Fog of War, The (2003)

Documentary Rated NR

For this fascinating historical documentary, director Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line) interviewed former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara on the subject of warfare, specifically the roles he played in World War II and Vietnam. The result is an engrossing character study that suggests even the brightest and most well-meaning of us may be

Chinatown (1974)

Thriller Rated R

“…revisited the film noir genre only to perfect it.”

Friends with Money (2006)

Drama Rated R

Normalcy is an undervalued commodity in Hollywood, which leaves true drama – the sort we experience every day – to independent filmmakers such as Nicole Holofcener (Lovely & Amazing). Holofcener once again explores the minor triumphs and tragedies of average women’s lives, and she’s only further honed her talent for seeing the personal truths that

Sentinel, The (2006)

Thriller Rated PG-13

The Sentinel deals in political intrigue, rumor and assassination plots, so it makes sense that the movie has the demeanor of a conspiracy theorist. Fidgety and jittery, it’s as calm and collected as a puppy trotting down the aisles of PetSmart. As a narrative, the picture is so clunky it’s hard to determine which star

Towering Inferno, The (1974)

Action/Adventure Rated PG

Partly an extravaganza of fireballs, partly a modern interpretation of the biblical Tower of Babel and partly a coming together of one of cinema’s most random casts (Fred Astaire rubs shoulders with O.J. Simpson), The Towering Inferno has the can’t-look-away quality of a car wreck. To celebrate the completion of the world’s tallest skyscraper in

Gridiron Gang (2006)

Drama Rated PG-13

As probation officer Sean Porter, who in real life gave a group of incarcerated juvenile offenders a second chance by creating a football team for them, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson performs so many corny inspirational speeches that his mouth might as well transform into a triumphant horn. We’re supposed to give in to this shamelessness

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Family Rated G

“A head trip of a family film.”

Black Dahlia, The (2006)

Thriller Rated R

For a director who made a movie called Femme Fatale, Brian De Palma sure has a tough time negotiating the film-noir genre. Many of De Palma’s pictures could be called noirs, but none are as steeped in the tradition of hard-bitten detectives, double-crossing dames and thick mysteries as The Black Dahlia, based on James Ellroy’s

Wolfman, The (2010)

Horror Rated R

“I never would have guessed that I would say this, but The Wolfman could have benefited from less Del Toro and more CGI.

Everyone’s Hero (2006)

Family Rated G

This kids’ baseball movie has so much inspirational blather it makes you want to shove a bat down your throat, yet the computer-animation artists behind it hit enough dazzling and witty visual notes to keep you from self-inflicted injury. A lot of the charm comes from the setting – 1930s New York City, where a