The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Meet the New Girl in Town

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is hardly a personal project. Still, David Fincher’s sveltely malevolent remake of the 2009 Swedish blockbuster directed by Niels Arden Oplev from Stieg Larsson’s rambling thriller, a posthumously published international bestseller and Kindle record-holder, is a recognizably Fincherian caper. The movie, which opens with…

We Bought a Zoo: Not for Cynical Beasts

When I told someone I was off to a screening of We Bought a Zoo the other day, the response was an eye-roll. The reaction is understandable: Save for two music docs — an Elton John-Leon Russell album making-of and that Pearl Jam anniversary infomercial — Cameron Crowe has been…

2011 in Movies: The Breakdown

There’s a very, very good chance you haven’t seen the best movie of 2011. At least, that’s what Karina Longworth is saying in this week’s cover story. Margaret, Kenneth Lonergan’s latest starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo, is the best film of the year, Longworth says. So, yep,…

At Last! A Look at The The Hobbit

An exciting moment late in the day yesterday: The debut of the official trailer for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings prequel, you know, The Hobbit. Finally. If you didn’t know, Tolkien’s book is being adapted by the pretty much same crew as LOTR (including an epic soundtrack by Howard…

Dallas-Fort Worth Critics Pick Top Films of 2011

Over on Unfair Park, Robert Wilonsky posted the full release from the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics picks of the best films of 2011. Descendants, the Alexander Payne drama with George Clooney, is a topper as well as Drive (full Q&A with the director right here), Martin Scorcese’s Hugo, and Steve…

Young Adult: The Bitch is Back

Described as a “psychotic prom-queen bitch,” the anti-heroine of Young Adult is a prize part that affords Charlize Theron one of the season’s prize performances — although, to judge from the voting at the New York Film Critics Circle conclave last week, few of my colleagues seem to agree. Perhaps…

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Although supplying boy’s adventure thrills on the side, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories are remarkable for how they make the process of empirical brainwork, and the resulting discoveries, breathlessly exciting. Each Holmes tale simultaneously unlocks a mystery while deepening the enigma of its hero in a miraculously sustained piece…

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

For 15 years and now four sequels, Tom Cruise has pilgrimaged regularly to the Mission: Impossible franchise. Like a Hindu’s rejuvenating bath in the Ganges, a dip in the series serves to wash away perceived doubts about the star’s enduring fame and clout. The sustained box office of the M:I…

The Artopia Party at the Dallas Contemporary in Marvelous Video

Speaking of montages… The fine editors and shooters of YouPlusDallas (shot by Mark Blitch and Matthew Rojas) have posted their super-high-def recap of our Artopia party at the Dallas Contemporary. Very cool, guys. Very cool. I highly recommend jumping over to their site for the humongo-high-res version…alas, our strained servers…

The Films of 2011 in One Big, Damn Trailer

With “Best Of” lists and year-end round-ups and critic’s picks ranking the best films of the year stacking up, the folks at Filmography (h/t Daily What) have created a great cheat sheet for you: a montage of the 2011 in films. Among them, of course, you’ll see gems like partly-Dallas-shot…

Here’s a Movie Poster of the Day: The Dark Knight Rises

If you’re anything like us Dork Knights, and you’re patiently clawing at your thighs in anticipation of the upcoming Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol screening (you know, so you can see the Dark Knight Rises prologue in glorious IMAX)… Then you’ll like the above newly-released, Bane-themed one sheet. Holy. By the…

New Year’s Eve, Shame and More: What’s New at the Movies This Week

New Year’s Eve (Wide Release) The latest ex-star-vaganza centered around a holiday a la Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve features more big names than a Jerry Lewis telethon. Directed by Gary Marshall (the aforementioned Valentine’s Day, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride), the film weaves together various stories of couples on NYE…

The Sitter

Big, soft, squishy: These words describe Jonah Hill’s heart as well as his body in The Sitter, the mixed-bag last record of its star’s physique before a radical slim-down. As the film opens, Hill’s layabout Noah, kicked out of college and living at home in the suburbs of New York…

The Interrupters: Between Bodies and Guns

Inspired by a 2008 New York Times Magazine article by Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James’ commanding documentary The Interrupters, about “violence interrupters” in Chicago who intervene in conflicts before they escalate into gunshots, unfolds as deeply reported journalism. Much like Hoop Dreams (1994), James’ in-depth examination of the athletic aspirations of…

‘The A-List: Dallas’ Episode 9 Recap: The Fashion of Levi’s Love

Gay Video & Lesbian Movies – Logo: Fierce TVSorry for the delay this week, poodles. Got tied up while filming for ‘Real Freelancers of East Dallas.’ Premiering soon on My Fantasy Bravo! Anyway, this week’s episode of ‘A-List’ ratchets up the drama in anticipation of next week’s season finale. This…