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Film: Unleashing Life’s Wild Things

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:28:41 GMT

Max Records and two co-stars in “Where the Wild Things Are."A new breed of children’s movies play a kind of reverse dress-up, disguising adult anxieties in the costumes of innocent make-believe and fanciful spectacle.

Film: A New Attack on the Iraq War Film

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:36:42 GMT

Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger,” directed by Oren Moverman.“The Messenger” portrays conflict on the home front: the struggles of those who tell the next of kin their loved ones are dead.

Film: Destroying the Earth, Over and Over Again

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:55:36 GMT

In “2012,” from Roland Emmerich, an aircraft carrier hangs 10 on a Washington tidal wave.The director Roland Emmerich is at the helm of another disaster movie with “2012.”

DVDs: Tabloid Auteur: Muscular Vision of Samuel Fuller

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:53:05 GMT

Glenn Corbett and Victoria Shaw in “The Crimson Kimono” (1959).The director Samuel Fuller found a visual style to match his pounding prose.

‘Fight Club’ Fight Goes On

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:10:08 GMT

Brad Pitt, center, as Tyler Durden, in “Fight Club” (1999).Forget the first rule. On its 10th anniversary, people are still talking about “Fight Club.”

Sunday Routine | Christine Vachon: When Being Home Is an Adventure

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:54:51 GMT

An independent film producer spends Sundays with her partner and their daughter, either in their East Village home or on a journey in the city.

Short Cuts

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:36:58 GMT

Julie Christie and Robert Altman on the set of the 1971 film “McCabe & Mrs. Miller.”The life of Robert Altman, told in interviews with nearly 200 of his friends, colleagues and family members.

Film: A Tragic Ballerina Dances Again, Her Shoes Now Redder Than Ever

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:14:07 GMT

Moira Shearer in the 1948 ballet classic “The Red Shoes,” now newly restored and showing for two weeks at Film Forum.The colors in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s masterpiece “The Red Shoes” don’t just exist, they also express.

Movie Review | 'Precious': Howls of a Life, Buried Deep Within

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:48:11 GMT

Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, with Gabourey Sidibe in the title role, opens Friday in selected cities.“Precious” is a hybrid, a mash-up that might have been ungainly, but that manages to be graceful instead.

Movie Review | 'The Box': Simplifying One Life, Complicating Another

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:13:43 GMT

Frank Langella, left, with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, who play a couple in Richard Kelly's new film, “The Box.”“The Box” is sincere and sinister and inevitably ambitious.

Movie Review | 'Disney’s A Christmas Carol': Ghosts of Technology Present

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:24:14 GMT

"Disney’s A Christmas Carol," starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge, opens on Friday nationwide.“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a branded piece of shiny seasonal entertainment.

Movie Review | 'That Evening Sun': Reclaiming a Home at the Sunset of Life

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:13:06 GMT

Hal Holbrook as an 80-year-old farmer fighting for his property in “That Evening Sun.”In “That Evening Sun,” Hal Holbrook strips the stereotype of the grumpy old man of sentimental shtick.

Movie Review | 'Collapse': Single Focus: An Outsider With Doomsday Vision

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:16:15 GMT

Connecting the dots between oil, population and energy: the author Michael C. Ruppert is the subject of a documentary.A chilling monologue of imminent catastrophe, “Collapse” is not just sobering; it’s a full-on assault.

Movie Review | 'The Men Who Stare at Goats': Mission Mind Control in Defense of America

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:17 GMT

Jeff Bridges, left, and George Clooney in the foreground in a scene in “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” about an Army unit.“The Men Who Stare at Goats” is a likable, lightweight, absurdist comedy.

Movie Review | 'The Fourth Kind': Even Insomniacs Can Have Nightmares

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:14:55 GMT

Milla Jovovich in “The Fourth Kind,” with quasi-documentary accounts of alien abductions.“The Fourth Kind” may be humorless, paranoid nonsense, but its biggest failure is its inability to scare.

Movie Review | 'Splinterheads': Casual Quest for Meaning, Aided by GPS

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:47 GMT

Rachael Taylor and Thomas Middleditch in "Splinterheads."“Splinterheads” is a shaggy comedy with more heart than heft.

Movie Review | 'La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet': Creating Dialogue From Body Language

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:55:05 GMT

A scene from “La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet,” a documentary filmed at the Palais Garnier.“La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet” is one of the finest dance films ever made, but there’s more to it than that.

Movie Review | 'Act of God': Trying to Find Meaning in a Bolt From the Blue

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:05:37 GMT

Lighning is the star in Jennifer Baichwal's film “Act of God.”In the wispy documentary “Act of God,” survivors of lightning strikes find metaphysical meaning in meteorological phenomena.

Film Series and Movie Listings

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:46:27 GMT

MOVIES.

Movie Review | 'You Cannot Start Without Me': Here’s What Being Busy in Russia Sounds Like

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:06:06 GMT

The conductor Valery Gergiev leads the London Symphony Orchestra.What you learn from this film that the conductor Valery Gergiev is one busy guy. What you don’t learn: what specific skills or knowledge make him such a busy guy.

Movie Review | 'This Is It': The Pop Spectacular That Almost Was

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:38:04 GMT

Michael Jackson performing in the documentary "This Is It."Death returned Michael Jackson’s humanity, and so does “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.”

Movie Review | 'The House of the Devil': Baby Sitter, Beware: That Top Step Is a Lulu

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:40:22 GMT

Jocelin Donahue in the 2009 film "The House of the Devil," directed by Ti West.“The House of the Devil” is a horror movie that provides more shiver than splatter.

It’s Nearly a Wrap for Hollywood Power Lunches at Orso

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:55:54 GMT

Orso is closing this month, joining a long list of former film industry haunts.With the closing of Orso, producers will need another place to meet smoking stars.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to Host the Oscars

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:07:20 GMT

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were named next year’s Academy Awards hosts days after the Golden Globes landed the comedian Ricky Gervais as its host.

ArtsBeat: For Sale: One Humanity-Wasting Robot, Answers to the Name 'Terminator'

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:21:41 GMT

The Halcyon Company, which owns the rights to the “Terminator” movies and related assets, plans to sell the franchise at an auction in January.

‘This Is It’: No. 1, but Still Disappointing

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:05:03 GMT

Michael Jackson in “This Is It,” running through Thanksgiving.The much-hyped Michael Jackson documentary failed to thrill a mega audience in North America. But overseas was another story, where a stronger fan base delivered big results.

ArtsBeat: Date Set for Oral Arguments in Polanski Case

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:43:28 GMT

A California appeals court in Los Angeles has scheduled oral arguments in its review of Roman Polanski's three-decade-old sex case for Dec. 10.

Holiday Movies: Cinematic Soul Mates

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:48:33 GMT

Penélope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar. Penélope Cruz, muse, and Pedro Almodóvar, inspiree. Or is it the other way around?

Holiday Movies: Eternal Role: A-List Character Actor

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:59:43 GMT

Matt Damon at the River Cafe in Brooklyn.By sticking to the character-actor script, Matt Damon has built a most unusual A-list career.

Holiday Movies: Not His Typical Ghost Story (or Movie)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:51:47 GMT

“The Lovely Bones” stars Saoirse Ronan as a girl who watches over her family after she is murdered.With “The Lovely Bones,” Peter Jackson becomes a different kind of storyteller.

Holiday Movies: Dickens’s Victorian London Goes Digital

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:24:25 GMT

Scrooge (voiced by Jim Carrey) and Tiny Tim (Gary Oldman) in Robert Zemeckis's latest performance-capture film, “A Christmas Carol,” which opens on Friday.In “A Christmas Carol,” Robert Zemeckis’s visual design creates a world of convincing substance that has an element of fantasy.

Holiday Movies: Fascism, Repression and ‘The White Ribbon’

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:58:14 GMT

Roxane Duran and Rainer Bock in “Ribbon,” about small-town abuses before World War I.Michael Haneke says his new film, “The White Ribbon,” should make people reflect on current issues.

Holiday Movies: From Chicago to Fez, Filmmaker's Favorites

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:58:01 GMT

Pimmi Verma and Lalit Verma in "Monsoon Wedding."Terry Gilliam, Jan Chapman, David Benioff and Rebecca Miller discuss their favorite holiday movies.

‘Julie & Julia’ for the Rugged: Tracing a Fatal Everest Trek

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:11:12 GMT

Above, the climbers Conrad Anker and Leo Houlding in Anthony Geffen's new documentary, “The Wildest Dream,” about the attempt of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine to climb Mount Everest in 1924.“The Wildest Dream,” a documentary scheduled for release next spring, tracks a mountaineer’s attempt to mirror an ill-fated 1924 climbing expedition on Mount Everest.

The Web: Bite-Sized Bits of Horror, Served Up on the Web

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:27:29 GMT

A scene from the Web serial “Splatter,” produced by Roger Corman and directed by Joe Dante.Roger Corman, the 83-year-old B-movie provocateur, has made his first foray into online video with “Splatter,” a three-part serial.

Arts, Briefly: Jackson Movie Reaps $20.1 Million on First Day

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:40:21 GMT

Sony said “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” opened on Wednesday to $7.4 million in ticket sales in North America and $12.7 internationally.

Arts, Briefly: Animated Film Planned of Katrina Book

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:35:42 GMT

Jonathan Demme plans to take his adaptation of “Zeitoun,” the best-selling Dave Eggers work, one step further by making the book into an animated feature.

Following ‘Paranormal,’ What Price Scary Glory?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:08:48 GMT

"Paranormal Activity," produced for $10,000, grossed $22 million in its opening weekend.After the success of the underground hit “Paranormal Activity,” Hollywood is pondering what the next film from its director, Oren Peli, is worth.

Fans Gather Worldwide to Welcome Jackson Film

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:31:03 GMT

Crowds at the premiere of “This Is It” at the Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles.“This Is It” opened with 17 premieres around the world, some beginning in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Film: Prints That Shine Anew: Cassavetes, Bergman and More at MoMA

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:43:08 GMT

More than 25 movies rescued from the ravages of time will be featured in this year’s edition of “To Save and Project,” the Museum of Modern Art’s annual festival of preserved films.

Disney Hopes ‘Christmas Carol’ Lives Up to Its Blockbuster Marketing

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:43:06 GMT

A train touring the country to promote “A Christmas Carol” has exhibits about the film, trying to stir interest in a familiar story.What does it take to convince the world it needs yet another “Christmas Carol” adaptation? Apparently, a whole lot of hard sell.

Studios’ Quest for Life After DVDs

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:30 GMT

Blu-ray sales were up in the first half of the year, but studios are no longer acting as though that growth will continue forever.Hollywood used to keep quiet about digital video, for fear of angering DVD retailers like Wal-Mart. The silence is over, and the innovations are rolling out.

Fox Overhauls the Leadership of Its Entertainment Divisions

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:24:05 GMT

Riding a wave of successful films as the president of Fox Searchlight Pictures, Peter Rice will become the top entertainment executive.

Carpetbagger: Soderbergh and Bana at TriBeCa Festival

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:23:08 GMT

Eric Bana (and his beast) in his documentary “Love of the Beast.”New films from Steven Soderbergh, Eric Bana and Cheryl Hines join the lineup at the coming TriBeCa Film Festival.

William Morris and Endeavor Explore a Merger

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:50:26 GMT

The merger of the two talent agencies would challenge the leadership position of Creative Artists Agency.

Tullio Pinelli, Screenwriter for Fellini, Dies at 100

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:33:52 GMT

Mr. Pinelli’s prolific screenwriting career included a long partnership with the director Federico Fellini, with whom he wrote “I Vitelloni,” “La Strada,” “La Dolce Vita” and “8 ½.”

Arts, Briefly: Sundance Festival Chooses New Director

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:30:47 GMT

The Sundance Film Festival has found its new director.

Arts, Briefly: Ruling Against Novelist in ‘Sahara’ Movie Case

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:20:41 GMT

A judge has ruled that the novelist Clive Cussler must pay $13.9 million in legal fees to the production company that made the film “Sahara.”

Carpetbagger: And the DVD Goes To…

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:53:14 GMT

A large number of the Times’s critics’ picks release on DVD this week.

Film Society Chooses Executive Director

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:12:24 GMT

Mara ManusMara Manus, the Public Theater’s top financial executive, is taking the helm as the Film Society undergoes a $38 million expansion.

Front Row: We’re Off to See the Ruby Slippers

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:49:31 GMT

One of Betsey Johnson's sketches.Betsey Johnson and 20 other designers are recreating Dorothy’s glittering ruby slippers to commemorate the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” next year to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Arts, Briefly: Cannes Winner to Open New York Film Festival

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:36:11 GMT

The 46th New York Film Festival will open with the North American premiere of “The Class” (“Entre les Murs”).

Charles H. Joffe, Movie Producer, Is Dead at 78

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:46:29 GMT

Charles H. Joffe and Diane Keaton on Oscar night 1978.Mr. Joffe was a co-producer of Woody Allen’s movies and the business expert in the talent agency that managed the careers of a host of high-profile comedians.

Paramount Drops Out of Plan to Raise $450 Million for Films

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:02:21 GMT

Paramount Pictures said it had pulled out of a planned film finance deal that was meant to raise as much as $450 million.

Out of Control

Sat, 31 May 2008 02:08:21 GMT

Chris FarleyAn oral biography of the comedian Chris Farley.

‘Sex and the City’ Leads Weekend Box Office

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:45:32 GMT

The film has earned an estimated $55.7 million since Thursday, making it an unconventional summer hit.

Fire Destroys Parts of a Popular Movie Lot in California

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:13:36 GMT

A fire erupted Sunday at NBC Universal’s studio lot in Universal City, Calif. In the foreground, a set from “War of the Worlds.”A fire at NBC Universal’s studio lot in Universal City, Calif., destroyed a vault full of movie and television images and parts of the popular studio tour. At least six firefighters were injured.

The Media Equation: Slumber Parties Go Digital

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:23:46 GMT

In the gender wars, men generally win the race to the bottom. This past week though, women were the ones who seemed completely preoccupied by the reproductive act.

Financier in Hollywood Strikes Deal in D.W.I.

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:04:48 GMT

Ryan KavanaughRyan Kavanaugh pleaded no contest to, and was convicted of, one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, while more serious charges were dropped.

Film: That License to Kill Is Unexpired

Fri, 30 May 2008 18:34:44 GMT

The Bond films, like “Octopussy” (1983), with Roger Moore, have given the character a popular identity beyond the page.Ian Fleming, had he lived, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Wednesday. James Bond, his greatest invention, is ageless and immortal.

Film: Beauty, Brutality and Three Tough Mothers

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:54:46 GMT

An unsettling vision from “Mother of Tears,” directed by Dario Argento. Dario Argento’s latest danse macabre, “Mother of Tears,” starring his daughter Asia, is now on DVD.

Fashion Review: 10 Years Later, Carrie Coordinated

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:53:28 GMT

Fashion has been a regular character defining trait throughout the “Sex and the City” series, and in the film version, the fashion is jaw-droppingly fantastic.

Disney and Pixar: The Power of the Prenup

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:57:06 GMT

Pixar, co-founded by Steve Jobs, left, and Disney, run by Robert A. Iger, have a Hollywood marriage that works. Starring in their newest animated film is a robot named Wall-E.Two years in, the merger of Disney and Pixar is notable for how well the two companies have made it work.

Movie Review | 'Speed Racer': Gentlemen, Start Your Hot-Hued Engines

Fri, 09 May 2008 05:21:47 GMT

Emile Hirsh stars in "Speed Racer," directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski.“Speed Racer” sets out to honor and refresh a youthful enthusiasm from the past and winds up smothering the fun in self-conscious grandiosity.

Movie Review | 'Surfwise': A Family That Surfs to a Beat: Its Own

Fri, 09 May 2008 17:13:28 GMT

Dorian Paskowitz and his wife, Juliette, with their nine children, around 1976. “Surfwise” has a bohemian vibe and a cool sheen, but it’s an eager-to-please, pleasing commercial enterprise with a reassuring narrative arc.

Movie Review | 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead': Going for the Finger-Licking Gusto

Fri, 09 May 2008 03:18:04 GMT

Jason Yachanin and Kate Graham in "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead," directed by Lloyd Kaufman.“Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead” is just about as perfect as a film predicated on the joys of projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea can be.

A Night Out With Ellen Page: Just a Girl From Halifax

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:07:53 GMT

While many actresses fantasize about wearing Valentino or Zac Posen on the red carpet, Ellen Page has a completely different idea.

A Knack for Being the Bad Boy

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:22:04 GMT

The British actor Ian McShane outside the Cort Theater, where he’s starring in a revival of Harold Pinter’s “Homecoming.” “You do battle with the audience,” he said.The British actor Ian McShane opens next week as the patriarch Max in Harold Pinter’s “Homecoming,” a man-monster of diminishing powers and, of course, many vulgarities.

Tomorrow’s Oscar Hopefuls Today

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:29:03 GMT

The “Black List” has become the kind of underground document that writers with projects in development pray will mention their script.

Under a New Watch, Miramax Still Homes in on Awards

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:49:36 GMT

A scene from “No Country for Old Men.”Miramax may be a smaller and calmer organization under Daniel Battsek, but the studio has nonetheless remained in the thick of the awards race.

For Struggling Black College, Hopes of a Revival

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:33:37 GMT

“The Great Debaters,” starring Denzel Washington, left, tells the story of the winning 1935 Wiley College debate team.Wiley College is suddenly feeling the glow of celebrity with the release of a film about the school’s debating team.

Critic’s Choice: Respect in a Box: Giving John Ford the Major American Artist Treatment

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:26:30 GMT

Henry Fonda in the 1946 film “My Darling Clementine.” “Ford at Fox” is a gargantuan boxed set that assembles 24 of the 50-some films John Ford made for the studio that was his most consistent home.

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