NYC Film Critic

The Grindhouse trailer Machete becomes a full-length feature with mixed results.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

George Clooney teams up with photographer-turned-filmmaker Anton Corbijn to make a homage to the Euro-thrillers of yesteryear.  It’s a movie that has so much going for it–great locations, great cinematography, great pacing–and yet it never really comes together.  Read my review at Film Journal.

Documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein makes her narrative feature debut with Going the Distance, a surprisingly sweet and funny–if at times too conventional–romantic comedy starring on-again, off-again real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.  My feature story with Burstein is live over at Film Journal.

British director Neil Marshall carries on the B-movie tradition with his latest genre mash-up, Centurion, a hugely entertaining Gladiator-meets-Rambo action adventure picture set in Roman times.  Based on this movie, Michael Fassbender deserves to be a big, big star.  The film opens this Friday in select markets.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

NYCFilmCritic is back from vacation at last and what better way to mark the end of summer than with a gory 3D-enhanced spectacle involving nubile co-eds and killer fish?  Believe it or not, Piranha 3D is actually one of Summer 2010’s more entertaining efforts, as long as you don’t go in expecting compelling characters, rich storytelling and emotional depth.  Treat it for what it is–silly, stupid trash–and you’ll have a good time.  Read my full review at Film Journal.

40-Year-Old Virgin co-stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell reunite for Dinner for Schmucks a somewhat funny, somewhat obnoxious remake of a French farce.  Read my review at Film Journal.

One of the best things about this gig is the opportunity to speak with filmmakers whose work I admire and enjoy.  Folks like Guillermo Del Toro, Terry Gilliam, Nick Park and now Edgar Wright, who directed the brilliant comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and is currently awaiting the release of his latest opus, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the comic book of the same name.  The movie has its coming out party at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend and goes into general release on August 13.  You can read all about the movie and its director in my just-published feature story over at Film Journal.

Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel headline Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest attempt to find the next Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

Back after a lengthy hiatus caused by the recent holiday as well as a general lack of interest in last week’s big releases…I think they had something to do with an eclipse and an airbender.  Kicking the weekend off is a review of Predators, the summer surprise I’ve been waiting for.  This updating of the 1987 original isn’t a great action movie, but it is a consistently entertaining one.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

James Mangold, director of Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma, takes his first crack at a summer blockbuster with the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz chase picture Knight and Day.  Read my interview with Mangold at Film Journal International.