... and channels roles from the entire career of James Earl Jones. That's the premise of this very funny short, "Vader Sessions," from Akjak Moving Pictures, in which the Imperial Villain speaks in Jones' voice through sound clips from "The…
All of the cuss words, none of the plot! Now that the courts have stopped companies like Clean Flicks and Family Flicks USA from releasing their own custom-sanitized DVD versions of other people's movies (we used to just call this…
... in 7 minutes and 31 seconds: Think of this as the Opening Title Project. It's called "working title" by cuechamp, and it's a mesmerizing, rapid-fire montage of movie title cards, in alphabetical order, from silents to the present. It…
From Dennis Cozzalio, Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule: Brian De Palma’s exceedingly stimulating and sensational consideration of femme fatale iconography and the possibility of redemption within it begins with one of the director’s customarily brilliant, multilayered opening shots.…
Don't let a scrunt near that bleedin' narf! The ferocious topiary bear-like creatures who inflict near-fatal superficial wounds on a narf in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Lady in the Water" are called "scrunts." (I think there's only one of them…
From Richard T. Jameson, Editor, Movietone News, 1971-81; Editor, Film Comment, 1990-2000: The opening credits of Richard Lester's "Juggernaut" (1974) play over a neutral backdrop that can just barely be detected as an undefined image rather than a simple blank…
Alvy Singer speaks. From Hiram M: If a movie's opening shot provides the compass with which to navigate the ensuing film, then this simple set up needs commending. Unexpected, efficient, and funny from frame one (relying as it does on…
Not Very Silent Bob blows his own tooter to make some publicity noise. Extra! Extra! It's a match made in movie hell: Joel Siegel vs. Kevin Smith (or vice-versa). It's ugly, but it's perfect, because the former is to movie…
Sure, it's scabrous, but is it funny? Those scabrously funny folks over at Rottentomatoes.com are having fun with the reviews of "Clerks II." Here are some of the quotes that appear on the main page right now: "If 'Clerks II'…
View image: Bob Balaban as The Critic: M. Night Shyamalan's "The Lady in the Water" comes with its own built-in film critic, allowing the filmmaker a shot at beating critics of his movie to the punch. I hope A.O. Scott's…
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