03/04/2010Gordon and the Whale: Oscar picks and party Get those Oscar pools going. Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony is almost upon us. And there's no better way to watch the telecast than on a big screen at the Dallas Angelika, with the writers from the local movie Web site Gordon and the Whale as your guides. Movie openings for March 4 BROOKLYN'S FINEST The story lines of three NYPD officers intersect when they become involved in a dangerous drug operation. Starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes (right) and Vincent D'Onofrio. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). R. 125 min. MacArthur Marketplace 16.02/25/2010Movie openings for Feb. 26 FISH TANK A troublemaking 15-year-old girl growing up in the projects of Essex, England, is expelled from school and turns into a social outcast. Things take an interesting turn when she finds herself attracted to her mom's new boyfriend. Starring Katie Jarvis (right), Kierston Wareing and Michael Fassbender. Directed by Andrea Arnold. Not rated. 84 min. Angelika Dallas.02/18/2010Leonardo DiCaprio talks 'Shutter Island' Shutter Island marks Leonardo DiCaprio's fourth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. It may also be his most intense, which says a lot when you consider that their previous three films were Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed.Movie openings for Feb. 12 HAPPY TEARS Parker Posey and Demi Moore play sisters whose lives are rattled when they return to their childhood home to take care of their aging father. Also starring Rip Torn and Ellen Barkin. Directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. R. 96 min. Angelika Dallas.02/11/2010Stars come out to promote 'Valentine's Day' HOLLYWOOD – Kudos to Garry Marshall, who assembled an all-star cast for Valentine's Day, his comedic tribute to LA-style romance. A cross between Love, Actually and He's Just Not That Into You, Valentine's Day follows the intertwining storylines of a diverse group of Angelenos.Movie openings for Feb. 12 CREATION Paul Bettany stars as Charles Darwin in this drama about the scientist's personal life and his struggle with faith and science as he writes his landmark study on evolutionary biology, On the Origin of Species. Also starring Jennifer Connelly, Toby Jones and Jeremy Northam. Directed by Jon Amiel. PG-13. 108 min. Angelika Dallas and Plano.02/04/2010Gordon and the Whale: Sundance buzz Chase Whale of local movie Web site Gordon and the Whale checks in from the recent Sundance 2010 festival with reviews of what he saw. Read unabridged reviews and other Sundance coverage at gordonandthewhale.com. 'Dear John': No schmaltz intended Dear John is author Nicholas Sparks' fifth book to be adapted into a Hollywood movie, following 1999's Message in a Bottle, 2002's A Walk to Remember, 2004's The Notebook and 2008's Nights in Rodanthe. His bittersweet stories often involve love and loss and are typically set in beautiful, romantic locations – making them ideal for the big screen.01/25/2010Bridges' 'Crazy' role a patchwork Townes Van Zandt, the tortured Texas troubadour who drank himself into an early grave, had a sad, sly song called "No Deal" in which a used-car salesman hands him the keys to a sedan with no engine and then explains: "You don't need no engine to go downhill, and I could plainly see that's the direction you're headed."Washington goes rogue again in 'Eli' HOLLYWOOD – A piercing fire alarm goes off during an interview in a hotel room, yet Denzel Washington remains calm, cool and collected. "I think they're trying to tell me my time's up," he quips.Gordon and the Whale: 'Eli,' 'Big Fan' The founders of local movie Web site Gordon and the Whale discuss their latest cinematic obsessions. Gordon and the Whale: Best films of 2010 Quick columnists and founders of local movie Web site Gordon and the Whale weigh in with their favorite films of 2009.Rusty Gordon01/26/2010Review: 'Twilight Saga: New Moon' New Moon is thoughtful, beautifully filmed and doesn't cut any corners in adapting its source novel. There's sly, self-deprecating humor, meticulous character development and grandiose, blockbuster special effects. It's the second entry in a romantic's equivalent of the Star Wars or Lord of the Rings series.
