NYC Film Critic

The indie rock doc Echotone offers an intriguing look at the Austin music scene as well as the larger changes taking place in the city itself.  While it doesn’t combine these twin narratives as effectively as it perhaps could, it’s still well worth seeing for anyone interesting in the subject or movies like Dig and Some Kind of Monster.  Read my full review at Film Journal.

Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren embody the past and present versions of the same Mossad operative in the new thriller The Debt, a passable potboiler that plays like the cinematic equivalent of good airplane fiction.  The actors elevate it, the ending almost ruins it.  Get my full thoughts over at TWoP and also check out my review of Kevin Smith’s latest and a post about the state of horror movies today.

The Debt: Keep On Playing Those Spy Games 
Red State: God’s Lonely Man
The Sorry State of Contemporary Horror Movies
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD
The Six TV Superhero Shows That Should Be Rebooted
Kevin Smith’s Most Hateable Characters
Five Thoughts About The Hunger Games Trailer

If you’re in the mood for a good movie and aren’t in the path of Hurricane Irene this weekend, the Guillermo Del Toro-produced haunted house tale Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark should top your list of must-sees.  Less of a non-stop frightfest than a family drama that happens to have some horror elements, Dark is one of this summer’s most stylish and involving films.  Read my full review at TWoP and also check out some of the other content I posted there this week, including my Best & Worst of Summer Wrap-Up.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Leave the Lights On
Colombiana: Good Girl Gone Bad
The Family Tree: Not An American Beauty
Flip This (Haunted) House
D23 Movie News
Summer Movies 2011: Best, Worst and Beyond
The Deadliest Female Assassins
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD

Okay, so the new Fright Night isn’t that bad.  But it’s still a disappointingly generic horror programmer that wastes some good actors and potentially interesting creative choices in its inexplicable quest to be as bland as possible.  Check out my full review and the rest of this week’s TWoP content at the links below.

Fright Night: Warning!  This Movie Bites
One Day: Meet the New Notebook
Spy Kids 4: When New Faces Take Over Old Franchises
Other Fantasy Franchises Jason Momoa Should Remake
5 Ways to Ensure the New Blade Runner Doesn’t Suck
VOD Round-Up: August 2011
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD
Anne Hathaway’s Best & Worst Movie Romances
Colin Farrell’s Rise and Fall and Rise Again

I’ve been off the past two weeks on vacation, but content has continued to be posted on TWoP in my absence.  Here’s a roundup of links to those reviews–including one for the new action acomedy 30 Minutes or Less from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer–and features that have gone up since July 29.  Look for regular posting to resume this week.

30 Minutes or Less: A Star is Born
The Change-Up: I Don’t Want Your Life
Scenes From the 30 Minutes or Less Press Conference
I Want My DVD: August 9
I Want My DVD: August 2
TV on DVD: August 2
Fall Movie Preview: And the Nominees Might Be
Fall Movie Preview: Did Somebody Say Action?
Fall Movie Preview: Don’t Forget the Little Movies

Cowboys and Aliens is one of four movies I reviewed over at TWoP this week, along with Life in a Day, Crazy, Stupid, Love and the best of the bunch, Attack the Block.  Follow the links below to read just why the combination of James Bond and Indiana Jones isn’t enough to make this high-concept genre mash-up fly.

Attack the Block: 5 Reasons Why It’s Better than Super 8
Cowboys and Aliens: Not So Tall In the Saddle
Crazy, Stupid, Love: How to Be a Playa
Life in a Day: Around the World in 90 Minutes
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD
Man Vs. Space Creature
Comic-Con: The Big Movie News

I didn’t love Miranda July’s acclaimed debut Me and You and Everyone We Know, but I did like it — it’s got its own unique rhythm and vision of the world that’s alternately annoying and captivating.  I had the same experience watching her sophomore effort, The Future, which I reviewed over at Film Journal International.  Read my review here.

But is Captain America that hero?  Find out in my just-posted review over at TWoP.  Links to the rest of the week’s content — including reviews of <i>A Little Help</i> and <i>Another Earth</i> — are below.

Captain America: A Real American Hero
Another Earth: Crisis on Infinite (Okay, Just One) Earths
A Little Help: Jenna Fischer Gets Out of <i>The Office</i>
Retro Comic Book Movies
A Guide to Marvel Studio’s Easter Eggs
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD
Who’s Who in Marvel’s World War II
The Most Successful Singers-Turned-Actors

Much like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 will dominate the box office this weekend, the movie was the main subject of my TWoP posts this week, culminating in my review of the final chapter in the eight-film franchise.  Follow the links below to indulge in Pottermania for one last time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: This Is The End, My Only Friend
Winnie the Pooh: A Welcome Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
Beyond Winnie the Pooh: Other Classic Disney Characters That Deserve a Comeback
Harry Potter: The Best & Worst of the Franchise
Harry Potter: Spin-Offs We’d Like to See
Harry Potter: A Farewell Tour of Hogwarts
San Diego Comic-Con 2011: A Movie Geek’s Guide to What’s Worth Waiting in Line For
I Want My DVD
I Want My VOD
TV on DVD
Eureka: Chicken Soup for the SyFy Soul

A review of the new comedy Horrible Bosses kicks off this week’s round-up of TWoP content.  Follow the links below to read each story.

Horrible Bosses: Ad-Libbing 9 to 5, What a Way to Make a Living
Horrible Bosses: The Cast’s Most Horrible Jobs
Going to (Robert) California: James Spader’s Creepiest Performances Before The Office
Zookeeper: 5 Other Blue Collar Roles Kevin James Should Play
I Want My DVD
TV on DVD