NYC Film Critic

Worried that global warming is going to ruin the Earth in the next decade?  Well, Bjorn Lomborg, Sweden’s famous Skeptical Environmentalist, tells you to Cool It in this new documentary by Ondi Timoner.  Not that Lomborg denies global warming exists–he just doesn’t think its the impending cataclysm that Al Gore would have you believe.  It’s a discussion worth having, but the movie doesn’t argue its case particularly effectively.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

Gareth Edwards’ feature-film debut takes place in a world overrun by giant alien monsters.  Great premise, but the actual film lacks a few key elements–namely compelling characters and a rich story.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

As a fan of the original Paranormal Activity (it was #15 on my Top 20 list last year) I’ve always been slightly skeptical about sequelizing a movie that probably should have remained a one-off.  Turns out I had good reason–Paranormal Activity 2 is basically the same movie as the first installment, just on a slightly bigger scale and with considerably fewer scares.  Read my review over at Film Journal.  And check out my review of the original film from last September.

Shocking absolutely no one, Jackass 3D became the number one movie in America this past weekend.  However, the fact that it earned $50 million?  Well…that was kind of shocking.  Credit those higher 3D ticket prices!  Read my review of the film over at Film Journal.  And while you’re at it, you can revisit my review of the first Jackass movie from way, way back in 2002.  Either I’ve grown more mellow with time or my standards are just lower…

Todd Phillips returns to the genre that kicked off his career with Due Date, his second road-trip comedy after 2000’s conveniently titled Road Trip.  He’s traded up in terms of star power, though; that one starred Tom Green and Breckin Meyer while this one features Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis.  Read my feature story with Phillips at Film Journal.

Unless of course that horse is the famous Secretariat, who won racing’s highest honor–the Triple Crown–in 1973.  Now, the true story behind that colt’s gallop to glory becomes a mediocre feature film in a new Disney-produced drama called simply, Secretariat. Read my review at Film Journal.

The best-selling book becomes a big-screen omnibus documentary consisting of two very good films and two not-so-good films.  I tell you which are which in my full review, just posted at Film Journal.

The fall movie season kicks off in earnest with the release of David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s first collaboration, The Social Network, which stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

It’s been almost three months since I’ve seen Gasper Noe’s Enter the Void and I haven’t been able to forget the damn thing.  That’s not necessarily a sign of its quality, by the way.  In many respects, the film is a laughable disaster that’s all the more hilarious because it takes itself so seriously.  And yet, the filmmaking technique is so compelling and Noe’s commitment to his cracked vision so complete that it could almost be described as a work of brilliance, albeit a demented one.  I wrestle with this confounding, compelling and altogether crazy picture more in my full-length review over at Film Journal.

Matt Reeves accepted a difficult assignment when he agreed to helm an American remake of the terrific Swedish vampire film, Let the Right One In.  But guess what?  His gamble paid off.  While Let Me In and Let the Right One In tell the same story, both are very different movies in terms of tone.  The Swedish version is an austere drama while the American cut is an emotionally charged horror film.  This is one of the rare Hollywood remakes that works on its own terms, which is a not inconsiderable achievement considering the industry’s uneven track record with adapting foreign language films.  Read my feature interview with Reeves at Film Journal.