‘RoboCop’ gets breath of new life in remake
I don't think anyone was exactly clamoring for a remake of the surprise hit of 1987, "RoboCop." But given the ways of Hollywood these days, a remake was probably inevitable. And as bad ideas go, we're fortunate this remake is as good as it is.12 years ago
‘Labor Day’ movie doesn’t hold a candle to ‘Labor Day’ book
“The book was so much better.” That assessment is so common it’s practically become a truism: whenever a book is made into a movie, the film just doesn’t measure up. That’s the case in spades with “Labor Day,” the new Jason Reitman film starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. There are a lot of reasons […]12 years ago
Vanessa Hudgens stars in ‘Gimme Shelter,’ inspired by real woman’s good work
The story that "Gimme Shelter" tells is based on real people and real places. The actual New Jersey shelter profiled in the film was founded over 30 years ago by a woman named Kathi DiFiore.12 years ago
The less seriously you take ‘August: Osage County’, the more fun you will have
"August: Osage County" may be a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play but this movie version is so ridiculously melodramatic, it's hard to imagine anyone taking the material seriously, in whatever version. It feels like a year's worth of soap opera shenanigans crammed into a two-hour movie.12 years ago
‘American Hustle’ a surprisingly endearing story
"American Hustle" is a comedy about, of all things, Abscam. That's not going to mean anything to anyone under 40 and probably not much to anyone under 50. Abscam is a long-ago political scandal.12 years ago
Jackson does a lot with a little in ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’
Director Peter Jackson must do "spectacular" in his sleep. Even with the thinnest of premises - this second Hobbit movie is reportedly based on a mere five chapters of that children's book - Jackson can spin a nearly three-hour film that's chock-full of stunning action sequences and extended bits of special effects wizardry.12 years ago
Bob Nelson – From ‘Almost Live’ to almost famous
Bob Nelson was part of the famed local comedy show "Almost Live" which launched the careers of Bill Nye and Joel McHale among others. And now, almost 15 years later after that show's demise, Nelson is getting his chance in the spotlight.12 years ago
‘Catching Fire’ could be powerful, but like the Hunger Games, it’s just a distraction
"Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is the second of the four planned movies. And like its predecessor, as well as most of those Twilight movies, it's a pretty junky movie: all slapdash and flash.12 years ago
‘Dallas Buyers Club’: AIDS & the entrepreneur
Actor Matthew McConaughey often plays good ol' boy hustlers but he's never played one quite like the real-life Ron Woodroof, a Texas bad boy who revels in sex and drugs, gambling and booze.12 years ago
Exclusive interview: Rufus Wainwright and what the world gives and takes back
Rufus Wainwright is an innovative singer/songwriter who's wrapping up an 18-month world tour with three concerts here in Western Washington.12 years ago
See the beautiful and the awful in chilly new film ‘The Counselor’
The Counselor is a slick, grim drug trafficking movie about awful people doing awful things in the most glamorous of settings.12 years ago
‘The Fifth Estate’ gives complex look at the fascinating Julian Assange
Like last week's "Captain Phillips," "The Fifth Estate" is another slick thriller based on real-life events. But unlike the real Captain Phillips, who's a rather bland man forced into extraordinary circumstances, the personality at the center of "The Fifth Estate" - Julian Assange - is anything but bland.12 years ago
‘Captain Phillips’ succeeds as something more than just a thriller
Greengrass does something very similar in "Captain Phillips," his new fact-based film. It recounts the well-publicized raid by a handful of Somali pirates of a U.S. cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama, in the spring 2009.12 years ago
For audience of ‘Gravity,’ power, majesty, dangers of outer space are lasting
"Gravity" may be the best movie ever made about being up in space.12 years ago
‘Don Jon’ gets credit for staying provocative as long as it does
It's a daring move for a first time writer and director. Joseph Gordon-Levitt tackles a potentially dark subject with lots of humor. Not so much humor that it becomes a comedy, mind you, but enough that prevents it from becoming just a sad-sack downer.12 years ago
Modest ‘Short Term 12’ may be one of the best films of the year
Despite its rather drab title, (I mean, really, "Short Term 12" is the best you could come up with?) and its unpromising subject matter, (a kind of halfway house for troubled kids,) this movie turns out to be one of the best of the year. What a pleasant surprise.12 years ago
Potential presidential nominee Hillary Clinton coming to a TV, movie theater near you
Hillary Clinton may be officially out of the public eye for the first time in two decades but she's definitely the hot topic of discussion in Hollywood these days.12 years ago
‘The Canyons’ isn’t a comeback role for Lindsay Lohan
Actress Lindsay Lohan has her first starring role in a movie in over six years in the new film, "The Canyons." As it turns out making the film was almost as sordid as the world the movie depicts.12 years ago
‘Blackfish’ showcases the dark side of Sea World
If you've ever paid to see one of those Sea World shows, you may wish you hadn't after seeing a new documentary called "Blackfish."12 years ago
Sundance Cinemas opens in Seattle to adults-only crowd with amenities in tow
Robert Redford is almost as famous for his Sundance Film Festival and Institute as he is for his Hollywood movies. And he's recently started expanding his Sundance empire and brand into actual theatres.12 years ago
‘The Wolverine’ has a few reasons to go on living
Hugh Jackman has already played the Wolverine in five other X-Men movies and now he's put on the killer claws for a sixth go-round. Only now, he's trying to forget who he is. Or at least, his character is.12 years ago
Seattle cellist adds sound to Alfred Hitchcock’s silent movies
Cellist and composer Lori Goldston and vocalist Jessika Kenney perform a sample of their silent film score they'll play to accompany two Alfred Hitchcock silent films for the Seattle International Film Festival.12 years ago
Alex Rodriguez facing potential lifetime ban over performance-enhancing drugs
Former Seattle Mariner and current New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez is now in the crosshairs of Major League Baseball's most serious steroid investigation ever.12 years ago
