Dec. 17, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released Nov. 28
1 hr. 22 min.
Pg-13
Seth Gordon/New Line Cinema
Vince Vaughn
Reese Witherspoon
Robert DuVall
Sissy Spacek
Jon Voight
Jon Favreau
Mary Steenburgen
Dwight Yoakam
Kristin Chenowith
Where do I begin? Should I opine about the fact that a cast like this should be working on Oscar caliber movies and not “this year’s Christmas movie” that we will all […]

Dec. 8, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released Oct. 31, 2008
2 hr. 21 min.
R
Clint Eastwood/Universal
Angelina Jolie
John Malkovich
Colm Feore
Michael Kelly
The great thing about streetcars, the kind that used to run in places like 1928 Los Angeles, is that they move so smoothly, so slowly, to a place they are so obviously going. The terrible thing about streetcars […]

Dec. 4, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released Oct. 5, 2008
1 hr. 30 min.
Pg-13
Peter Sollett/Columbia
Michael Cera
Kat Dennings
How do you make a professional looking film for around 9 million dollars? First, you cast a lot of young actors who do not splash the tabloids. Second, you get stars bigger than your leads to appear in cameo (for […]

Nov. 21, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras 
Released 11/14/08
1 hr. 46 min.
PG-13
Marc Foster/Columbia 
Daniel Craig
Olga Kurylenko
Mathieu Amalric
 James Bond is dead. In his place is a new man who looks HGH modified, doesn’t say much, and is extremely vengeful. Forget the fact that this film is simply picking up where Casino Royale left off. That argument does not […]

Nov. 14, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 11/07/08
1 hr. 29 min.
PG
Eric Darnell/DreamWorks
Ben Stiller
Chris Rock
David Schwimmer
Jada Pinkett Smith
Sacha Baron Cohen
Bernie Mac
Alec Baldwin
Shotguns, hit and runs, and a psychotic grandmother shouting “Bad kitty.” No, this isn’t a Looney Tunes cartoon from yesteryear, this is post-modern (or post-decency?) DreamWorks fare. Unlike Pixar, with its to die for stories […]

Nov. 8, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 10/24/08
2 hr. 10 min.
PG-13
Oliver Stone/Lionsgate
Josh Brolin
Elizabeth Banks
James Cromwell
Jeffrey Wright
Richard Dreyfuss
Toby Jones
Thandie Newton
Scott Glenn
Ellen Burstyn
 Though the “strategery” of this film’s release date might be up for legitimate questioning, it is a mistake to dismiss W as simply a “referendum.” Stone is, it would seem, the only director America currently […]

Nov. 6, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 9/26/08
1 hr. 37 min.
PG-13
George C. Wolfe/Village Roadshow Pictures
Richard Gere
Diane Lane
Scott Glenn
Mae Whitman
James Franco
 In the motion picture biz they call this a weeper. A tear-jerker. On t.v. they call this Lifetimey. Hallmarkey. In the sciences they call this a litmus test: in alkaline litmus turns blue, and in acid […]

Oct. 29, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 10/5/08
1 hr. 48 min.
R
Ed Harris/New Line Cinema
Ed Harris
Viggo Mortenson
Renee Zellweger
Jeremy Irons
 
People will say this is how they used to make westerns. Not really. Seldom in westerns has the acting been this good. Only recently, in the wake of Unforgiven, has Hollywood turned over the western reigns to the […]

Oct. 26, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 10/24/08
2 hr. 5 min.
R
Gavin O’Connor/ New Line Cinema
Edward Norton
Colin Ferrell
Jon Voight
Noah Emmerich
Family of cops. New York City. Lead cop is on the brink of divorce. Police corruption represented through involvement in drug trade and payoffs. Women in the film are cop wives. Cop mothers. Cop sisters. […]

October 23, 2008
Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras
Released 9/19/08
1hr. 47 min.
R
Howard Deutch/Lions Gate
Dane Cook
Kate Hudson
Jason Biggs
Alec Baldwin

Here’s why I’m intrigued by Dane Cook movies:
1.) No one can overcome a bad screenplay
2.) Dane Cook picks bad screenplays and tries to overcome them
Think of the last three Dane Cook vehicles. Employee of the Month. Good Luck Chuck. […]