Weekend Movie Picks

I'm sure that William Shakespeare is rolling over in his grave, but Anonymous was a good movie. It's clearly fictional, but I'm ashamed to admit that it was incredibly entertaining to see the most brilliant playwright of all time depicted as a fraud. There have been several "candidates" for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Anonymous depicts Edward De Vere the Earl of Oxford as the true author of Shakespeare’s plays. The Earl is brilliantly played by Rhys Ifans, who unfortunately is best known for his, albeit brief, engagement to the ultra-trampy Sienna Miller, rather than his amazing acting ability.  

Paranormal Activity 3 Has Over Played It's Hand

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

Directed by HENRY JOOST and ARIEL SCHULMAN

Starring CHLOE CSENGERY, JESSICA TYLER BROWN, 

LAUREN BITTNER, and CHRISTOPHER NICHOLAS SMITH

Somehow I don't think the filmmakers intended for most of the audience to laugh their way through Paranormal Activity 3. Admittedly I was in a college theater with a primarily college-aged audience, so perhaps the audience laughed when they weren't supposed to? The more likely scenario is that the audience got it right.

Walking Dead Season 2 Debuts With Huge Ratings

The Walking Dead debuted last night to huge ratings. 7.3 million to be exact, shattering last year's premiere of 5.3 million. This makes AMC's decision to slash the show's budget, not to mention Frank Darabont, even more mind boggling. Some have said that The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad have been victims of Matthew Weiner and Mad Men. According to Kurt Sutter, creator of Sons of Anarchy,

The Thing Prequel Is An Utter Disappointment

THE THING

Directed by MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN

Starring MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, JOEL EDGERTON, 

and ULRICH THOMSEN

Before rushing to the theater to see The Thing, the alleged prequel to John Carpenter's classic 1982 film, you should know that The Thing (2011) is not really a prequel, it's a remake. Excluding the final few scenes, The Thing is a mediocre homage to Carpenter's film rather than an addition to the storyline. If you're a die-hard fan save it for the $1.50 theater. It's a mess, a hot mess. In order to remember the 1951 and 1982 versions with fondness, do yourself a favor, and skip it.

Doctor Who = Mandatory Viewing

Doctor Who's Season Six Finale just aired in the United States on BBC America on October 1, 2011. If you've never seen the new series, which debuted in 2005 with Christopher Eggleston, then you are seriously missing out.