A silent films about silent films? That’s exactly what “The Artist” is, and surprisingly, it works.French actor Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a silent film star of the 1920s. He’s handsome, charming and Hollywood’s top matinee idol. But when “talkie”…
David Fincher is one of my favorite directors working today, so when I learned he’d be helming the American film version of Stieg Larsson’s globally popular novel, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” I couldn’t wait to see it. The…
When I heard Brad Bird was directing “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” I was apprehensive. The “Mission: Impossible” film series had produced three solid action movies, and I was looking forward to the fourth. But what would Bird — the…
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is bigger and bolder than its predecessor, just like a sequel should be. But it’s also one thing sequels usually aren’t — better. Much better.The original film introduced Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law…
What a gyp! After all that promotion about a “Hawaii Five-0” wedding this week, it was a mere afterthought, literally taking just seconds of airtime. The rest of the episode involved another silly plot, this time about a local luau…
I’ve never been a big New Year’s Eve guy. My family always felt it was important to bring in the New Year together, so my New Year’s Eves usually consist of dinner at home, followed by watching Korean end-of-the-year award…
Now this is the kind of “Hawaii Five-0” episode I like! No silly plots and playing dress up, just a lot of suspense and action. The show returned after a week hiatus with a busload of private school kids taken…
Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, the Muppets were a huge part of my childhood. “The Muppet Show” was like a kiddy version of “Saturday Night Live,” a variety show with comedy and celebrity guests. The Muppets then went…
After three films, nearly two billion dollars earned worldwide and millions of rabid fans, the “Twilight” saga is coming to an end. Fans of the film series, based on Stephenie Meyer’s novels, no doubt have been eagerly awaiting the final…
Yawn… wake me up when Wo Fat returns.The story lines are really getting silly this season. Last week, it was a cancer patient who killed a cop who was going to arrest his exotic medicines dealer. This week, it’s a…
Adam Sandler has no heart. Not anymore.I was a fan of Sandler’s earlier films (“The Wedding Singer,” “Big Daddy” and “50 First Dates”), not only because they were funny, but because Sandler played likable characters who actually cared about people,…
Little is really known about J. Edgar Hoover. As FBI director, he was the face of law enforcement for over four decades, initiating the national fingerprint data base and supposedly leading investigations that led to the arrests of high-profile criminals…
I enjoy izakaya dining. Whether it’s a birthday celebration or drinks with the boys, an izakaya is always the perfect spot. Sharing a variety of dishes, sipping sake, swapping stories, all in a relaxed atmosphere — who could ask for…
It was another lackluster episode unfortunately. As I sat there watching with my pen, paper and iPad in hand, I didn’t find too many things compelling enough to jot down, and the Twitter feed was subdued tonight due to the…
Whew, what an adventure! I successfully rappelled down 31 stories of the Sheraton Waikiki Friday, as part of Special Olympics Hawaii’s media day for its Over the Edge in Waikiki fundraiser. Actually it wasn’t bad at all. What initially seemed…
The title pretty much tells the whole story. Yes, the movie will be ridiculous and yes, the movie will be fun.Hollywood has had a long history with stoner buddy movies, like “Cheech and Chong,” “Friday,” the” Jay and Silent Bob”…
Hear that noise? Those are my teeth chattering, my knees knocking and my heart thumping. Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating… a bit. But I’m definitely feeling anxious about Friday, when I’ll be rappelling down 31 stories of the Sheraton Waikiki,…
I’m normally not a fan of holiday-themed episodes, because they’re usually more filler than actual substance, but at least “Ka Iwi Kapu” was interesting. A couple of young wannabe ghost hunters trespass onto an ancient heiau, then get whacked Blair…
I must admit I’m not the greatest fan of documentaries. Movies, to me, are a form of escapism, taking me away from reality and telling me fantastic, interesting stories of fictional characters that I would never otherwise encounter. Sure, I’ve enjoyed…
Wo Fat is back! Commander White (Terry O’Quinn) warned McGarrett that snooping around Wo Fat’s business would lead to trouble, and sure enough, Wo Fat disposed of one potential witness and almost a second one in Commander White. I love…
It was another successful year for the Hawaii International Film Festival. Although I enjoyed some movies more than others, having a chance to see such diverse films from around the world is what makes events like HIFF so special and…
“Headhunters” is exactly the type of movie that makes film events like the Hawaii International Film Festival so worthwhile.After browsing through brief summaries of the lineup, you decide which films sound interesting, then go watch them, not knowing what to…
When I received my media pass for this year’s Hawaii International Film Festival, the first thing I did was ask HIFF Publicity Director Jake Anderson if it would be possible to interview some of the stars scheduled to attend. He…
Welcome back, Kono!The fifth episode this season confirmed what fans suspected all along — that Kono didn’t suddenly turn into one of the bad guys. Turns out she was being used by Fryer (Tom Sizemore) of Internal Affairs to go…
As part of a sneak preview of this year’s Hawaii International Film Festival, I caught a screening of “Kaasan, Mom’s Life.” While it wasn’t on my list of Top 10 must-see films, the story of a manga artist mother struggling…
It’s been an up-and-down season so far for “Hawaii Five-0.” Episode 1 did a great job of reuniting fans with the beloved cast after a long hiatus. Episode 2 was a silly game of cops playing cowboys, while Episode 3…
It’s often said that George Clooney ages like a fine wine, getting better as the years go by. Of course those who say that are probably referring to his good looks, but now it can also apply to his directorial…
Okay, I’ll admit it. When I first saw the trailer for “Real Steel,” I thought it was ridiculous and wondered why Hugh Jackman would appear in a film that would, without a doubt, bomb and make him lose all his…
After a silly episode last week, it was good to see “Hawaii Five-0” return to form in Episode 3. Titled “Kamae’e,” the crew tracked down the deaths of a Navy Seals team and the show featured what we love —…
The 31st Annual Hawaii International Film Festival runs from Oct. 13 to 23 at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theatres, and the full lineup and schedule have just been released at hiff.org.With a lineup of films from around the world,…
Episode 2 of the 2nd season of “Hawaii Five-0″ introduces two new characters — Lauren German as Officer Lori Weston and Tom Sizemore as Lt. Vince Fryer of Internal Affairs. Both characters join the cast as a result of Kono’s…
“How can you not be romantic about baseball?” – Billy Beane in “Moneyball”I totally agree. While I’m not a fan of the sport, I am a fan of it in movies. There’s just something about baseball that lends to natural…
I must be getting softer with age, and I don’t mean just around the belly. I never would have thought I could appreciate, let alone enjoy, a film about a boy and his beloved dolphin. When I was younger, I…
I’m so glad the second season of “Hawaii Five-0” is here. I watched every episode last season, loving that the islands were being shared on a national level. That, along with the great action, eye candy for both guys and…
Here in Hawaii, we love to karaoke. We’ve all been to karaoke parties with potluck pupu and coolers full of BYOB, where we sing along with friends to our favorite hit songs.But as popular as karaoke is among locals, to…
Have you ever gone to a party because you knew all the cool people would be there, but then discover that they’re all shallow and no fun? That’s what “Contagion” feels like.Steven Soderbergh is an acclaimed director who knows how…
As much as I love summer, it lacks one thing… football. While baseball is traditionally acknowledged as “America’s pastime,” football is the sport that many fans, including myself, agonizingly wait for. The NFL season starts on Sept. 8, which also…
August is traditionally a dump month for movie studios. Films neither splashy enough for the summer season nor serious enough for the winter award season are often released in this movie wasteland period, and “Colombiana” is a perfect example. Writer…
Japan’s hip-hop legend DJ Masterkey was at Zanzabar Nightclub Saturday night, spinning tunes for an eclectic crowd of both locals and visitors. The dance floor was packed to capacity for his entire run, as the amped up crowd danced to…
Vampire movies were first made over a century ago, and the genre is still thriving. In fact, the pop culture significance of vampires has increased significantly in the last decade, with “Blade,” “Underworld” and “Twilight,” as well as TV series…
The summer of 2011 has been a revival of the raunchy and foul-mouthed R-rated comedy. “Bridesmaids,” “The Hangover Part II,” “Horrible Bosses” and “Bad Teacher” have all been box office successes, and while “30 Minutes or Less” may be one…
Set in Jackson, Miss. in the 1960s, “The Help” is a story of white families and the black women hired as their maids. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) returns home to Jackson after earning her college degree, with dreams of…
The Hana Hou Picture Show was created by Lindsey Chun-Hori, Consolidated Theatres’ promotions and events manager, after she learned that theatres nationwide screened “Top Gun” earlier this year in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary. She brought the idea to the…
Along with writing movie reviews, I’ll occasionally be offering commentary on the movie industry, covering film festivals and running my Fab 5 films in different categories. I thought I’d start off with my Fab 5 films of all time. These…
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is an adult romantic dramedy (drama + comedy) that can be compared to love itself. It starts slowly and awkwardly with a few laughs along the way, then there’s a magic moment of inspiration where everything comes…
Chalk up another win for Marvel Studios. After the critical and box office success of both “Thor” and “X-Men: First Class,” they’ve hit it again with “Captain America: The First Avenger.”I honestly didn’t go into this film with any expectations.…
Amid a summer full of superheroes, wizards, pirates, and rock ’em, sock ’em robots, it would be very easy to overlook a small-scale romantic comedy with no CGI monsters or super villains. It’s already happened to the A-list-led “Larry Crowne,”…
Talk about an orgy of visual effects… a feast for the eyes… unlimited eye candy. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is all that and then some. My mind is still trying to absorb and relish all of the special effects…
