Of all things, the VHS tape is in the midst of a nostalgic resurgence. Not only does the dead medium of the 1980s enjoy having a horror-anthology franchise named after it, but no fewer than three new documentaries celebrate its heyday, and a few indie labels have issued limited-edition releases on bulky cassettes rather than […]
24
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Love Is All You Need
Luckily, the film is smarter than the average adult-oriented romantic dramedy, and not just because it speaks in three tongues. The main reason for its ultimate (if unspectacular) success is its director and co-writer, Susanne Bier, who won an Academy Award for the Danish drama In a Better World, deservedly named 2010’s Best Foreign Language […]
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Storage 24
Among the few unfortunates sealed within its labyrinthian walls are a newly dumped Charlie (Doghouse’s Noel Clarke, who also scripted) and his ex, Shelly (Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Albert Nobbs), both of whom have come to retrieve their stuff. Each has brought a friend, too: Mark (Colin O’Donoghue, The Rite) and Nikki (Laura Haddock, The Inbetweeners Movie). […]
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Amour
In other words, the guy is definitely not the lovey-dovey type. But that unblinking, cold-blooded aesthetic is largely what makes Amour, which opens Friday at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, so remarkable. In its depiction of an elderly Parisian couple coming to terms with illness and looming death, the film is almost brutal in its […]
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXIV
This edition — four episodes on four discs, per Shout! Factory’s usual — is like a cinematic-crap tour around the globe. We venture south of the border for 1962’s Samson vs. the Vampire Women, a masked-wrestler epic that stars Santo (not Samson, no matter what the title says), the caped superhero of Mexico’s wrasslin’ ring. […]
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ATM / Brake
I’m beginning to think Chris Sparling is trying to carve a screenwriting career as the Tight, Enclosed Spaces Guy. First, he put Ryan Reynolds in a coffin for the entirety of Buried. Now, he’s trapped three young co-workers (played by Men in Black 3‘s Alice Eve, The Hurt Locker‘s Brian Geraghty and The Wackness‘ Josh […]
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Friends with Kids
Although long a screenwriter (Kissing Jessica Stein) and an actress (TV’s Notes from the Underbelly and 24), Westfeldt makes her directorial debut with this romantic comedy that co-stars four members of the Bridesmaids cast and opens Friday. She stars as Julie, best buds to Jason (Adam Scott, TV’s Parks and Recreation). Their relationship is pure […]
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Art prints
24 works on paper. Featuring 24 artists from eight Oklahoma cities, the art includes printmaking and multimedia. One piece is comprised of photos sewn together to create an abstract array of pinks, blues and neutrals. Associate director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Kelsey Karper, said the works are hard to describe. “The guest curator, […]
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Identity
Acorn Media has released the complete series on a two-disc set that’s worth landing on crime fans’ radar. While its concept sounds suspect — stolen identities are investigated — the execution is near-expert. It’s not, as I expected, half-a-dozen hours of people fretting over check fraud. Thankfully, it’s more complicated than that, and the stakes stand […]
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Covert Affairs: Season One
What it’s not, however, judging from its first season, is appointment television. It might be if it started anyone other than Piper Perabo. As mid-20s CIA newbie Annie Walker, she’s fine in the role, but ever since Hollywood tried to shove her down our throats in 2000 with the execrable “Coyote Ugly,” she’s never clicked […]