Movie review by Greg Carlson In 2005, “Sin City” exploited the possibilities of green screen in a manner that felt fresh and exciting, marrying computer generated imagery to the performances of Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s game cast. Faithfully replicating the stylized, monochromatic panels of Miller’s cult comic book series, the film’s design was exciting […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Probably best known in America as the screenwriter of Ji-woon Kim’s terrifying “I Saw the Devil,” Hoon-jung Park closely examines classic and contemporary gangster genre hallmarks in the smart and entertaining “New World.” The Korean filmmaker’s second feature as director, “New World” stylishly blends together key elements of Andrew Lau […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson “Boyhood,” Richard Linkater’s twelve-years-in-the-making adventure that follows the lives of a familial quartet, carries in its DNA one of the Texas auteur’s most durable paradoxes: the easygoing, everyday, and quotidian markers of cyclical middle class life onscreen contrast sharply with the vision, commitment, and work ethic that Linklater applies to […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson The whopping financial success of “Guardians of the Galaxy” portends many eventualities, but chief among them is the seemingly bottomless desire of the moviegoing public for summery, blockbuster-budgeted superhero tentpoles. If Indiewire’s Kevin Jagernauth is correct, the “tipping point” may be in sight, with “30 comic book movies from major […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Cockamamie, idiotic, and often fun, Luc Besson’s “Lucy” purees visuals from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Kill Bill,” “The Tree of Life,” “Only God Forgives,” and many other movies fancied by the filmmaker, including “Nikita,” “Leon,” and “The Fifth Element” from his own filmography. Many of Besson’s references appear courtesy of […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Warm, funny, engaging, and foul-mouthed, “The Battered Bastards of Baseball” recounts the almost too-good-to-be-true rise and fall of the Portland Mavericks, a colorful minor league club that operated from 1973 to 1977 in the Class A Northwest League. Owned and operated by the irrepressible Bing Russell – one-time ballplayer, veteran […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Joon-ho Bong’s English-language debut “Snowpiercer” is a berserk conglomeration as likely to win a host of new fans as it is to put off some of the director’s longtime admirers. Turning on the talented Korean filmmaker’s deep understanding of screen space and the timeless cinematic allure of the locomotive, the […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Making her feature debut with an expanded adaptation of her 2009 short, Gillian Robespierre shows plenty of talent and even more promise in “Obvious Child,” a low-budget comedy attracting as much attention for its subject matter as it is for star Jenny Slate’s breakout performance. Slate plays Donna Stern, a […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Pop culture chronicler Alexandre O. Philippe, whose tremendously entertaining 2010 documentary “The People vs. George Lucas” examined the devotion of “Star Wars” fan communities, applies a similar approach in “Doc of the Dead.” Philippe splatters his canvas with bloody, broad brushstrokes, painting a rapid-fire array of talking heads both noteworthy […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Every single penny of its modest budget up on the screen, William Eubank’s “The Signal” integrates impressive special effects in a manner similar to Josh Trank’s “Chronicle,” another out-of-the-blue science fiction thriller about a group of smart young people in over their heads. Unfortunately, “The Signal” lacks a great deal […]