2011

This review of “The Hustler” and “The Comancheros” 50th Anniversary Blu-ray editions appears on KTKA-49. What better way for Dad to spend Father’s Day than relaxing on the couch with two of Hollywood’s manliest screen personas? New on Blu-ray now is “The Hustler,” with Paul Newman playing Fast Eddie Felson, the role that would cement […]

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This movie review of “Green Lantern” appears on KTKA-49. A brash, but talented young fighter pilot pursues romance, faces the biggest challenge of his life, and is forced to grow up and accept responsibility in this high-flying adventure film starring one of Hollywood’s biggest hunks. No, it’s not “Top Gun,” but with its cheesy, synthesized […]

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We are bombarded by moving images in every facet of our lives. There are video screens everywhere. The way in which audio and video are cut together in ads, TV shows, and online marketing these days has created a contemporary film language that’s like shorthand to us. It takes very little effort on our part […]

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Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) can’t make up his mind. He doesn’t know whether he wants to be the hotshot flying ace who always has a clever one-liner; the tortured young man, who still suffers from the loss of his father; or the superhero and the dutiful boyfriend. He better hurry up and decide, because a […]

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If Jim Carrey shows up in your romantic comedy or family film, you should have a hunch that he’s probably living life the wrong way. He could be taking things for granted, ignoring what’s important, or not living life to the fullest. All he needs is a little push, some outside force to give him […]

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This DVD/Blu-ray review of “Just Go With It” appears on KTKA-49. Back in February, when I reviewed the new below-average formulaic romcom from Adam Sandler, “Just Go With It,” I complained about how tired and crammed full of cheap jokes it was. Nothing’s changed there–the unfortunate movie remains the same. And it’s a shame that […]

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This review of “Super 8” appears on KTKA-49. J.J. Abrams channels his inner Spielberg, with help from the blockbuster maestro of the 80s who served as producer, on “Super 8,” a refreshing change of pace for summer flicks. It’s just too bad that Abrams has made such a big deal about not letting any secrets […]

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The signs were all there. No guest would accompany me to the film, the theater was only half full for the screening, I probably should have known, but I decided to give “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” a fair shake. I can say having sat through its full 91 minutes, that “Judy Moody” […]

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Woody Allen is back with his yearly cinematic offering. “Midnight in Paris” is a joyful and funny romantic comedy fairytale that follows Gil (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter who pines for a bygone era and a more vibrant artistic time. “Midnight in Paris” showcases Allen’s love of the title city and his love of the 1920s. […]

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One could say that I was intrigued by the hype surrounding “Super 8” I enjoyed the J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, and I was interested in what he might craft when he turned his creative energies to a kids’ adventure movie. Unfortunately Abrams took a page out his producer, Steven […]

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It’s ironic that writer/director Chris Ordal’s quietly moving “Earthwork” opens its run at Liberty Hall in Lawrence the weekend after Governor Sam Brownback erased the funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, leaving the program with zero budget and no staff or offices. Shot almost entirely in Kansas and based on the true story of Lawrence, […]

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This review of Criterion’s new Blu-ray releases of “Diabolique” and “Pale Flower” appears on KTKA-49. Criterion is releasing some pretty great new Blu-ray transfers of movie classics right now, and two recent releases showcase what a great format Blu-ray is for making old movies seem modern. Of course, it helps when the films are way […]

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This review of “X-Men: First Class” appears on KTKA-49. The “X-Men” franchise has fallen on some rough times lately. A disappointing third movie and a “Wolverine” solo adventure that was all over the place may have alienated some of its fans in recent years. But with its former director Bryan Singer in the producer’s chair, […]

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There are movies that make me wish I had the option of the split rock fist, a non-neutral symbol that says this film is as bad as it is good. That’s the way I feel about Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class,” and I only grudgingly went with the slightly positive, because I walked out of […]

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