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Millennium Park free summer film series begins June 18
May 23, 2013
Remember when there were free movies shown in Grant Park each summer? Remember how bummed you were when that series went away?
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'Frances Ha' review: A knowing salute to the understudies
May 23, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Fast and Furious 6' review: Less than neutral
May 23, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'About Sunny' review: Where's the money, blue-collar America?
May 23, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Frances Ha' star Greta Gerwig
May 22, 2013
Yes, the title character of “Frances Ha” is a New York woman in her 20s struggling with her professional life and the romantic and platonic tiers of her personal life. Still, don’t ask Greta Gerwig, who plays Frances and co-wrote the film with director and Gerwig’s reported boyfriend Noah Baumbach (“Greenberg”), how Frances would interact with the girls on “Girls.” She doesn’t see an overlap.
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'The Hangover: Part III' review: One final, funny howl
May 22, 2013
*** (out of four)
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Q&A: 'The Hangover: Part III' star Justin Bartha
May 21, 2013
In “The Hangover: Part III,” Justin Bartha’s Doug isn’t just lost or sidelined while his pals and brother-in-law deal with constant mayhem. He’s kidnapped and an organized crime boss threatens his life.
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'Black Rock' review: Dishonorable discharge
May 16, 2013
** (out of four)
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'The Iceman' review: More about the trigger than the finger
May 16, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's' review: An American nightmare
May 16, 2013
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Stories We Tell' review: Bring the folks, the kids, the siblings, whomever
May 16, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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Interview: Sarah Polley on 'Stories We Tell,' Justin Bieber's mistreatment
May 15, 2013
Sarah Polley's fascinating documentary “Stories We Tell,” opening Friday, offers many storylines worth discussing. The actress/filmmaker, who uses the movie to pursue the real identity of her father and the truth about her late mother's life, easily has the brains to put her mouth where her money is. Yet our interview at the Hotel Palomar comes to new and unexpected life at the mention of one of Polley's countrymen: Justin Bieber.
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Q&A: 'Black Rock' star/director Katie Aselton
May 15, 2013
As Jenny on FX’s “The League,” Katie Aselton frequently engages in the foul-mouthed, trash-talking fantasy football obsession more commonly associated with the other, hairier half of humanity.
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'Star Trek Into Darkness' review: What's Klingon for 'awesome'?
May 14, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' star Zachary Quinto
May 13, 2013
Capt. Kirk and his first officer, Spock, probably wouldn’t belt out Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” aboard the starship Enterprise.
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'In the House' review: French dramedy turns life into personal, vicarious soap opera
May 9, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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'The Great Gatsby' review: Underwhelming state of mind
May 9, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Love is All You Need' review: Refers to facts not in evidence
May 9, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Peeples' review: Nothing risked, nothing gained
May 9, 2013
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: Chicago native Craig Robinson of 'Peeples'
May 7, 2013
Apropos of nothing, Craig Robinson is singing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.”
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'Iron Man 3' review: A clanging approximation of fun
May 2, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' review: Flawed but more compelling than it sounds
May 2, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'At Any Price' review: Moving family truths, planted and grown
May 2, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Aroused' review: Mildly interesting questions for the people behind the porn
May 2, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: Kate Hudson, Riz Ahmed of 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'
May 1, 2013
In the political drama "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," Changez (Riz Ahmed) transitions from a financial hotshot in 2001 New York to a man suspected of being a terrorist in 2011 Lahore, Pakistan. Kate Hudson plays Erica, an artist who offers Changez a (romantic) respite from an America that continually closes in around him.
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Q&A: Kayden Kross of 'Aroused'
April 30, 2013
Pitbull, a Billboard Top 20 artist and a spokesperson for Bud Light, can include a song called “Everybody F***s” on an album without incident. Yet visual evidence of that asterisk-altered title often inspires giggles, judgment and scorn.
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'Arthur Newman' review: This is not reality
April 25, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Mud' review: Take dirt, add tears
April 25, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'The Big Wedding' review: These aren't tears of joy
April 25, 2013
0.5 stars (out of four)
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'Blancanieves' review: A fairy tale re-do that does it right
April 25, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Pain and Gain' review: The juiced-up, cruelly entertaining American dream
April 25, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Not Fade Away' star John Magaro
April 23, 2013
One of 2012's best movies came and went without a shred of the attention it deserves, and it’s not as if the film's some obscure, subtitled documentary only a niche audience would see anyway.
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Q&A: 'Pain and Gain' star Anthony Mackie
April 22, 2013
If you played a bodybuilder whose steroid use caused size and performance issues in the downstairs region, you'd expect people to ask about that. But still.
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'Antiviral' review: Mostly just strange
April 18, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'To the Wonder' review: Not a Buzz Lightyear catchphrase
April 18, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Oblivion' review: Pretty and pretty familiar
April 18, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Scary Movie V' review: Is that a 5? This series doesn't use Roman numerals
April 12, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Welcome to the Punch' review: A weak imitation of the average
April 11, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Upstream Color' review: Pretentious hogwash--sometimes literally
April 11, 2013
* (out of four)
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'The Company You Keep' review: Judged by its content more than its cast
April 11, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Trance' review: More busy than fun
April 11, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Disconnect' review: Dated details, ever-valid feelings
April 11, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'42' review: Stay for the late innings
April 11, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: '42' star Chadwick Boseman
April 9, 2013
Actors who portray professional baseball players are not themselves professional baseball players. So hitting home runs—or just making contact with the ball—isn’t automatic.
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'Evil Dead' review: Louder and gorier, not better
April 4, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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Roger Ebert: Not just a film critic, the film critic
April 4, 2013
For as long as I can remember following movies, I remember following Roger Ebert.
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'Jurassic Park 3D' review: Hold on to your butts
April 4, 2013
**** (out of four)
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'Room 237' review: A really good movie about a really dense movie
April 4, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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'The Place Beyond the Pines' review: Cooper 1, Gosling 0
April 4, 2013
** (out of four)
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Trailer review: 'Grown Ups 2'
April 3, 2013
A movie can become a franchise easily when its plot basically consists of its stars hanging out and vaguely pretending that a story is being told.
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Q&A: 'Evil Dead' star Jane Levy
April 3, 2013
When Jane Levy told family and friends she'd star (and have a demon inhabit her) in the “Evil Dead” remake, she didn’t emphasize that she’d spend the shoot freezing in just her underwear, vomiting blood on people.
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'The Host' review: Makes Edward and Bella look like Harry and Sally
March 28, 2013
0.5 stars (out of four)
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'Gimme the Loot' review: Unlikable underdogs
March 28, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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13 bizarre beginnings to pop culture in 2013
March 28, 2013
Sometimes the predictable revolving door of lousy pop culture deserves the eye rolls it generates. Unless you totally loved the latest “Die Hard” sequel?
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'From Up on Poppy Hill' review: That was almost a close one
March 28, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Wrong' review: Somewhat funny, totally absurd
March 28, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Everybody Has a Plan' review: The epitome of 'blah'
March 28, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Sapphires' review: Australian for 'Dreamgirls'
March 28, 2013
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'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' review: An attack on comprehension
March 27, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'The Host' stars Max Irons and Jake Abel
March 26, 2013
Because their movie “The Host” comes from “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, Max Irons and Jake Abel have received plenty of questions about Team Edward and Team Jacob.
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Video/Q&A: 'The Sapphires' star Jessica Mauboy
March 26, 2013
Trivia time: Name two “Idol” runners-up who went on to sell boatloads of albums and earn major awards for starring in a film about 1960s female soul singers.
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'Admission' review: Yes, Fey/Rudd can miss
March 21, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Spring Breakers' review: An unforgettable haze
March 21, 2013
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Ginger and Rosa' review: Almost-good is sometimes good enough
March 21, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Croods' review: Ice age, stone age, whatever
March 21, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Olympus Has Fallen' review: Code name: Ridiculous
March 21, 2013
* (out of four)
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'On the Road' review: They don't got the beat
March 21, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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Shailene Woodley cast in 'The Fault in Our Stars'
March 19, 2013
Stardom, thy name is Shailene.
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'Upside Down' review: One of the worst movies I've ever seen
March 14, 2013
Negative five stars (out of four)
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'The Call' review: The waiting is the hardest, scariest part
March 14, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' review: Even less magical than 'Oz the Great and Powerful'
March 14, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Reincarnated' review: Wait, Snoop likes weed?!
March 14, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Dead Man Down' review: As well-constructed as its title
March 8, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey' review: Part doc, mostly crock
March 7, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Oz the Great and Powerful' review: This wand is broken
March 7, 2013
** (out of four)
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'No' review: An Oscar-nominated win for more than just political junkies
March 7, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Somebody Up There Likes Me' review: One of the funnier movies you can shrug off
March 7, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: Illinois native 'Parks and Recreation' star Nick Offerman on 'Somebody Up There Likes Me'
March 4, 2013
On NBC’s fantastic “Parks and Recreation,” Nick Offerman has turned Ron Swanson into such a spectacular, hilarious symbol of contained emotion and old-fashioned, meat-and-potatoes masculinity that it feels necessary to establish that Nick Offerman is not Ron Swanson.
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'The Last Exorcism Part II' review: Much different, much worse
March 1, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'21 and Over' review: Recommended for Seth MacFarlane
February 28, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Sweeney' review: Blunt force cinema
February 28, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Jack the Giant Slayer' review: I miss Buffy
February 28, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Stoker' review: Fear and loving in Connecticut
February 28, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'A Place at the Table' review: Doc tastes good while reflecting an unhealthy society
February 28, 2013
*** (out of four)
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Jennifer Lawrence: the best thing since sliced bread
February 26, 2013
It would be very easy to get infinitely excited about recent Best Actress winner (“Silver Linings Playbook”) Jennifer Lawrence, whom the Internet generally has embraced as a person with whom they could totally be best friends with if they could like only meet and hit it off and stuff.
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The Oscars telecast's rocky road
February 25, 2013
Last night's Oscars were like an emotional roller-coaster at a terrible amusement park--beginning wth Seth MacFarlane's as-bad-as-feared monologue, the show rarely rose above painful and hit few peaks. Allow us to relive some of the night's best and worst moments, not necessarily in that order.
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'Bless Me, Ultima' review: Dios mio
February 21, 2013
½* (out of four)
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'The Gatekeepers' review: Important and incomplete
February 21, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Fourplay' review: Don't look, don't touch, don't anything
February 21, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Snitch' review: Real problem, outrageous solution
February 21, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Future Weather' review: Teetering on the edge of trouble
February 21, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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What to expect from Seth MacFarlane's debut outing as Oscar host
February 20, 2013
A year after Billy Crystal helmed the Oscars for approximately the 40 millionth time, hosting duties fall to “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, who’s directed a grand total of one movie and had a minor role alongside Dwayne Johnson (and Crystal) in “Tooth Fairy.”
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RedEye's 2013 Oscar predictions
February 20, 2013
For context about predictions of major entertainment events, Duff Goldman from “Ace of Cakes” correctly predicted the result of this year’s Super Bowl. NFL experts did not.
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Gene Siskel Film Center to honor Gwyneth Paltrow June 15
February 18, 2013
Quick: Think of someone who's starred in many great films that you wouldn't want to actually hear speak in person.
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'A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III' review: As empty as a Charlie Sheen apology
February 14, 2013
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Beautiful Creatures' review: Full of love, not that pretty
February 13, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Saving Lincoln' review: What were they thinking?!
February 13, 2013
0.5 stars (out of four)
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'A Good Day to Die Hard' review: Yippee-ki-whatever
February 13, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Safe Haven' review: Another Nicholas Sparks adaptation fizzles
February 13, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'John Dies at the End' review: Comes pre-spoiled!
February 7, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Side Effects' review: Soderbergh goes out with his usual style
February 7, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Warm Bodies' review: A nice, caring zom-com
January 31, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Bullet to the Head' review: Bone-headed thugs without harmony
January 31, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Beware of Mr. Baker' review: Bizarre doc captures madness behind the music
January 31, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Stand Up Guys' review: The old man and the Cialis
January 31, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Entourage' movie gets the green light
January 30, 2013
In the style of many, many closing moments of "Entourage" episodes, let us raise a glass/bottle/any container containing an alcoholic beverage: The initially great, then good, then progressively disappointing HBO series has received the official green light for a movie.
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'Quartet' review: The perfectly fine musicians' hotel
January 24, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Luv' review: You're more likely to h8 it
January 17, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'West of Memphis' review: Haunting no matter how much you already know
January 17, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'The Last Stand' review: A tolerably creaky comeback
January 17, 2013
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Broken City' review: Too easily fixed
January 17, 2013
** (out of four)
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'Mama' review: Worse than 'Mamma Mia'
January 17, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Broken City' star/producer Mark Wahlberg and director Allen Hughes
January 16, 2013
In the political thriller “Broken City,” Mark Wahlberg plays an underdog—not exactly something new for the Oscar-nominated actor (“The Departed”) when you recall “Boogie Nights,” “Invincible,” “The Fighter,” “Rock Star” and more.
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Q&A: Chicago-native 'Luv' star Common
January 14, 2013
Yes, Common has played a criminal before. But “Luv,” which offers the South Side native his largest big-screen leading role to date, isn’t exactly “Smokin’ Aces” or “Street Kings.”
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Video/Q&A: Damien Echols of 'West of Memphis'
January 14, 2013
Details of the West Memphis 3 investigation can only be described as ridiculous.
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'A Haunted House' review: 'Paranormal Activity' is funnier
January 11, 2013
* (out of four)
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'Gangster Squad' review: Soft-boiled
January 10, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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Happy face/sad face reaction: 2013 Oscar nominations
January 10, 2013
As always, this morning’s Oscar nominations created a roller coaster of emotion. Shock! Relief! Fury! I should not get so worked up about this.
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'Amour' review: Bien or tres bien?
January 10, 2013
*** (out of four)
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Predictions: Golden Globes 2013--movies
January 8, 2013
No matter who wins or loses Sunday, the 2013 Golden Globes ceremony obviously will be awesome because Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting. Really: That should be enough to make even the most awards show-averse movie/TV fans tune in.
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Video/Q&A: 'A Haunted House' star/co-writer Marlon Wayans
January 7, 2013
Within the first three minutes of our conversation, Marlon Wayans mocks my shoes, imagines an ethnically diverse array of naked women surrounding him, describes the peaceful way to strangle a cow and his plan to delay sitting on the toilet in order to fully savor his breakfast.
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Predictions: 2013 Oscar nominees
January 7, 2013
This Thursday brings my annual morning of being excited and nervous and telling myself I won’t yell at the TV. And then doing it anyway.
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Interview and performance: Boots Riley and the Coup
January 4, 2013
Never before has an interview subject assumed/joked that RedEye was a communist newspaper. Fans of Boots Riley’s veteran, socially conscious hip-hop act The Coup probably won’t be surprised that he mentioned it.
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'Sister' review: The sad tale of a tiny thief
January 3, 2013
*** (out of four)
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'Texas Chainsaw 3D' review: Rusty
January 3, 2013
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Any Day Now' review: Family and law clash with a direct, powerful message
January 3, 2013
*** (out of four)
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Who will be 2013's Channing Tatum?
January 2, 2013
Though he was five years removed from an Oscar nomination, in 2011 Ryan Gosling was everywhere, skyrocketing into A-list territory thanks to "Crazy Stupid Love," "Drive" and "The Ides of March." In 2012 it was Channing Tatum, who scored three hits ("The Vow," "21 Jump Street," "Magic Mike") and delivered the best work of his career in "Mike," a movie that was much better than anyone expected. (Sorry to those who just wanted the film suggested by the ads, which was pretty much two hours of stripping.)
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'Promised Land' review: There will be what exactly?
December 27, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Not Fade Away' review: Great music highlights a great coming-of-age story
December 27, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'Parental Guidance' review: Suggested only as punishment
December 24, 2012
1/2* (out of four)
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'Django Unchained' review: Tarantino could do this all day
December 21, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Impossible' review: Scary and real
December 20, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Jack Reacher' review: Take notes, Tyler Perry
December 20, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Rust and Bone' review: A brilliantly acted imitation of complexity
December 20, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Les Miserables' stars Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks
December 19, 2012
On a recent night in New York, “Les Miserables” stars Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Samantha Barks re-purposed their singing skills for something less epic—karaoke.
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'Les Miserables' review: Excellent whether you're into it or not
December 19, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'This is 40' review: Judd Apatow's best movie yet
December 19, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'The Guilt Trip' review: Could have been worse
December 18, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Zero Dark Thirty' review: The year's superior true-war story
December 18, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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Interview: Marion Cotillard of 'Rust and Bone'
December 17, 2012
Good news, Katy Perry fans: Though Marion Cotillard’s whale trainer character in “Rust and Bone” loses her legs in an accident as Perry’s “Firework” plays, the actress says she’s not too traumatized by the empowerment tune.
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Q&A: 'This is 40' star Leslie Mann and writer/director Judd Apatow
December 17, 2012
Ridiculously, unjustly, few Oscar prognosticators include “This is 40” star Leslie Mann or her husband, writer-director Judd Apatow, on lists of likely nominees. Thing is, Apatow’s a member of the Academy—will he vote for himself?
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'Hyde Park on Hudson' review: Makes 'Lincoln' look like 'Skyfall'
December 13, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' review: Also known as 'A Long Way to Go'
December 13, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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Surprises and snubs from the 2013 Golden Globe nominations
December 13, 2012
I told myself I wouldn’t get worked up over the Golden Globe nominations this morning, but here we go again.
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'Starlet' review: Nekkid grandma! Well, no, but almost
December 6, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Playing For Keeps' review: 'How To Be a Player' would have fit as well
December 6, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Central Park Five' review: Upsetting doc recalls another inconvenient truth
December 6, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Collection' review: Cruel, depressingly usual punishment
November 29, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Wuthering Heights' review: The old feels new
November 29, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Killing Them Softly' review: A crime saga with personality plus
November 29, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Hitchcock' review: The funny, difficult brilliance that made 'Psycho' a scream
November 21, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'The Comedy' review: A billion times better than 'Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie'
November 21, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Life of Pi' review: Survival of the surprisingly clean-shaven
November 20, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Rise of the Guardians' review: Naughty posing as nice
November 20, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Red Dawn' review: No laughing matter
November 20, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Red Dawn' star Josh Peck
November 19, 2012
In reality, “Red Dawn” star Josh Peck says, Twitter would be the No. 1 communication tool during a foreign invasion.
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'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 2' review: The final shrug
November 15, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Anna Karenina' review: Love in the time of the English posing as Russians
November 15, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Silver Linings Playbook' review: A wonderful romantic comedy about mental health?
November 15, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'This Must Be the Place' review: Just your average rock star road trip Holocaust revenge tale
November 15, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 2' co-star Peter Facinelli
November 14, 2012
Now that Bella (Kristen Stewart) has delivered vampire baby Renesmee, Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) is officially a grandfather.
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Chris Tucker interview for 'Silver Linings Playbook'
November 13, 2012
Anyone looking for the loud, boisterous version of Chris Tucker may be disappointed. Asked to tell me a joke, Tucker’s delivery is so understated I react late to the punchline, expecting something juicier than, “I went to a psychic and she wouldn’t give me a reading because she knew I wasn’t going to pay her.”
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'Holy Motors' review: That's how it's done, 'Cloud Atlas'
November 8, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Lincoln' review: Great performance, OK movie
November 8, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Bay' review: H2-oh-[bleep]
November 8, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: Chicago native 'Flight' director Robert Zemeckis
November 1, 2012
Raised in the South Side neighborhood of Roseland, 61-year-old director Robert Zemeckis hasn’t achieved much as a filmmaker.
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'The Details' review: A black-comic look at the definition of 'getting away with it'
November 1, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Loneliest Planet' review: Take this open-ended vacation
November 1, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Flight' review: Stuck in first gear
November 1, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Wreck-It Ralph' review: Disney laps Pixar
November 1, 2012
*** (out of four)
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More 'Star Wars'? The end has no end
October 31, 2012
“Pirates of the Caribbean 47/Johnny Depp stars as the robot pirate who loses his wife in a game of poker and tries to win her back with hilarious consequences.”
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Q&A: Chicago native Nadine Velazquez of 'Flight'
October 31, 2012
Here’s something you may not expect to hear from “Flight” co-star Nadine Velazquez, who’s often included on lists with “hottest” or “sexiest” in the title.
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'Skyfall' review: This Bond's sexy, crazy and cool, with a twist of sadness
October 29, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Chasing Mavericks' review: A Gerard Butler hot streak?
October 25, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Cloud Atlas' review: A historic mess
October 25, 2012
* (out of four)
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'The Sessions' review: Decent Oscar bait--not more, not less
October 25, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Fun Size' review: That's pushing it
October 25, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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Taylor Swift, 'Cloud Atlas' and assumption junction
October 25, 2012
On semi-rare occasions, you absolutely know when something’s going to be good. You judge a book by its cover because you’ve practically already read it. A new Fiona Apple album, good. 3 Doors Down’s greatest hits, bad.
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Q&A: William H. Macy of 'The Sessions'
October 24, 2012
When “The Sessions” co-star William H. Macy came to Chicago in the early 1970s, he briefly worked as a waiter at former Lincoln Park bar Le Pub. He made more money, he says, as a carpenter.
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Video/Q&A: 'Fun Size' star Victoria Justice
October 23, 2012
Victoria Justice recognized the demographic jump she’d be making from her hit Nickelodeon show “Victorious” to the PG-13 rated film “Fun Size.”
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'Smashed' review: Doesn't (and shouldn't) go down smooth
October 18, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Paranormal Activity 4' review: Nothing but leftovers
October 18, 2012
** (out of four)
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'For Ellen' review: To make a short story long ...
October 18, 2012
** (out of four)
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Zero-star 'Alex Cross' review: A thriller that cannot be taken seriously
October 18, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Easy Money' review: Drugs and guns and you get the idea
October 18, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: Paloma Faith
October 17, 2012
In her native England where her new album “Fall to Grace” debuted at number two, Paloma Faith performs to an average of 5,000 people. She recently played for a crowd of 40,000 as part of a BBC radio event, also featuring Emeli Sande and Jessie J.
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Q&A: Chicago-native 'Mr. Sophistication' star Harry Lennix
October 17, 2012
In the excellent new drama “Mr. Sophistication,” veteran comedian/actor Ron Waters (Chicago-native Harry Lennix) is tempted by the notion that fame means he exists on a different level in society.
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Video/Q&A: 'Smashed' star Mary Elizabeth Winstead
October 16, 2012
To bond as married alcoholics for the Sundance hit “Smashed,” co-stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul, appropriately, went out and got drunk.
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'The House I Live In' review: You didn't think the war on drugs was going well, did you?
October 12, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Sinister' review: Lives up to its title
October 11, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Here Comes the Boom' review: Thud
October 11, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Seven Psychopaths' review: Bring your deranged sense of humor
October 11, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Argo' review: Deserves Oscar nominations, not wins
October 11, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Trailer: Lindsay Lohan in 'The Canyons'
October 9, 2012
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'Peanuts' movie coming in 2015
October 9, 2012
Good grief?
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Video/Q&A: 'Argo' star/director Ben Affleck
October 8, 2012
Years after Ben Affleck directed critical and commercial successes “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town,” many stories still peg the director/actor’s latest effort “Argo” as a comeback.
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'V/H/S' review: Turn it off!
October 4, 2012
* (out of four)
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'The Paperboy' review: Just embarrassing
October 4, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'About Cherry' review: Worth a taste
October 4, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Taken 2' review: The year's funniest thriller
October 4, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Frankenweenie' review: Fortunately, it's more 'ParaNorman' than 'Hotel Transylvania'
October 4, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Oranges' review: Juice not included
October 4, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Twilight' news, one piece at a time
October 2, 2012
Stop what you are doing. I have a huge, mind-blowing story for you about a major celebrity. Get this:
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Want to see 'Halloween' on the big screen?
October 2, 2012
After years of watching John Carpenter's horror classic "Halloween," you now have another chance to see the 1978 flick on a screen bigger than your TV.
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Your 2013 Oscar host: Seth MacFarlane
October 1, 2012
Well, that should bring the Oscars some younger eyes.
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'Hotel Transylvania' review: This bat won't fly
September 27, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Pitch Perfect' review: As mean-spirited as failed 'American Idol' auditions
September 27, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Head Games' review: Ouch. And I mean that in a good way.
September 27, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Won't Back Down' review: It's that easy!
September 27, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' review: How sad is sad enough?
September 27, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Looper' writer-director Rian Johnson
September 26, 2012
“I can imagine a young actor having a leading role in this big action movie saying, ‘What do you mean? You’re casting me but you want to change my face?’” says Rian Johnson of his awesome sci-fi thriller “Looper,” for which Joseph Gordon-Levitt endured daily three-hour makeup sessions. “Absolutely zero of that with Joe. That’s actually specifically what he loves, is vanishing on screen.”
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Q&A: 'Looper' star Joseph Gordon-Levitt
September 26, 2012
Joseph Gordon-Levitt may now be starring in the time travel film “Looper,” but the actor has long made giant leaps look easy.
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'House at the End of the Street' review: The location really has nothing to do with it
September 20, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'End of Watch' review: Scary, funny cop drama marks worthy addition to genre
September 20, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Hello I Must Be Going' review: Familiar messes that are somewhat too easily cleaned up
September 20, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Liberal Arts' review: A personal, thoughtful look at (post-) college life from Ted Mosby--I mean, Josh Radnor
September 20, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Dredd' review: Unfortunately, this is not a joke
September 20, 2012
** (out of our)
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'The Master' review (****): An extraordinary brain workout
September 20, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'Trouble with the Curve' review: A solid team effort from Eastwood, Adams and Timberlake
September 20, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'10 Years' review: The night's not a total bust
September 20, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Liberal Arts' star/writer/director Josh Radnor
September 18, 2012
Asked what aspects of his “How I Met Your Mother” character he enjoyed exploring last season, Josh Radnor takes a mulligan. Outside of reconnecting with Victoria (Ashley Williams), Radnor can’t remember what happened to Ted.
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Chicago International Film Festival to honor Joan Allen, Viola Davis, Helen Hunt
September 18, 2012
Congratulations to Joan Allen, Viola Davis and Helen Hunt, who will all attend the Chicago International Film Festival (Oct. 11-25) to accept a Silver Hugo award for "significant achievements and contributions to the arts," the fest announced this morning.
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Video/Q&A: Chicago native 'End of Watch' star Michael Pena
September 17, 2012
Like many people, the L.A. cops “End of Watch” star Michael Pena joined on ride-alongs couldn’t help but get a little excited around his famous co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal.
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'Arbitrage' review: Fails the test of "Is it better than a 'Law and Order' episode?"
September 13, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Why the 'Bachelor Pad' finale was some of the best reality TV I've ever seen
September 12, 2012
Full disclosure: I watched the entire season of “Bachelor Pad” and looked forward to every episode.
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Interview tease: 'Argo' star/director Ben Affleck on Theo joining the Cubs
September 12, 2012
In early October I'll post my full Q&A (and video) with Ben Affleck, who was a great sport yesterday when fielding a wide variety of sometimes ridiculous questions tied to his latest effort as actor and director, "Argo" (opening Oct. 12). For now, here's some of what the Red Sox fan had to say when asked what he thought when first hearing Theo Epstein was coming to the Cubs:
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'E.T.' rides onto the big screen Oct. 3
September 10, 2012
Don't see any new movies that make you want to go to the theater? How about an old one?
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'Looper' review (****): The year's most excitingly original movie
September 7, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'Bachelorette' review: Stop rolling your eyes--it's funnier than 'Bridesmaids'
September 6, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'The Words' review: Bradley Cooper comes to life in a thoughtful movie about dreams and guilt
September 6, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Samsara' review: Check out all this stuff!
September 6, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Alps' review: Alternate reality obscures real feelings
September 6, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Toys in the Attic' review: Not to be confused with 'Toy Story'
September 6, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Awakening' review: Pretty good, but more pretty than good
August 30, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Compliance' review: A twisted order of truth
August 30, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'For A Good Time, Call' review: Dialed into the giggly fun of friendship
August 30, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Sleepwalk with Me' review: Making an Indifference
August 30, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'For a Good Time, Call' star Ari Graynor and star/co-writer Lauren Anne Miller
August 28, 2012
You may lament missing “For A Good Time, Call” star Ari Graynor when she spent a few days in Chicago earlier this month. Until you learn that the 29-year-old Boston native, best known for playing drunken mess Caroline in “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” went for a bike ride—despite her biking abilities being “a danger to myself and others.”
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'Lawless' review: Arrest this script
August 28, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Sleepwalk with Me' star/co-director/co-writer Mike Birbiglia
August 28, 2012
Thanks to medication and spending every night in a sleeping bag, comedian Mike Birbiglia has his sleepwalking episodes under control. Well, except during times of intense anxiety—such as when he co-directs, co-writes and stars in a movie based on his sleepwalking experiences.
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'Robot and Frank' review: Not your average crime story
August 23, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Cosmopolis' review: Robert Pattinson's most interesting performance by a mile
August 23, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Imposter' review: The month's second mind-blowing doc
August 23, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Premium Rush' review: Ride, Joseph, ride!
August 23, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Apparition' review: Hilariously non-scary
August 23, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Chicken with Plums' review: Ready to be overrated?
August 23, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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How to define 'not appropriate for kids'?
August 22, 2012
If you haven’t already seen it, watch the video of kids crying their eyes out after seeing the half-star atrocity “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” a movie Disney has promoted as “feel good” despite a sad ending—SPOILER ALERT: Timothy dies—that clearly has some young viewers debating (via tears) the studio’s claim.
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'Hit and Run' review: Dopey action-comedy features a car with a missing engine. How fitting.
August 21, 2012
** (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Hit and Run' star/writer/co-director Dax Shepard
August 20, 2012
Since tackling more serious material than, say, “Without a Paddle” or “Employee of the Month,” with the excellent indie “The Freebie” and NBC’s solid “Parenthood,” Dax Shepard has noticed that critics like him a lot better. But he hasn’t seen a change in public opinion.
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'2 Days in New York' review: Family nonsense you don't want onscreen or off
August 16, 2012
* (out of four)
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'ParaNorman' review: The best animated movie since 'Toy Story 3'
August 16, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Why Stop Now' review: An Oscar winner, an Oscar nominee and Tracy Morgan?
August 16, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Sparkle' review: Better than the original, still a little worn
August 16, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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What does the Kristen and Rob saga say about us?
August 15, 2012
Obviously, the world will never be the same again.
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Q&A: Kristen Stewart of 'The Runaways'
August 15, 2012
(originally published March 15, 2010)
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Q&A: 'Twilight' star Robert Pattinson
August 15, 2012
(originally published Nov. 17, 2008)
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'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' review: Even worse than 'A Thousand Words'
August 14, 2012
0.5 stars (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Sparkle' star Jordin Sparks
August 14, 2012
When she was a kid, “Sparkle” star Jordin Sparks really, really wanted to play football.
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'Searching For Sugar Man' review: Fascinating music doc makes you believe the unbelievable
August 9, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Bourne Legacy' review: Keep the brain food coming
August 9, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Campaign' review: Hilarious guys team up--to do battle
August 9, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Celeste and Jesse Forever' review: Funny and frustrating
August 9, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'You will like this movie better if you see it next year'
August 7, 2012
Good news: We won’t have to see Baz Luhrmann’s take on “The Great Gatsby” without the kind of elaborate 3-D effects and pop music soundtrack F. Scott Fitzgerald surely would have wanted.
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Video/Q&A: Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis of 'The Campaign'
August 7, 2012
An interview with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis needs no introduction. The stars of “Anchorman” and “The Hangover” are, obviously, hilarious, and they’re even more hilarious together as warring congressional candidates in “The Campaign,” opening Aug. 10.
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Video/Q&A: 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' star/co-writer Rashida Jones
August 7, 2012
Women break down in romantic comedies all the time. They just rarely do so to the point of looking unattractive, says Rashida Jones.
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'Hope Springs' review: Basic chatter about transparent problems
August 7, 2012
** (out of four)
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Q&A: Rodriguez, star of the documentary 'Searching for Sugar Man'
August 6, 2012
Spoiler alert: Little-known, critically acclaimed early 1970s folk singer Rodriguez is not, contrary to popular belief, dead.
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'Total Recall' review: A vaguely remembered movie about vaguely remembered experiences
August 2, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Killer Joe' review: Rotten people doing rotten things
August 2, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The Queen of Versailles' review (****): Cram it, Kardashians
August 2, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'The Babymakers' review: Just how much does sperm amuse you?
August 2, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: Chicago-native director/co-star Jay Chandrasekhar and co-star Kevin Heffernan of 'The Babymakers'
August 1, 2012
When you make a cult favorite comedy like Broken Lizard’s “Super Troopers,” it’s probably inevitable that you’ll get out of a speeding ticket or two.
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'Red Lights' review: Something semi-phony to think about
July 26, 2012
** (out of four)
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Talking music with Rashida Jones
July 26, 2012
In about a week-and-a-half I'll post yesterday's very fun interview with"Celeste and Jesse Forever"star/co-writer Rashida Jones.
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'Qwerty' review: Angriest rom-com ever?
July 26, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Watch' review: Still looking for laughs
July 26, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Ruby Sparks' review: She's alive! And easy to adore
July 24, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Red Lights' star Cillian Murphy and writer/director Rodrigo Cortes
July 24, 2012
“The magazine’s called RedEye?” asks “Red Lights” star Cillian Murphy, who played the villain in the 2005 horror-on-an-airplane film “Red Eye.”
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Q&A: 'Ruby Sparks' star Paul Dano
July 23, 2012
Yes, Paul Dano’s real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan deliberately wrote certain things for him in “Ruby Sparks,” in which the real-life couple plays a couple. The movie is not about them, though.
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Q&A: 'Ruby Sparks' star/writer Zoe Kazan
July 23, 2012
Some have asked Zoe Kazan why “Ruby Sparks,” a comedy/drama about a male author who considers if and how to change a character he writes and then comes to life as his real girlfriend, doesn’t feature a female writer controlling a man.
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'The Magic of Belle Isle' review: As blandly wholesome as undressed lettuce
July 19, 2012
½* (out of four)
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'Trishna' review: Beauty and the east
July 19, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Farewell, My Queen' review: More royally entertaining than you might expect
July 19, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Dark Knight Rises' review: Occasionally great will have to be good enough
July 18, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Q&A: Harrison Ford of 'Extraordinary Measures'
July 13, 2012
Originally published Jan. 15, 2010.
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Zero-star 'Drunkboat' review: Abandon ship
July 12, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Ice Age: Continental Drift' review: It's time for the end of an era
July 12, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Take This Waltz' review: People gotta stay cool around hot neighbors
July 12, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Katy Perry: Part of Me' review: As heavy as cotton candy clouds
July 5, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Beasts of the Southern Wild' review: Remarkable performances from non-professionals anchor this strange marvel
July 5, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Savages' review: Drugs good, people bad?
July 5, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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The quintessential American movie?
July 3, 2012
When trying to identify the quintessential American movie, you could look at a timeless classic—and a celebration of all-American love, cinema, song and dance—like "Singin' in the Rain."Or you could go to something grittier like "12 Angry Men,"which encapsulates the American judicial system and its vulnerability to group-think as well as the importance of standing up for your beliefs against a vocal, close-minded majority.
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Q&A: 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' stars Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry, and director/co-writer Benh Zeitlin
July 2, 2012
Go ahead and call me crazy. Don’t be surprised, though, if 8-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis receives a Best Actress nomination for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” her first-ever acting job. Which she filmed when she was 6. And auditioned for at 5.
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'The Amazing Spider-Man' review: Sure, why not?
June 29, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Will 'Magic Mike' suffer from false advertising?
June 29, 2012
After countless ads featuring stripping, stripping and more stripping, you probably drooled all over your seat/armrest/entire theater after seeing the two-hour naked-dude-extravaganza at last night’s midnight screening of “Magic Mike.”
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'Magic Mike' review: Unexpectedly revealing
June 28, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Ted' review: Pretty funny, pretty racist
June 28, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'To Rome With Love' review: Woody Allen's European tour needs a detour
June 28, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'People Like Us' review: Hopefully there's no you in 'Us'
June 28, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Magic Mike' star Channing Tatum
June 25, 2012
Everyone has had friends ask them about former jobs. The questions “Magic Mike” star Channing Tatum receives aren’t exactly, “So, did you like being a camp counselor?”
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Video/Q&A: Joe Manganiello of 'Magic Mike'
June 25, 2012
Why, Joe Manganiello, do you think both star/producer Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh had you in mind for the role of Big Dick Richie in “Magic Mike?”
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Video/Q&A: Elizabeth Banks of 'People Like Us'
June 25, 2012
Even in small roles, Elizabeth Banks often has a major impact on her movies. Consider her memorable, unbridled scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” in which she teaches Steve Carell’s character about the, uh, talents of a handheld showerhead, or the fact that the romantic trajectory of “Wet Hot American Summer” results largely from Banks’ character tasting like a burger.
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Q&A: 'People Like Us' star Chris Pine and director/co-writer Alex Kurtzman
June 25, 2012
You may or may not know that “People Like Us” star Chris Pine auditioned for “Avatar.” It did not go well.
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'Dark Horse' review: When does the race start?
June 21, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Brave' review: Or 'How to Train Your Mother'
June 21, 2012
** (out of four)
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Interview tease: Cillian Murphy on preferring dark material and deferring to Robert De Niro
June 21, 2012
It will be a while before I post the full Q&A from today's interview with Cillian Murphy and writer/director Rodrigo Cortes of "Red Lights," opening July 27. For now, here are some of Murphy's thoughts about taking on lighter roles and what the actor and his director think about making conversation with fellow "Red Lights" star Robert De Niro.
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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' review: Why?
June 21, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Bel Ami' review: Robert Pattinson sucks the blood from a movie that actually requires him to act
June 21, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World' review: Well, it's less depressing than the average apocalypse
June 21, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Be Good' review: Mission accomplished
June 21, 2012
*** (out of four)
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Q&A: 'Brave' director Mark Andrews and producer Katherine Sarafian
June 20, 2012
Given the chance to shoot a bow and arrow alongside “Brave” director Mark Andrews and producer Katherine Sarafian, I completely humiliated them.
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Interview tease: Joe Manganiello on being covered in gold and not wanting to battle 'Teen Wolf'
June 18, 2012
Check back next week for my full interview with Joe Manganiello, who plays Big Dick Richie in "Magic Mike," opening June 29. For now, here's a tease to his thoughts on:
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Interview tease: Channing Tatum on full-frontal nudity and the magic of McConaughey
June 18, 2012
Check back next week for my full interview (featuring some awesomely ridiculous stories) with Channing Tatum about"Magic Mike," opening June 29. For now, a small snippet of the actor's thoughts on ...
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'That's My Boy' review: Semen joke. Fat joke. Goofy voice. Blah.
June 14, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Your Sister's Sister' review: Looking out for number one while figuring out who that is
June 14, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Safety Not Guaranteed' review: Love, innovation and other dangers
June 14, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Rock of Ages' review: As edgy as Tommy Lee's tea party, as sexy as 'Rock Lobster'
June 14, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Lola Versus' review: An occasionally effective movie at war with itself
June 14, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'That's My Boy' star Andy Samberg
June 13, 2012
Yes, Andy Samberg shares a similar name and kinda similar face with Adam Sandler.
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Interview tease: Andy Samberg on Chicago cuisine and Justin Timberlake's 'SNL' future
June 12, 2012
Stay tuned for my full Q&A from today's interview with Andy Samberg of "That's My Boy," opening Friday. For now here's a small sample, including where Samberg dined in Chicago last night and if he thinks popular "SNL" guest host Justin Timberlake will ever take on a full-time role on the show.
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Interview tease: Elizabeth Banks on her MTV Movie Awards acceptance speech and the 'Wet Hot American Summer' prequel
June 12, 2012
In a few weeks I'll post my full Q&A with Elizabeth Banks, star of "People Like Us," opening June 29. We covered a ton of topics, so here is a taste with just a few: How the actress' husband felt about her cozying up to the "Magic Mike" cast at the MTV Movie Awards and news on the rumored prequel to "Wet Hot American Summer."
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Q&A: Aubrey Plaza of 'Safety Not Guaranteed'
June 11, 2012
Name five actresses you assume participated in sports and other activities in high school, including being president of the student council. Aubrey Plaza’s not on that list, is she?
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'Elles' review: Sex, lies and a magazine article that won't turn out that well
June 7, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Peace, Love and Misunderstanding' review: Open your mind, man
June 7, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Prometheus' review: Heart liked it, eyes and mind loved it
June 7, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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Is expanding a classic a lose-lose proposition?
June 6, 2012
Once the court of public opinion stamps a movie as a classic, watch out. It becomes precious cargo, and attempts to deride or change that valuable commodity may endure the wrath of 1,000 suns. Or just emails from die-hard fans who say you don’t know what you’re talking about.
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Interview tease: Chris Pine on his awful 'Avatar' audition and Broadway possibilities
June 1, 2012
Stay tuned in a few weeks for my full Q&A from today's interview with Chris Pine (and director/co-writer Alex Kurtzman) about the family drama "People Like Us," which opens June 29. For now, enjoy the full story behind an audition Pine previously mentioned went terribly but didn't elaborate:
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'High School' review: Nobody board this pineapple express
May 31, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Moonrise Kingdom' review: Wes Anderson recaptures the live-action magic
May 31, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Snow White and the Huntsman' review: Adventure returns to the fairy tale
May 31, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Intouchables' review: A warm, legitimate friendship forms in a controversial worldwide smash
May 31, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'For Greater Glory' review: A seemingly three-year drama about a three-year war
May 31, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Men in Black 3' review: Surprisingly, the third time's no harm
May 24, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Hick' review: Familiar faces killing time
May 24, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Hysteria' review: Learning feels so good
May 24, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Chernobyl Diaries' review: Just think of the TripAdvisor reviews
May 24, 2012
1/2* (out of four)
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Interview tease: Aubrey Plaza of 'Safety Not Guaranteed'
May 23, 2012
Check back in a few weeks for my full Q&A with Aubrey Plaza about her first starring role--in the funny, surprisingly romantic "Safety Not Guaranteed," opening June 15. For now, here's a sneak preview from today's phone interview, when I asked about the possibility of April and Andy procreating on"Parks and Recreation."
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Letter to Taylor Kitsch from his 'Friday Night Lights' character Tim Riggins
May 22, 2012
Dear Taylor,
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Video/Q&A: Chicago-native 'Hysteria' director Tanya Wexler wants to give which celebs a vibrator?
May 22, 2012
Talk about a memorable movie pitch.
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'Mansome' review: You've had better talks about this subject at the bar
May 17, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Battleship' review: Mind-numbingly entertaining
May 17, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Where Do We Go Now?' review: Legitimate question, stupid answer
May 17, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Bernie' review: The expression "Truth is stranger than fiction," dangling on the edge of Texas
May 17, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'What To Expect When You're Expecting' review: Well, if you're Jennifer Lopez
May 17, 2012
* (out of four)
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'The Dictator' sneak preview tonight at AMC River East
May 15, 2012
Wadiyan dictator General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) has more patience than you'd expect--he won't launch a nuclear weapon until it has a pointy top--but that doesn't mean you have to be patient to see "The Dictator."
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'The Dictator' review: "Not very nice" -- Borat
May 11, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Dark Shadows' review: Like sucking blood from a corpse
May 10, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Girl in Progress' review: Well-intentioned discussion points for Mother's Day
May 10, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'God Bless America' review: Glenn Beck, your thoughts?
May 10, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Sound of My Voice' review: I don't hear anything
May 10, 2012
** (out of four)
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We're all people, people!
May 9, 2012
“Hillary Clinton doesn’t care if you see her without makeup.”
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Video/Q&A: 'God Bless America' writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait
May 7, 2012
Bobcat Goldthwait’s kidding when he says he won’t reveal where he lives, suggesting his new movie “God Bless America” will “have a lot of people showing up to kill me.”
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Should movie stars rebut the critics?
May 7, 2012
There are two things that Samuel L. Jackson will not tolerate: Hotspacho and negative reviews.
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'A Little Bit of Heaven' review: A rom-com about cancer, named after a gigolo
May 3, 2012
½* (out of four)
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'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' review: If you loved "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" ...
May 3, 2012
** (out of four)
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Tickets: Get 'em while you care!
May 2, 2012
Hey, what are you doing July 13-14, 2013?
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'The Avengers' review: Puts the 'some' in 'awesome'
May 1, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Safe' review: The stupidity meter hits dangerous levels
April 26, 2012
* (out of four)
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'The Raven' review: Nothing to crow about
April 26, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The Five-Year Engagement' review: Funny, sweet and, yes, too long
April 26, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Darling Companion' review: Can't really blame the dog for running away
April 26, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The Pirates! Band of Misfits' review: My timbers remain unshivered
April 25, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Is your life a romantic comedy?
April 25, 2012
Everyone’s had that moment—maybe a bus drove past and splashed you, or a fetching stranger picked up a receipt you dropped at Starbucks—when you say to yourself, “This feels just like a romantic comedy. If this were a movie, something incredible would come out of this.”
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'The Dark Knight Rises' will contain more than an hour of IMAX footage
April 23, 2012
Not that you needed another reason to drool over "The Dark Knight Rises,"but here's one more: The conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy (opening July 20) will feature more than an hour of IMAX footage, Nolan told the Wall Street Journal.
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'Think Like a Man' review: Funny attacks in a frustratingly reductive battle of the sexes
April 19, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Chimpanzee' review: It may as well be animated
April 19, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Marley' review: No edit no problem
April 19, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Lucky One' review: Aspires only to be average
April 19, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Think Like A Man' star Kevin Hart
April 17, 2012
Kevin Hart has learned his lesson.
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'L!fe Happens' review: Really. That's the title.
April 12, 2012
Zero stars (out of four)
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'Detention' review: The '90s refuse to leave
April 12, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Lockout' review: An absolute must-rent
April 12, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Cabin in the Woods' review: Close to geek paradise
April 12, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Damsels in Distress' review: The best movie of the year so far
April 12, 2012
**** (out of four)
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'Bully' review: Increased awareness is only the beginning
April 12, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Blue Like Jazz' review: For a change, a two-way conversation about religion
April 12, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Three Stooges' review: Silly, harmless laughs--unless you're some kinda wise guy, ay?
April 12, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Q&A: Lizzy Caplan of 'Queens of Country'
April 9, 2012
Do not read this interview with “Queens of Country” star Lizzy Caplan and picture her as moody Janis Ian from “Mean Girls.”
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Video/Q&A: Greta Gerwig of 'Damsels in Distress'
April 9, 2012
In 2006, Greta Gerwig was living in Logan Square, making her first movie (Joe Swanberg’s “LOL”) and fighting off a heat wave.
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Video/Q&A: 'The Cabin in the Woods' director/co-writer Drew Goddard
April 9, 2012
Stop what you’re doing, horror movie directors, “The Cabin in the Woods” director/co-writer Drew Goddard isn’t buying.
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'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' review: That makes two of us
April 5, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'American Reunion' review: You don't know what you miss 'til it's back--and funnier than ever
April 5, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'We the Party' review: The message outshines the movie
April 5, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'American Reunion' stars Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott
April 2, 2012
“I was like, ‘Guys, my penis!,’” says Jason Biggs. “I need my penis in the movie!”
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'Goon' review: Hilarious honor among brutes
March 29, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Mirror Mirror' review: An ugly movie about the importance of beauty
March 29, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Detachment' review: A jumbled but thought-provoking reason to feel miserable about education
March 29, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Wrath of the Titans' review: Less boring is still too boring
March 29, 2012
** (out of four)
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Q&A: Seann William Scott of 'Goon'
March 26, 2012
After a career spent playing what he calls “jackasses,” Seann William Scott has no idea why he was the filmmakers' choice to star as a nice guy in “Goon.” Even if that nice guy, based on real-life minor league hockey player Doug Smith, specializes in beating the crap out of his opponents.
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'The Kid with a Bike' review: Shape up, French dads!
March 22, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Raid: Redemption' review: Fighting, fighting and more fighting
March 22, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Delicacy' review: The French know love, but grief's a different story
March 22, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Hunger Games' review: Hype, consider yourself mostly justified
March 20, 2012
I read Suzanne Collins' addictive, massively popular novel "The Hunger Games" so compulsively that the pages feared my fingers. Any filmmaker would be challenged to similarly create scene after scene that sparks craving for the next.
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In defense of Channing Tatum
March 20, 2012
The guy looks more like an Abercrombie model than an actor, probably because he used to be an Abercrombie model.
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Q&A: Kermit and Miss Piggy of (obviously) 'The Muppets'
March 19, 2012
Sure, the publicist tells me that longtime Muppets writer Jim Lewis crafted the answers to questions I emailed to Kermit and Miss Piggy in advance of the March 20 Blu-ray/DVD release for "The Muppets." I choose to ignore that and believe that the beloved characters responded personally. The answers are so perfectly them, how could they have been composed by a human?
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Q&A: 'The Hunger Games' star Josh Hutcherson
March 19, 2012
While waiting two weeks to hear if he got the part of Peeta Mallark in the wildly anticipated big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games,” Josh Hutcherson couldn’t even speak properly.
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'21 Jump Street' review: Remake whatever you want if it's this funny
March 15, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Seeking Justice' review: Neither smart nor dumb enough
March 15, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Footnote' review: Discard your invitation to this petty party
March 15, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Casa de Mi Padre' review: No gracias
March 15, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The FP' review: All boogaloo, no electricity
March 15, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Jeff, Who Lives At Home' review: Everyone here has done much better
March 15, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: '21 Jump Street' stars Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill
March 12, 2012
“I’m too old for this [bleep],” says Jonah Hill.
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Video/Q&A: Rob Riggle of '21 Jump Street'
March 12, 2012
Consider yourself lucky, Newt Gingrich. If Rob Riggle were still on “The Daily Show,” he would be all over you.
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Video/Q&A: Ice Cube of '21 Jump Street'
March 12, 2012
To play a police captain in the big-screen update of the ’80s TV series “21 Jump Street,” Ice Cube did not consider remaking NWA’s “[Bleep] Tha Police” into “Love Tha Police.”
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'Friends with Kids' review: Harry and Sally are tired of this
March 8, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Being Flynn' review: A chip off the old, miserable block
March 8, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'John Carter' review: A slightly better mix of cowboys and aliens than "Cowboys and Aliens"
March 8, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'A Thousand Words' review: Jim Carrey's lucky not to be involved
March 8, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Silent House' review: Not a bad stunt, not a great movie
March 8, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' review: Sounds super interesting, right?
March 8, 2012
** (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: 'Friends with Kids' star/writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt
March 7, 2012
In “Friends with Kids,” platonic friends Jason (Adam Scott of “Parks and Recreation”) and Julie (writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt) decide, for lack of a better option, to have a baby together. Westfeldt says the decision might happen more often than we think.
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Interview tease: 'The Hunger Games' star Josh Hutcherson
March 7, 2012
Today I spoke with Josh Hutcherson, who stars as Peeta in the just-a-bit-anticipated big screen version of "The Hunger Games." The full interview will post the week of the film's March 23 opening, but here's a taste.
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Q&A: Emily Blunt of 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen'
March 5, 2012
Emily Blunt wants to jump off a building.
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'Project X' review: A raunchy, vicarious blast from a tequila water gun
March 1, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Lorax' review: Funny, colorful adaptation keeps the juice in Seuss
March 1, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Undefeated' review: There won't be a dry eye in the crowd
March 1, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie' review: Recommended for very few
March 1, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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Video/Q&A: Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim of 'Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie'
February 29, 2012
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim previously starred in the Cartoon Network series “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” Viewers who walked out of the Sundance screening of the pair’s first movie, “Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie,” likely wouldn’t describe it with words like “awesome” and “great.”
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Video/Q&A: 'Project X' stars Thomas Mann, Jonathan Daniel Brown and Oliver Cooper
February 28, 2012
“Project X” puts you right in the center of the action—in this case, what may be the biggest onscreen party of all time. Or to put it another way, says “Project X” co-star Jonathan Daniel Brown, the movie has an “anti-authoritarian” vibe similar to the Occupy movement, “just without the whole reforming government thing. And getting drunk and meeting girls.”
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'Thin Ice' review: Sometimes it's more solid than you expect
February 23, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Act of Valor' review: War is an action movie?
February 23, 2012
* (out of four)
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'Wanderlust' review: Drink the Kool-Aid
February 23, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Crazy Horse' review: You can look, but you can't learn
February 23, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' review: Nicolas Cage punches the devil in the face
February 17, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Secret World of Arrietty' review: Don't expect to be spirited away
February 16, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Rampart' review: Compelling character, murky movie
February 16, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'In Darkness' review: Another hidden Holocaust story, devastating you into the light
February 16, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'This Means War' review: A battle between considerable charm and extreme stupidity
February 16, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'Declaration of War' review: Your heart may not be able to handle it
February 16, 2012
***1/2 (out of four)
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'Re:Generation' review: Musical genre-jumping doc almost makes you imagine DJ Jazzy Jim Morrison
February 15, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'W.E.' review: Madonna's embarrassing week continues
February 9, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'The Vow' review: An unconvincing rendition of the unthinkably sad
February 9, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' review: A franchise somehow gets more mediocre without Brendan Fraser
February 9, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Safe House' review: Notice it's not called "Fiercely Original House"
February 9, 2012
** (out of four)
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'The Innkeepers' review: Quiet, empty hotels just don't feel right
February 2, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'Chronicle' review: Superpowers are no match for teen angst
February 2, 2012
*** (out of four)
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'The Woman in Black' review: A lousy cure for post-Potter depression
February 2, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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Review: Matthew Broderick returns as Ferris Bueller for Honda Super Bowl ad
January 30, 2012
For the record, I love “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
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'One For the Money' review: Not even worth the change you find in your couch
January 27, 2012
* (out of four)
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'The Grey' review: As if a few hungry wolves could mess with Liam Neeson
January 26, 2012
**1/2 (out of four)
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'We Need to Talk About Kevin' review: How was that not obvious a long time ago?
January 26, 2012
** (out of four)
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'Man on a Ledge' review: Harmlessly dumb--really, really dumb
January 26, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'Red Tails' review: "Corny" and "phony" shouldn't describe a movie about real WWII heroism
January 19, 2012
*1/2 (out of four)
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'War Horse' review: A fairy tale goes to battle, and nobody wins
December 22, 2011
*1/2 (out of four)
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'We Bought A Zoo' review: Cameron Crowe lays the emotion on thick
December 22, 2011
**1/2 (out of four)
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'The Artist' review: Wonderful silent film says in with the old
December 22, 2011
***1/2 (out of four)
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'The Adventures of Tintin' review: Well, it's better than "War Horse"
December 20, 2011
**1/2 (out of four)
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