Looks Aren’t Everything: “Beautiful Creatures”

Movie Review by Jack Silbert
First of all, they’re not witches, they’re Casters. And not those roll-y things on the bottom of ottomans, either. In case you didn’t read the 563-page (!) book that Beautiful Creatures was based on, let me give you the basics. We’re in a small Southern town in which having supernatural abilities is considered almost as bad as being a Democrat or gay. Young Ethan, his head filled with crazy ideas from all those banned books he loves, dreams of getting out. (It’s a town full of losers, and baby he was born to run.)

A New Definition of “Brave”

Pixar's Thirteenth Animated Feature - 2012
If you’re alive in the United States right now, you’re aware that Disney/Pixar has released a new film called Brave and it’s already a hit. I saw my first promo for this film last fall. Sometimes my 3 ½ year old’s speech is difficult to understand, but she could say (and demand) Brave clear as a bell. Why were we not first in line on opening day? Well, just so happens the opening coincides with my family vacation. We were driving to the beach on Friday. A tepid review in The New York Times pulled me up short. Would Brave be worth the wait?

Basic Black: “Men in Black 3”

Movie Review by Jack Silbert
Right off the bat, I must give credit to the filmmakers for the bold retro move of just adding a number to the end of the sequel’s title. I’m sure the studio wanted some stupid name like Men in Black: The Redemption or Men in Black: Scoundrel Days. And then when it’s on cable you can never figure out which is the second movie and which is the third, etc. So thank you, Barry Sonnenfeld, you are a man of principle.