Features
“I think Americans are good people, but I don’t think they’re better or worse than anybody else in the world. I am particularly proud of the fact that, in spite of the pathetic performance of our government in relation to what happened, how it could have been prepared for and reaction after the fact to […]
Entries from September 2005
INTERVIEW: Viggo Mortensen
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:33 am · September 30th, 2005
Filed in: Interviews
Waxing politique
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:03 am · September 30th, 2005
Interviewing Viggo Mortensen last Thursday at the Four Seasons brought with it the inevitable political discussion, prompted by my referencing statements the actor had made calling for the impeachment of President Bush in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The following is his political stance and word for word dissection of the administration. Though not pertaining […]
Filed in: Daily
INTERVIEW: Maria Bello
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:44 am · September 29th, 2005
Actress Maria Bello tells it how it is. She seemingly refuses to censor herself, and in an interview setting she is perfectly comfortable allowing her thought process to be put on display. She’s headstrong, contemplative and overwhelmingly sensitive to the natural process of learning, be it through life, through career, through love or through family. […]
Filed in: Interviews
INTERVIEW: David Cronenberg
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:10 am · September 28th, 2005
Filmmaker David Cronenberg has made a career out of disturbing imagery. From James Woods shoving a videotape through his stomach in 1983’s Videodrome to James Spader getting off with a crippled Holly Hunter in 1996’s Crash; Jeff Goldblum spewing acid in 1986’s The Fly to the construction of a weapon made of human bones in […]
Filed in: Interviews
SHORT TAKE: “Walk the Line” (***)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:21 pm · September 26th, 2005
You’ll soon see Joaquin Phoenix tearing up the screen with a blistering performance in the story of a seminal rock star’s fascinating life in “Walk the Line” – but it ain’t Johnny Cash. The film works very well on its own terms, but I have to say – I just don’t like the terms. On […]
Filed in: Reviews
SHORT TAKE: “In Her Shoes” (**1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:21 pm · September 26th, 2005
Curtis Hanson’s “In Her Shoes” is an exercise in sluggish pacing. It has a lot to say to its target audience, but it ultimately feels as though the filmmaker behind the project isn’t capable of really sparking the conversation. Cameron Diaz struts about the screen desperately in need of a meal, but fulfilling the empty […]
Filed in: Reviews
REVIEW: “A History of Violence” (***1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:44 pm · September 15th, 2005
“A History of Violence” is going to be David Cronenberg’s crowning glory. It’s the film that has something to say about every cinematic endeavor in his lengthy portfolio. It’s the film that time will remember him by. Based on a gritty graphic novel by John Wagner, the film is a commentary on the nature of […]
Filed in: Reviews
SHORT TAKE: “Corpse Bride” (***1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:06 am · September 13th, 2005
I saw Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” in Westwood tonight, and it’s one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Recalling strands of “Beetlejuice” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the film’s witty screenplay combines with a bombastic Danny Elfman score and a heightened level of production value to make for Burton’s best endeavor of any […]
Filed in: Reviews
SHORT TAKE: “The Family Stone” (***1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:36 am · September 3rd, 2005
Thomas Bezucha’s “The Family Stone” is as refreshingly scripted as one can hope for. His film has magnificent ideas. His characters are thoroughly crafted with a richness unbecoming of the current cinema. His tale brings with it a warmth and a spirit that permeates like the finest emotional experience. It should be noted that the […]
Filed in: Reviews
Archives
