Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
Film Shorts
Kristian LinOPENING: Calvary (R) John Michael McDonagh (The Guard) writes and directs this thriller about an Irish Catholic priest (Brendan Gleeson) who hears in confession that one of his parishioners plans revenge for his sexual abuse at...
Spinning 24 Plates
Though not everything is perfect, a lot is at this new Magnolia spot.LAURIE JAMES
There are a lot of ways to describe 24 Plates Tapas Bar & Restaurant: chef-driven, independent, outstanding, trendy. The new eatery has blossomed in the corner space on West Magnolia Avenue that once housed W.F. Lawrence Fi...
Film Shorts
Kristian LinOPENING: Child of God (R) James Franco directs, writes, and co-stars in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel about a man (Scott Haze) who tries to exist outside the social order. Also with Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack,...
All You Need Is Quill
Guardians of the Galaxy is the funniest Marvel Comics movie yet.KRISTIAN LIN
On the surface of a barren, hostile, alien planet, an Earthman named Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) boogies leisurely across the rocky terrain in his spacesuit, singing along to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.” When a small...
Rafain: Meat on Sticks
Come hungry and with lots of time to spare.LAURIE JAMES W/ PHOTOS BY BRIAN HUTSON
In the words of Rafain Brazilian Steakhouse, lunch and dinner are “a three-course Brazilian feast.” Similar to other all-you-can-meat restaurants, the Dallas-based chain’s newest location, this one in the West 7th Street ...
Film Shorts
KRISTIAN LINOPENING: And So It Goes (PG-13) Michael Douglas stars in this comedy as a self-centered man who enlists the help of his neighbor (Diane Keaton) when his estranged granddaughter (Sterling Jerins) is left on his doorstep. Also wi...
Tears in Tinseltown
Zach Braff is stuck in La-La Land in Wish I Was Here.KRISTIAN LIN
I hated Garden State when it came out. I detested its cutesy preciousness, its 10-cent spiritual wisdom, its general air of being pleased with itself, its unearned oh-wow-the-world-is-so-beautiful mysticism. Despite all that, I...
Amateur Night
A married couple’s Sex Tape gets out, and hijinks (fortunately) ensue.KRISTIAN LIN
I’m a bit puzzled by the title of Sex Tape. Does anybody still use videotape to film their sexual encounters? The sex farce by that title never really engages that question, but it does engage our sense of humor, which turns ...
Cowboys & Simians
The latest Planet of the Apes movie is a Western in a monkey suit.KRISTIAN LIN
Don’t get me wrong. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an incredibly skilled piece of work. The latest installment in the series just underwhelmed me. Maybe that’s because the tone of the reviews suggested it was the summer�...
Film Shorts
KRISTIAN LINOPENING: Venus in Fur (R) Roman Polanski directs this French-language adaptation of David Ives’ play about a theatrical director (Mathieu Amalric) who holds an audition for an actress (Emmanuelle Seigner) who wants to star in...