Ender's Game finished No. 1 at the box office this past weekend with an estimated take of $28 million. Yet the movie only surpassed Bad Grandpa — in its second week of release — by $7.5 million. With a reported budget of $110 million, it seems difficult to project that Ender's Game will make that back in […]

Filmgoers didn't seem too interested in Ridley Scott's latest film, The Counselor, which finished fourth at the box office this past weekend. But I think it provides plenty to write about. Obviously, there's the film itself. Is it any good? It's pretty good. Neither the story or characters are clear or compelling enough for it […]

This weekend, the remake of Carrie hits theaters. Brian De Palma’s 1976 version is a classic horror film, one that probably doesn’t need to be remade. But 37 years later, a fresh set of creative talent can look at adapting Stephen King’s original novel differently. Modern concerns about bullying and social networking can be incorporated into […]

When I originally thought about writing this piece, it was going to be a criticism of Robert Rodriguez. Had he fulfilled his potential as a filmmaker?  His latest film, Machete Kills, looked like total schlock. Maybe it would find an audience among those who share Rodriguez's love for the grindhouse and exploitation era of 70's […]

Was it a disappointing summer for movies? It certainly felt that way. Much of the online chatter from movie critics and fans regarded the disappointing blockbusters. Every film seemed to come with a "Yeah, but" qualifier when talking about it. Yeah, Iron Man 3 was pretty cool, but I didn't like what happened with the […]

The new Hugh Jackman thriller Prisoners was the No. 1 movie this past weekend, earning an estimated $21.4 million at the box office. Though there was really nothing else worth seeing in theaters, I wondered how much interest there would be in this film.  The trailers and commercials made Prisoners look like a compelling drama, […]

With the NFL opening this past weekend, along with stellar college matchups like Michigan versus Notre Dame, all of my thoughts should have been about football. And maybe 85 percent of my brain power was devoted to the gridiron.  But there was something else I kept thinking about, no matter how much football I watched. […]

I don't know about you, but I now see holidays and the long weekends they provide as an opportunity to catch up on some TV. Some people take trips to other cities. Maybe they go camping. At the very least, many have a cookout, inviting over family and friends. But for me, it's a chance […]