Film & TV
Open The Shutters
Shutter Island, Scorsese and DiCaprio’s fourth collaboration, finds the legendary duo taking more risks than ever before.
Island Dream Team
Street caught up with legends Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sir Ben Kingsley to discuss their new film, Shutter Island Street: How did you approach this film, and what drew you to the material? Martin Scorsese: I think I just tried to approach it from my own reaction to reading the material.
Highway To Hell
St. John of Las Vegas’ opening scene features Steve Buscemi under the unflattering glare of a convenience store’s fluorescent lights.
Go Fish
On the surface, Fish Tank seems like the white, British version of awards show-darling Precious. Both films feature teenage girls with big dreams in seemingly hopeless situations, living in poverty with negligent mothers and little guidance.
Werewolf?
Are werewolves the new vampires? Thanks to a certain tweenage book/movie sensation, it seems like our favorite hairy monsters are making a resurgence on the big screen.
In The Mood For Love
A complex web of relationships that all converge over the course of one day? You’re probably thinking you’ve already seen this movie.
3-D Upgrades
If Avatar’s success is any indication, we can expect many more 3-D films in the future.
Sundance Shoutouts
Last weekend, after 10 days and 200 films, Sundance concluded another exciting indie film festival.
Guilty Pleasure: Troop Beverley Hills (1989)
With its celebration of ’80s-style overindulgence and superficial consumerism, Troop Beverly Hills is just the film to combat those recessionista blues. Following her husband’s request for a divorce, materialistic socialite Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) plunges into her role as the leader of her daughter Hannah’s (Jenny Lewis long before Rilo Kiley) Wilderness Girls troop.
Sparks Fly
Nicholas Sparks should be proud of himself. Not only has he carved out a second home atop the New York Times bestseller list, but he has also practically monopolized the cinematic genre of tear-jerking romance.
Dear Channing
Street: Dear John letters must be extremely painful to receive. Did you speak with any soldiers who received them while overseas Channing Tatum: I never actually ran into one that got an actual “Dear John” letter, but my whole unit, except for maybe four actors, were actual special forces, and I did get to talk to them about what it is to be away from somebody for that long, and how they communicate.
On The Edge
2010 may just be Mel Gibson’s comeback year. Since his little outburst a few years ago he has been entirely absent.
Spotlight On: Romanian New Wave
An unlikely nation has captured the attention of cinephiles across the globe.
Defibrillator: “Werckmeister Harmonies”
As director Bela Tarr points out, Werckmeister Harmonies explores the “boundaries between civilization and barbarism.” While cryptic, his experimental allegory about encroaching fascism is visually stunning and endlessly rewarding. The film begins in a pub.
Point/Counterpoint: AVATAR
After winning Best Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes, Avatar is a front-runner for the Oscar’s top prize.
Don't Panic
Fish that steal walls, horses that drive trucks and a neighbor who always SPEAKS LIKE THIS are some of the many characters inhabiting the bizarrely funny world of A Town Called Panic. Based on a Belgian puppet series originally distributed via five minute episodes, this stop-motion animated film follows the lives of three individuals — Horse, Cowboy and Indian — after Cowboy and Indian forget to give Horse a gift for his birthday.
Heart of Gold
One would think writer-director Scott Cooper would deserve most of the credit for Crazy Heart's heartbreaking portrayal of a washed-up country singer.
Ah! Young Nazis!
Something is amiss in the village of Eichwald, Germany.
Top 10 of 2009
2009 has been sort of an up and down year for theater-goers, as triumphant highs, like The Hurt Locker, have shared screen time with embarrassing lows, The Squeakquel, anyone?
