theCLog

By Matt Brunson

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
***
DIRECTED BY Grant Heslov
STARS George Clooney, Jeff Bridges

Loopy enough to stand out from the homogenized pack but not bold enough to truly go the distance, this eccentric satire (inspired by Jon Ronson’s nonfiction book of the same name) proves to be a modestly pleasing piffle in which journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor, sincere but straightjacketed by an undemanding role) searches for a great story on the outskirts of the Iraq War and finds one in Lyn Cassady (George Clooney). (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

COCO BEFORE CHANEL
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Anne Fontaine
STARS Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde

Like Young Mr. Lincoln, Butch and Sundance: The Early Years and the Che Guevara yarn The Motorcycle Diaries, Coco Before Chanel is one of those films that promises audiences a peek at the formative years of a historical figure, in that underreported stretch of life before fame (or, in some cases, infamy) came calling. (more…)

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The Main Library’s fall film series, “The Master of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock Classics,” continues Monday, Nov. 2, with a screening of the legendary director’s best picture. For better or worse, 1960’s Psycho is considered in many circles to be the granddaddy of the modern slasher flick. But whereas the contemporary crop revels in death and dismemberment, Hitchcock’s audacious masterpiece preferred to explore the recesses of the mind rather than the excesses of the flesh, and in doing so gave us one of the screen’s all-time great characters. That would of course be Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), the shy hotel manager and part-time taxidermist who explains to the aptly named Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) that “Mother’s not herself today.” Hitchcock broke so many established rules back in 1960 that it’s no wonder the film itself became a cause celebre. As for Bernard Herrmann’s nerve-jangling score, it’s easily one of the best soundtracks to ever accompany a motion picture.

Psycho will be screened at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at ImaginOn, 300 E. 7th St. Admission is free. For more info, call 704-416-0252.

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By Matt Brunson

THIS IS IT
***1/2
DIRECTED BY Kenny Ortega
STARS Michael Jackson

A sadness permeates the opening moments in the behind-the-scenes piece This Is It, but it has nothing to do with Michael Jackson’s death. Instead, the sequence — filmed, like the rest of the movie, while Jackson was very much alive — centers on the talented young dancers and singers who auditioned to be a part of the King of Pop’s planned series of London concerts. As each person describes the thrill of being included in the Jackson legacy — many of them tearing up as they speak — they comment on how much this opportunity means to them, with one or two even stating that this concert gave them a newfound purpose in their unfocused lives. It’s a heartbreaking sequence, considering that Jackson’s death meant that none would be able to live the dream that seemed within their collective grasp. (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Chris Weitz
STARS John C. Reilly, Chris Massoglia

Based on a series of books for kids, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant would seem to be aimed at either those young viewers with an affinity for the Twilight franchise or perhaps at those young viewers seeking an alternative to the adventures of Bella and Edward. Either way, this PG-13 confection would seem to be geared primarily at the teen crowd, with adult attendance a passing afterthought. But older moviegoers who can recall the spate of like-minded horror flicks from the 1980s will find much to appreciate as well. (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

AMELIA
**
DIRECTED BY Mira Nair
STARS Hilary Swank, Richard Gere

In its effort to be one of the first Oscar-bait titles out of the gate, the stately but sterile Amelia ends up stumbling over its own feet. A handsome production that fusses over every detail in order to provide the proper look, this biopic forgets to include any sort of spark necessary to get its motor running. (more…)

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Arriving on the scene just in time for Halloween is The William Castle Film Collection, a boxed set that contains the eight pictures the legendary filmmaker directed and produced for Columbia Pictures within a six-year span. True, such memorable works as 1959’s House on Haunted Hill and 1965’s I Saw What You Did are missing (they were made for other studios), but this contains the bulk of Castle’s most popular pictures, along with some oddities that, while not exactly ripe for rediscovery, are worth a peek for their novelty value.

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By Matt Brunson

GOOD HAIR
***
DIRECTED BY Jeff Stilson
STARS Chris Rock, Maya Angelou

Like most odysseys, Good Hair begins with a single, simple question. “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” the little girl asks of her celebrity pop. And armed with that disturbing query, Chris Rock sets off to make a movie that turns out to be endlessly fascinating and funny. (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

ASTRO BOY
**1/2
DIRECTED BY David Bowers
STARS Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage

Superheroes are known for showing up on the scene just in the nick of time, but in the case of Astro Boy and his big-screen debut, it’s clear that his arrival comes when it’s too late to really matter. (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

SPELLBOUND
****
DIRECTED BY Alfred Hitchcock
STARS Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck

A commercial and critical hit in its day, 1945’s Spellbound has seen its standing slip in the ensuing decades, as it’s never mentioned on any list of Alfred Hitchcock’s best works. (more…)

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