés An astute audience member paying attention during the opening credits of "Safe Haven" will notice the film is the first product from Nicholas Sparks Productions. Yes, it seems Sparks has turned his brand of weepy predictable romantic drama into a certified business, and that's exactly what "Safe Haven" feels like: business. |
| 2. |
"Quartet," "Stand Up Guys" put spotlight on our on-screen elders If "The Last Stand," "Bullet to the Head," "A Good Day to Die Hard" and "Amour" weren't enough to convince you that 2013 is the the year of the geriatric, "Quartet" and "Stand Up Guys" are also out to show Hollywood's elders greying with grace. Well, at least one of them does. |
| 3. |
"Identity Thief" steals overqualified cast's time (and the audience's) "Identity Thief" is ugly because of the way it treats its characters, its cast and, by the film's end, its audience. When it's not ugly, it's frustrating, and when it's not frustrating, it's merely dull. The new comedy is a lot of things; funny is unfortunately not one of them. |
| 4. |
Stallone's "Bullet to the Head" a shot of '80s adrenaline "Bullet to the Head," the latest '80s-style action film hoping to serve as a potential career rejuvenator for its aging star, isn't the kind of movie that I would technically classify as good. The direction is a little sloppy, the acting is, um, competent and the plot and script are best left undiscussed. That being said, it's also the most fun I've had at the theater so far in 2013. |
| 5. |
Charming cast gives "Warm Bodies" a pulse We've used zombies as shotgun fodder in hundreds of video games, watched them in television shows, dressed up like them for Halloween and dreamed up zombie survival plans in case the day comes when there's no more room in hell. Now, "Warm Bodies" wants us to do something new: fall in love with the shuffling man-eaters. |
| 6. |
"Movie 43" is just plain wrong ... and not in a good way Comedy is all just a matter of personal preference. That being said, it would be my personal preference for "Movie 43" to be buried at the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again by human eyes. |
| 7. |
Lead performances find the soul in wearying "Rust and Bone" French director Jacques Audiard presents a hard, rough tale, beautifully shot and guided by two captivating lead performances, but there's something missing. I don't want to use the dreaded p-word, but it's unfortunately the one that fits "Rust and Bone" best: pretentious. |
| 8. |
"Broken City" delivers decent but derivative detective drama Have you ever seen "Chinatown?" Because "Broken City," a hard-edged detective drama starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe, is pretty much "Chinatown," albeit moved into modern times and across the nation to New York City. |
| 9. |
Milwaukee Film Festival announces 2013 dates The fifth annual Milwaukee Film Festival will take place Sept. 26-Oct. 10, 2013, it was announced today. |
| 10. |
Sleazy "Hyde Park on Hudson" shows some secrets should be kept FDR stands for Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Well color me shocked, because throughout "Hyde Park on Hudson," Roger Michell's sleazy piece of Oscar bait, I would've sworn it stood for filthy, dirty and rotten. And that's just the way the film portrays the 32nd President. The movie itself is pretty ugly in its own right. |
| 11. |
"Zero Dark Thirty" a dark journey into America's soul There are plenty of questions that haunt Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty." They haunt the audience well after the end credits have run and the popcorn has been thrown out. They also make the terrific procedural one of the most thrilling and thought-provoking films of the year. |
| 12. |
"Gangster Squad" takes sensationalized aim at gangland nostalgia Classic gangsters loved a good embarrassment of riches. And for a movie like "Gangster Squad," showing off is fine. But, when the swanky style of the era meets the stylized swank of the movie's own excesses, things get out of hand. |
| 13. |
Encore showings of "Honor Flight" offered at Marcus Theatres A lot of us couldn't make the Aug. 11 premiere of "Honor Flight" at Miller Park, or were too busy around the holidays to catch the viewings offered by Marcus Theatres on Pearl Harbor Day in December. Luckily, we're getting another chance. This month, Marcus Theatres will show the emotional documentary at eight Wisconsin locations. |
| 14. |
Anti-fracking drama "Promised Land" fumbles at the finish There is a twist near the end of "Promised Land," the Matt Damon-led anti-fracking drama. I won't spoil it here, but it's dumb and preachy, a bad combination. It's quite a shame because before that audience-insulting turn of events, "Promised Land" is a modest, pleasant film about modest, small-town life. |
| 15. |
"Texas Chainsaw 3D" a dull blade Less than a week ago, I made some film-related resolutions, one of which was to see a good horror movie. It didn't take long - four days to be exact - for Hollywood to attempt to reinvigorate my love for horror flicks with "Texas Chainsaw 3D." Too bad that the sequel did the complete opposite. |
| 16. |
Matt's picks for the best (and worst) movies of 2012 2012 was a great year for movies, but then again, I'd argue every year is a great year for movies. Chicago critic Richard Roeper once said saying there are no good films out is like saying there are no good books in a bookstore. Of course there are; you just need to look around sometimes. Thus, let's take one final look at the best movies 2012 had to offer. |
| 17. |
"Chasing Ice" a chilling case for climate change Haven't we seen "Chasing Ice" before? Why yes, in fact, we have. It came out six years ago, back when it was called "An Inconvenient Truth." Surprisingly, while Al Gore's landmark movie won Oscars and established the modern enviro-doc template, it's "Chasing Ice" that presents the more compelling and cinematic argument. |
| 18. |
"Les Miserables" makes for a miserable movie Merry Christmas, "Les Miz" lovers - I'm about to hate all over your musical. |
| 19. |
"Django Unchained" is off the hook Well, it took director Quentin Tarantino 20 years, but he finally got his Western ... kinda. Although it's fair to say he's been preparing his entire career with his raucously bloody shoot-'em-ups, Tarantino's time warming up has been well spent if "Django Unchained" is the final result |
| 20. |
Fan-pleasing trapezing abounds in "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away" "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away" would've been better off just selling itself as a greatest hits collection instead of incorporating a story that's like trying to put together a puzzle whose pieces are slowly melting into a pile of mush. That being said, it is a pretty impressive pile of mush. |
| 21. |
"Jack Reacher" an uneasy but entertaining mix Those walking into "Jack Reacher" with little knowledge of author Lee Child's popular book series are probably asking themselves "Who is Jack Reacher?" Moviegoers walking out of Tom Cruise's latest action romp, on the other hand, are probably asking themselves "What is `Jack Reacher'?" Because after 130 minutes, it's hard to walk out of the theater knowing what kind of movie "Jack Reacher" intends to be. |
| 22. |
"This is 40" is a movie in mid-life crisis Unlike most middle-aged men, Judd Apatow can afford a whole garage of Camaros and Mustangs. So, it makes sense that his mid-life crisis would manifest not with a youthful car buy, but by splurging on the production of a new movie. |
| 23. |
"The Guilt Trip" nothing to feel bad about The best road trip movies seat viewers with characters we're happy to spend time with, eager to see them grow and evolve by journey's end. On the other hand, the bad ones give us companions we'd rather run over with a car than share a ride in one. "The Guilt Trip" pleasantly falls somewhere in middle of those two extremes |
| 24. |
One hour service windows for cable customers? Time Warner Cable customers in Wisconsin, the company says, should now enjoy some of the shortest waits in the home service and delivery industry. One hour service for everyone! Have you tried it? Is it true?
Tagged with: Time Warner Cable cable guy service installation one hour service call cable U Verse TWC
|
| 25. |
10 movie winners (and five big losers) of 2012 Well, another year of movies is (almost) in the books. Full of many memorable ups and seared-in-my-brain-forever downs, here's my take on the best (and worst) of 2012. |
Everything New
"A Time to Live"
Le Cakery
Biography comic books
Firehouse could win $25k
A big issue for patrons
Lil Wayne's gaffe
All-Star break evaluation
Wash. Park gets $200k
Cullen Run has heart
Feb. 15-17
Center Court
Local hotel owners star
Il Mito East Opens Monday
"Safe Haven"
Milwaukee couples
Pokemon TV app
Work sucks
Name a new park
Daddy/daugher dance
Hilton waterpark to close
MKE makes another list
Finding the zone is hard
Design the "Jazz" T-shirt
Gerard Neugent talks race
What's your pleasure?
Shuffleboard is fun
Wake Owl
New Kids On the Block
Five anti-love films
