Hasselhoff, Bolton, Imbruglia: Middle-Aged Rockers Rock Russia
July, 18, 2012 9:04 am | Comments On #Movies, music
St. Petersburg, Russia, the cultural capital of the nation, home to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the Hermitage Museum and the Kirov Ballet.
Recently, this noble list was lengthened however briefly by cultural giants of our own age, names like Hasselhoff and Imbruglia, Bolton and Simple Minds.
From July 6 to 8, Peter the Great’s wide window on the west played host to the “White Nights of St. Petersburg” music festival, an odd little affair in which 18 contestants from 15 countries compete before a panel of judges headed by ex-X Factor evaluator and one-time singer/dancer, Paula Abdul.
Performances by competitors were interspersed by B-list acts from the '80s and...
Read MoreAmazonas Film Festival: Great Films, Greater Venue
November, 15, 2011 11:14 am | Comments On #MoviesLast week I had the good fortune of being invited to the 8th Annual Amazonas Film Festival in Manaus, Brazil. This city of 2 million in the heart of the Amazon was the venue for hundreds of feature films and shorts from countries as diverse as Iran, Kenya, France, Argentina and of course, Brazil.
There are more prominent film festivals in South America, but none can boast a venue like the city’s old opera house built in 1896 and featured in the Werner Herzog classic, “Fitzcarraldo.” Opening night drew hundred of fans to the red carpet where luminaries like Alfonso Herrera, a Mexican telenovela star, drew squeals of delight from...
Read MoreReview: Heartsick Redneck on a Fiery Rampage in Wonderfully Weird 'Bellflower'
August, 04, 2011 10:01 am | Comments On #Bellflower, Jordan Riefe, Movies, reviews“Propane is for pussies,” says Aiden (Tyler Dawson) to best friend Woodrow (Evan Glodell) when their shotgun blast at a propane tank fails to trigger an explosion.
These two are just passing time the way they do when they’re not working on their dream projects: a muscle car named “Mother Medusa” and a homemade flamethrower.
“Bellflower” is the name of the rundown side street where they live. It is...
Read MoreBoys vs. Girls at the Box Office -- and the Winner Is ...
May, 10, 2011 12:49 pm | Comments On #Kate Hudson, Movies, Something Borrowed, Thor
It was boys vs. girls at the box office this weekend and, sorry ladies, but the boys won.
“Hobo with a Shotgun” pits a septuagenarian against a family of psychopaths.
“Something Borrowed” is a comedy so bad that it’s reason to revoke the First Amendment.
“Thor” is a comic book movie with Shakespearean undertones and some super-heavy hardware.
With all the beheadings and bloodletting, many will consider Jason Eisener’s grindhouse comedy, “Hobo with a Shotgun” too gory. Lucky for them it’s not called “Hobo with a Chainsaw.”
If this movie were a straight-ahead crime drama, such gore would be decried as reprehensible. But one wink at the audience and it’s all in good fun. When did black humor become license to portray the most sadistic...
Read MoreAt Last, Some Drought Relief Hits Theaters This Weekend
April, 22, 2011 11:29 am | Comments On #Incendies, Morgan Spurlock, Movies, Robert Pattinson, Water For ElephantsGo to the movies this weekend. Normally, that might sound like a threat, but there are at least two (count ‘em, two) watchable movies opening in theaters. It may not sound like much, but in the current box-office drought, it’s a veritable horn of plenty.
“Water for Elephants,” is a romantic melodrama that has no business being better than swill; shockingly, it is anything but.
Also read Leah Rozen's review: 'Water for Elephants': Edward Cullen Goes to the Circus
With “Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” Morgan Spurlock explores the not so mysterious methods of product placement.
“Incendies,” Canada’s entry for Best Foreign Film, follows...
Read More'Scream 4'? 'Rio'?: Give Me a Large Polo Mallet ...
April, 15, 2011 6:49 pm | Comments On #henry's crime, Movies, Rio, Scream 4What I wouldn’t give for a large polo mallet.
“Scream 4.” Why? Because someone smells money in this tired old ghost.
“The Princess of Montpelier.” A generic costume drama from France about a pretty princess with lips to die for and the men who die for them.
“Henry’s Crime.” A romantic comedy about doing the time, then doing the crime.
“Rio.” Kids will love it. If you’re their sad-sack guardian, don’t do this one with a hangover -- a hyperkinetic candy-colored assault on sobriety.
The thing about “Scream 4” is it can’t help but suck compared to the original. What made the first in the series so compelling isn’t the memorable characters or the unique plot, it was the meta-approach to the genre.
Characters talking about genre strictures...
Read MoreTracy & Hepburn -- Now There Was Chemistry!
April, 14, 2011 12:29 pm | Comments On #Katharine Hepburn, Media, Movies, Pat and Mike, Spencer Tracy, Woman of the YearClassics are classics for a reason and the new 10-disc set honoring one of Hollywood’s greatest movie couples, “Tracy & Hepburn: The Definitive Collection,” out this week, defines that reason.
Katharine Hepburn met Spencer Tracy just outside the Thalberg building on the lot at Metro before shooting George Stevens’ screwball classic, “Woman of the Year.” Noting the difference in height, she commented, “I’m afraid I’m too tall for you, Mr. Tracy.” Joseph Mankiewicz, who was standing nearby, responded, “Don’t worry, he’ll soon cut you down to size.”
The iconic couple went on to make nine movies together, all of which are included in this collection. Why should you care? Because when people talk about Tracy-Hepburn, they talk about chemistry. No onscreen couple has ever had...
Read More'Arthur': A Remake Out of Step With the Times
April, 08, 2011 10:55 am | Comments On #Arthur, Dudley Moore, Helen Mirren, Movies, Russell BrandRussell Brand takes center stage in “Arthur,” a remake of the 1981 comedy of the same name starring Dudley Moore. That film won two Oscars: Supporting Actor for Sir John Gielgud and Best Song for Burt Bacharach.
This film won’t win anything.
Russell Brand has cut an impressive path through movies with outrageous supporting parts like the spacey and irreverent rock star Aldous Snow, who stole enough of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” to see his character expanded to a co-starring role in “Get Him to the Greek.”
In his new movie, “Arthur” Brand brings plenty of energy and some better-than-average gags, but whatever laugh potential that might have been is squashed by director Jason Winer.
A TV veteran of such hit shows as “Modern Family,” Winer struggles with his cast,...
Read MoreFrom 'A.I.' to 'Taxi Driver,' the Week's New Blu-rays
April, 06, 2011 5:51 pm | Comments On #a.i., Blu-ray, Fiddler on the Roof, hollyblog, Jordan Riefe, Movies, Taxi DriverComing to Blu-ray this week, “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” the highly anticipated collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick that left critics and audiences slightly disappointed.
“Babe,” meanwhile, is a children’s tale that easily won the hearts of kids and parents alike. Its clever use of state-of-the-art digital effects allowed live-action animals to move in unison as well as synch their lips with dialogue.
Nominated for six Oscars, “Fiddler on the Roof” was a beloved film in its time, with catchy numbers like “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” by Jerry Bock.
And while “Rocky” won the Best Picture Oscar in 1976, but there aren’t many who would place it over runner up, “Taxi Driver.” ...
Read MoreDavid Schwimmer's 'Trust': A Garden-Variety Family-in-Crisis Film
April, 04, 2011 6:40 pm | Comments On #David Schwimmer, films, hollyblog, Movies, review, TrustA member of the Board of Directors of the Rape Foundation in Santa Monica, David Schwimmer kept his eyes and ears open to the testimony of the many victims that pass through its doors.
Through that experience came “Trust,” a well-meaning drama about a family in crisis after their daughter is seduced by an internet predator.
Annie Cameron is a pleasant, middle-class kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. Her father, Will, is a successful adman and a devoted family man. Her mother, Lynn, is a homemaker.
Annie is befriended by fellow volleyball enthusiast, Charlie, on the internet.
The two begin a relationship based on mutual interests that soon...
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Description
A fifteen-year veteran movie writer servicing print, on-line and radio outlets, Jordan Riefe has a background in filmmaking, screenwriting and broadcast. He lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys curling, candle-making and vegetarian baking with his cat, Smapte.
