MOVIE REVIEWS


Movie review: 'Iceman' fascinating in look at loving thug

2013-05-17 00:13:42

The Iceman cometh and he probably has a gun or other lethal weapon in his hands as he kills 100 people in this true-life tale.


Movie review: 'From Up on Poppy Hill' charming Japanese animation film

Movie review: 'From Up on Poppy Hill' charming Japanese animation film

2013-05-17 00:02:37

"Poppy Hill": Tame but tender Japanese film beautifully evokes life and love in 1964.


'Mibsters' takes aim at capturing marbles shooting tradition here

2013-05-17 00:01:55

Documentary tells tale of Pittsburgh marble shooters competing at National Marbles Tournament.


New to DVD

New to DVD

2013-05-16 00:17:01

"Cloud Atlas," "Texas Chainsaw" and "Beware of Mr. Baker."


On Film: Asian-flavored film festival winds up this weekend

On Film: Asian-flavored film festival winds up this weekend

2013-05-16 00:12:41

Silk Screen Film Festival transports moviegoers to the "Valley of Saints" and desperate, duplicitous corners of New Delhi in "B.A. Pass."


Review: Warp speed ahead for 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

Review: Warp speed ahead for 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

2013-05-15 11:44:01

The second J.J. Abrams prequel plunges Kirk & Co. into an action-packed adventure while revamping some established "Trek" lore.


Movie review: Baz Luhrmann presents big, bold version of 'Gatsby'

Movie review: Baz Luhrmann presents big, bold version of 'Gatsby'

2013-05-10 00:13:41

"The Great Gatsby" is aimed at a new generation happy to mix hip-hop, handsome leads, 3-D and a contemporary vibe to the 1920s classic.


Movie review: Tyler Perry's 'Peeples' just a banal rom-com

Movie review: Tyler Perry's 'Peeples' just a banal rom-com

2013-05-10 00:13:21

It's a new twist on meeting the parents but starring Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington and David Alan Grier and set in the tony Hamptons.


Cybertainment: Hypejar, Amazon Originals and Grooveshark

Cybertainment: Hypejar, Amazon Originals and Grooveshark

2013-05-10 00:06:10

Hypejar is a virtual crystal ball for pop culture. Amazon Originals web TV pilots are worth tuning in. Grooveshark a boon for Web DJs


Movie review: 'No One Lives': a lot of blood, little else

2013-05-10 00:03:09

"No One Lives" but no one may care when it comes to this R-rated film about a couple who don't want any trouble but get and give plenty.


Silk Screen Film Festival has variety of genres, languages and locations

Silk Screen Film Festival has variety of genres, languages and locations

2013-05-09 00:12:13

The Asian film festival opens in Pittsburgh with wealth of movies with variety.


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-05-09 00:10:53

'Jack Reacher' and 'Safe Haven'


Movie review: 'Disconnect' plugs into horrors of social media

2013-05-03 00:20:35

"Disconnect" is a cautionary tale about cyberbullying, connecting online with strangers and staring at screens instead of your loved ones.


Movie review: 'Room 237' looks for signs of Kubrick's genius

2013-05-03 00:03:03

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy in a movie supposedly loaded with signs and symbols, "Room 237" claims about "The Shining."


Movie review: 'Iron Man 3' more entertaining than the last flight

Movie review: 'Iron Man 3' more entertaining than the last flight

2013-05-02 00:23:09

The third outing takes some nifty twists and proves better than the second installment, but it's not as memorable as the first movie.


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-05-02 00:14:13

'Silver Linings Playbook,' 'Not Fade Away,' 'The Guilt Trip'


'Re-Imagining Class': Russian Film Symposium at Pitt opens today

'Re-Imagining Class': Russian Film Symposium at Pitt opens today

2013-04-29 00:14:03

Since the fall of communism, the former Soviet Union has been redefining class, and Pitt's Russian Film Symposium follows suit.


Movie Review: 'Sound City' captures heyday of a legendary LA music studio

Movie Review: 'Sound City' captures heyday of a legendary LA music studio

2013-04-26 00:16:09

Dave Grohl films a love letter to the studio that's home to Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac and Nirvana.


Film clips: 'Mud' pulls you in; 'King's Faith' earnest

Film clips: 'Mud' pulls you in; 'King's Faith' earnest

2013-04-26 00:11:56

Matthew McConaughey, James McDaniel and Lynn Whitfield experience their own pain and gain in two new movies.


Movie Review: 'Sapphires' sings, dances through Vietnam War

Movie Review: 'Sapphires' sings, dances through Vietnam War

2013-04-26 00:10:47

The Sapphires turn back the clock to 1968 when an aboriginal girl group heads to Vietnam to sing, dance and delight American soldiers.


Movie Review: Superb cast elevates 'Company You Keep'

Movie Review: Superb cast elevates 'Company You Keep'

2013-04-26 00:09:52

Robert Redford is a fugitive turned small-town lawyer with Shia LaBeouf as a cocky young newspaperman on his trail.


'The Big Wedding': Unhappily ever after

'The Big Wedding': Unhappily ever after

2013-04-26 00:06:46

Here comes the bridegroom and ensemble comedy overload, but not too many laughs, in "The Big Wedding," adapted from 2006 French comedy.


Movie review: 'Pain & Gain' wallows in violence

Movie review: 'Pain & Gain' wallows in violence

2013-04-26 00:05:49

Mark Wahlberg, The Rock and Anthony Mackie star in a brutal action flick that, alas, is based on a true story out of Miami.


Movie review: 'Angels' Share' lifts glass to whisky, second chances

Movie review: 'Angels' Share' lifts glass to whisky, second chances

2013-04-25 00:23:21

Filmmaker Ken Loach lifts a glass to rare Scottish whisky and the power of second chances for petty criminals in "The Angels' Share."


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-04-25 00:09:22

"Promised Land," "The Impossible," "Gangster Squad"


Movie review: Beautifully shot 'To the Wonder' fails to develop emotional ties

Movie review: Beautifully shot 'To the Wonder' fails to develop emotional ties

2013-04-19 00:16:43

In "To the Wonder," director Terrence Malick's exquisite images get the better of Ben Affleck's romance.


Cybertainment: Crazy stunts on 'Game Changers'

2013-04-19 00:14:33

New web series brings the world of video games to life. Twitter debuts new music site. The Webby Awards launch an archive of past winners.


Movie review: Stellar cast can't save 'Oblivion'

Movie review: Stellar cast can't save 'Oblivion'

2013-04-19 00:14:08

It's end of the world as we know it (again) in sci-fi adventure starring Tom Cruise as one of the last men on war-ravaged Earth.


Game Guy: With its comic heroes, 'Injustice' is top-notch

Game Guy: With its comic heroes, 'Injustice' is top-notch

2013-04-19 00:12:57

"Injustice: Gods Among Us" breaks video game conventions.


New on DVD: Films not for the squeamish

New on DVD: Films not for the squeamish

2013-04-18 00:03:45

"Django Unchained," "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia" and "One Day on Earth"


On Film: JFilm continues with chronicle of a 'Mad Man'

On Film: JFilm continues with chronicle of a 'Mad Man'

2013-04-18 00:01:19

Bert Stern is the man who loved women and it shows in his iconic ads and photographs, including of Marilyn Monroe in her final sessions.


Movie review: 'Scary Movie 5' -- So bad that it's almost scary

Movie review: 'Scary Movie 5' -- So bad that it's almost scary

2013-04-15 00:03:21

"Scary Movie 5" comes up short in every way imaginable.


Movie review: 'Back to the Square' captures Egypt repression

Movie review: 'Back to the Square' captures Egypt repression

2013-04-13 00:04:20

"Back to the Square" -- as in Tahrir: Not quite square one, but still nowhere near the finish line in documentary of Egypt's Arab Spring.


Movie review / '42: The Jackie Robinson Story' shows the pain that went with his triumphs

Movie review / '42: The Jackie Robinson Story' shows the pain that went with his triumphs

2013-04-12 00:08:14

"42" takes a swing at the Jackie Robinson story and connects, thanks to strong performances and a sense of history.


Movie Reviews: 'The Place Beyond the Pines,' 'Trance,' 'Ginger & Rosa' and 'My Brother the Devil'

Movie Reviews: 'The Place Beyond the Pines,' 'Trance,' 'Ginger & Rosa' and 'My Brother the Devil'

2013-04-12 00:05:37

Jackie Robinson isn't THE only subject on theatrical lineup card, with new movies starring Ryan Gosling, James McAvoy and Elle Fanning.


Party to close DVD rental store Dreaming Ant

2013-04-12 00:01:03

The Bloomfield DVD store managed to survive for 10 years in an industry that's increasingly gone digital.


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-04-11 00:19:14

"Hyde Park on Hudson," "Howdy Kids," "Boss: Season 2" and "Into the Cold."


Jewish film fest marks two decades with thoughtful, quality entries

Jewish film fest marks two decades with thoughtful, quality entries

2013-04-11 00:07:32

Defiance, desperation, deathbed wish and delightful food and romance among themes of opening week movies of Pittsburgh's JFilm festival.


Movie review: Enslaved kids' grim life bared in 'War Witch'

Movie review: Enslaved kids' grim life bared in 'War Witch'

2013-04-05 00:12:22

A 12-year-old African girl is kidnapped and forced to become rebel soldier in the Oscar-nominated drama "War Witch."


Movie review: 'Evil Dead' remake pure overkill

2013-04-05 00:05:46

"Evil Dead" remake goes back into the woods where demons still lurk decades after Sam Raimi's camp classic but this time it's much gorier.


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-04-04 00:13:38

'John Dies at the End,' 'Hemingway & Gellhorn,' 'Dirk Gently'


Movie review: 'Terraferma' poses moral challenge to islanders

Movie review: 'Terraferma' poses moral challenge to islanders

2013-04-04 00:05:04

"Terraferma" allows Italian islanders to test their moral compasses when African immigrants go to desperate measures to reach their shores.


Movie review: 'Gaamer' a hero only in his virtual life

Movie review: 'Gaamer' a hero only in his virtual life

2013-04-04 00:02:28

Ukrainian "Gaamer," part of CMU's International Film Festival, "Faces of Media," is a requiem for a heavyweight video game player.


Movie review: There's little tempting about Tyler Perry's latest

Movie review: There's little tempting about Tyler Perry's latest

2013-03-30 00:05:16

"Tyler Perry's Temptation" is a cautionary tale about wanting what you haven't got.


Movie review: Ad campaign asked Chileans to vote 'No'

Movie review: Ad campaign asked Chileans to vote 'No'

2013-03-29 00:13:10

Come on, get happy, is the theme of the campaign asking Chileans to say "No" to continued presidency of dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1988.


Gamers will find local sites in 'Last of Us'

Gamers will find local sites in 'Last of Us'

2013-03-29 00:04:54

Upcoming video game "The Last of Us" includes bridges, buildings and signs that reference Pittsburgh.


Film Clips: 'Lore,' 'Leonie' travel to earlier times

Film Clips: 'Lore,' 'Leonie' travel to earlier times

2013-03-29 00:03:51

"Lore" and "Leonie" transport moviegoers to other times -- Germany near the end of World War II, and America and Japan in early 20th century


Movie review: Mind games mar film version of 'The Host'

Movie review: Mind games mar film version of 'The Host'

2013-03-29 00:02:35

Will Twihards follow writer Stephenie Meyer anywhere? She plays head games in "The Host" starring Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger and Max Irons.


New to DVD this week

New to DVD this week

2013-03-28 00:18:40

'Lincoln,' 'Killing Them Softly' and 'Parental Guidance'


Movie review: 'On the Road' film takes slower trip than book

Movie review: 'On the Road' film takes slower trip than book

2013-03-28 00:17:14

Film version of Jack Kerouac's classic "On the Road" is a worthy rendering, if not a little too serious and respectful.


Movie review: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' isn't any good, but could it be?

Movie review: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' isn't any good, but could it be?

2013-03-28 00:09:14

"G.I. Joe: Retaliation" like a bad blast from the past.


GameDaze: New video games this week

2013-03-28 00:05:07

'LEGO City Undercover' and 'The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct'


Movie review: Comedy is 'InAPPropriate' and unfunny in the extreme

Movie review: Comedy is 'InAPPropriate' and unfunny in the extreme

2013-03-25 00:05:32

"InAPPropriate Comedy" is the only time you're likely to see Oscar winner Adrien Brody's name in the credits alongside Lindsay Lohan's.


Movie review: Voyeuristic 'InContact' disconnects from storyline

Movie review: Voyeuristic 'InContact' disconnects from storyline

2013-03-23 00:14:30

"InContact" explores our whole new state of voyeurism and exhibitionism, where everyone is both viewer and performer.


Movie review: 'Upside Down' a cosmic tale of star-crossed love

2013-03-22 00:11:30

Men are from Mars and women from Venus but wait till you hear about the topsy-turvy romance starring Kirsten Dunst and Jim Sturgess.


Movie review: 'Olympus Has Fallen' has the White House under fire

Movie review: 'Olympus Has Fallen' has the White House under fire

2013-03-22 00:09:35

"Olympus Has Fallen" but actor Gerard Butler is given a chance to rise to the occasion thanks to director and Homewood native Antoine Fuqua.


Movie review: A lighter look at college admissions

Movie review: A lighter look at college admissions

2013-03-22 00:07:04

"Admission" puts the comedy in the college application process, thanks to Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, director Paul Weitz and savvy source novel.


'Croods' thrilling, 'Stoker' less so; 'Spring Breakers' wild

'Croods' thrilling, 'Stoker' less so; 'Spring Breakers' wild

2013-03-22 00:03:54

"The Croods," "Spring Breakers" and "Stoker" feature prehistoric families and modern-day girls who go wild in all sorts of ways.


New to DVD: Everywhere an epic

New to DVD: Everywhere an epic

2013-03-21 00:17:03

New on DVD: 'Les Miserables,' 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'The Hobbit: An Expected Journey,' 'This Is 40.'


GameDaze: 'God of War'

2013-03-21 00:05:31

Reviews are out of four stars.


Movie Review: 'Barbara' a story of exile before the Berlin Wall falls

Movie Review: 'Barbara' a story of exile before the Berlin Wall falls

2013-03-21 00:04:40

"Barbara" spins back to 1980 when a doctor's transfer from an East Berlin hospital to a small town is wrapped in surveillance and surprise.


Movie Review: CMU film festival opens with teen bus trip in 'The We and the I'

Movie Review: CMU film festival opens with teen bus trip in 'The We and the I'

2013-03-21 00:01:45

Michel Gondry follows Bronx high school students on the bus in "The We and the I," the opening film of CMU's International Film Festival.


Movie review: 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' loses a little of its magic

Movie review: 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' loses a little of its magic

2013-03-15 00:16:21

Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey pull a few tricks out of the hat to salvage cliched movie.


'Flight of the Butterflies' tells the story of amazing insects and dedicated humans

'Flight of the Butterflies' tells the story of amazing insects and dedicated humans

2013-03-15 00:12:15

"Flight of the Butterflies" follows the trail of the monarch butterfly's migration.


Movie review: Ex-Israeli spy chiefs recount fatal hits in 'The Gatekeepers'

2013-03-15 00:11:37

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.


Movie review: 'The Call' drops connection to reality

Movie review: 'The Call' drops connection to reality

2013-03-15 00:02:18

Should you answer "The Call"? Early on, answer seems to be yes and then the Halle Berry thriller turns into a freak show.


Movie review: Four stars for 'Rust and Bone' and Marion Cotillard's complex performance

Movie review: Four stars for 'Rust and Bone' and Marion Cotillard's complex performance

2013-03-14 00:34:53

Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts trade strength and lessons in resiliency in French film "Rust and Bone" from director Jacques Audiard


New to DVD: 'Childhood All Stars'

New to DVD: 'Childhood All Stars'

2013-03-14 00:23:09

'Rise of the Guardians,' 'Hitchcock' 'Life of Pi' and 'Sound City'


GameDaze: 'MLB 13: The Show' and 'MLB 2K13'

2013-03-14 00:17:24

Reviews are out of four stars.


Movie review: Tommy Lee Jones re-interprets MacArthur in 'Emperor'

Movie review: Tommy Lee Jones re-interprets MacArthur in 'Emperor'

2013-03-08 00:23:40

Peter Webber's movie takes a look at Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Japan in the days after its World War II surrender.


Movie review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' never soars

Movie review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' never soars

2013-03-08 00:21:05

"Oz" not great or powerful as the would-be wizard lands over the rainbow and meets a trio of witches, a talking monkey and a porcelain doll.


Movie review: 'Dead Man Down' a murky parody

Movie review: 'Dead Man Down' a murky parody

2013-03-08 00:16:12

"Dead Man Down" teems with thugs and mugs, and has been directed in a murky, rhythmless fashion.


Game Guy: 'Tomb Raider' reboot masterful

Game Guy: 'Tomb Raider' reboot masterful

2013-03-08 00:16:02

Developers advance the 'Tomb Raider' series by starting at the beginning.


Movie review: 26 directors run through 'ABCs of Death'

2013-03-08 00:12:36

Horror anthology 'ABCs of Death' has good, gruesome and (very) gross ways to die hard, courtesy of 26 directors scattered around the globe.


Movie review: '56 Up' welcome reunion with documentary subjects

Movie review: '56 Up' welcome reunion with documentary subjects

2013-03-07 00:29:28

Michael Apted revisits Brits he introduced at age 7 -- and again at 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and, now, 56 -- in latest documentary installment


New to DVD: 'Wreck-It Ralph,' 'The Intouchables' and 'Red Dawn'

New to DVD: 'Wreck-It Ralph,' 'The Intouchables' and 'Red Dawn'

2013-03-07 00:15:18

The Oscar-nominated animated adventure focuses on a video game character who uses his sledgehammer fists to destroy whatever he can.


Movie review: 'Last Exorcism' dull, dreary

Movie review: 'Last Exorcism' dull, dreary

2013-03-02 00:14:22

Latest in Satan series an 88-minute bore without the chills and thrills.


Movie review: 21 Dumb Street

Movie review: 21 Dumb Street

2013-03-01 00:19:20

"21 and Over" squanders the opportunity to say something, anything, profound about college guys coming of age.


Movie review: Movie explores the lives of villagers in remote area of Siberia

2013-03-01 00:17:47

"Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" explores the blissful lives of people in a Siberian village.


Movie review: Cast of Hollywood pros makes 'Phantom' a solid B-movie

Movie review: Cast of Hollywood pros makes 'Phantom' a solid B-movie

2013-03-01 00:08:47

Submarine film "Phantom" stays afloat thanks to a crew of character actors such as Ed Harris, William Fichtner and David Duchovny.


Movie review: 'Jack the Giant Slayer' sprouts magical, twisty turns

Movie review: 'Jack the Giant Slayer' sprouts magical, twisty turns

2013-03-01 00:04:42

The film gets has full team of giants, new twisty turns and 3-D makeover, thanks to director Bryan Singer and star Nicholas Hoult.


Game Daze: 'Tomb Raider'

2013-02-28 00:17:01

Video game reviews.


Movie review: End comes way too late in 'John Dies at the End'

Movie review: End comes way too late in 'John Dies at the End'

2013-02-28 00:09:15

"John Dies at the End" is a terrible movie with a couple of laughs and a few good performances.


New to DVD: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2' and 'The Master'

New to DVD: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2' and 'The Master'

2013-02-28 00:06:03

Movies new to DVD this week.


Movie review: Even The Rock's heroics can't save 'Snitch' from an overdose of simplicity

Movie review: Even The Rock's heroics can't save 'Snitch' from an overdose of simplicity

2013-02-22 00:19:08

Dwayne Johnson is businessman-father willing to do anything to save his son from frame-up and a decade behind bars in so-so "Snitch."


Movie review: 'Last Gladiators' wins battle for mind, heart

Movie review: 'Last Gladiators' wins battle for mind, heart

2013-02-22 00:01:56

Hockey goons drop gloves, emotional barricades in documentary "The Last Gladiators" about Chris "Knuckles" Nilan and his brawling brethren.


GameDaze: 'Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time'

2013-02-21 00:26:07

"Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time" is a good game for the younger set.


New to DVD: 'Argo' 'Sinister' and 'Anna Karenina'

New to DVD: 'Argo' 'Sinister' and 'Anna Karenina'

2013-02-21 00:17:58

Ben Affleck long ago proved he was no one-hit wonder.


Movie review: 'Escape From Planet Earth' mediocre, a step up for this studio

Movie review: 'Escape From Planet Earth' mediocre, a step up for this studio

2013-02-18 00:15:24

If you're a parent, chances are you've seen worse animated films than "Escape From Planet Earth."


ADVERTISEMENT

PG Products