MOVIES
Feedback
Found a problem? Have a suggestion?
Please, let us know!
77 Square is the definitive arts, culture and entertainment guide for Madison, Wis., and the surrounding area.
Katjusa Cisar
December 2
comments: 0
Filmmaker captures spirit of Chicago's underground social movements
If you watched short clips at random from filmmaker Marc Moscato's collection "A Not Too Distant Past," you might wonder what they could possibly have in common: a woman's hand dipping a tampon into a glass of gasoline; a man describing his lust for the police during riots at the Democratic National Convention; a Black Panther talking about the struggle for civil rights. more >>
Katjusa Cisar
November 27
comments: 0
'Synecdoche, New York' an epic creation that slowly loosens and unhinges the wheels of life
"Synecdoche" is one of those words you're supposed to remember from 10th grade English class, but lost since in a mental soup of analogies, similes, alliteration and the like. In a recent interview, Charlie Kaufman -- screenwriter of mindbending gems like "Adaptation" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" -- gave this example of a synecdoche: calling your car your "wheels." more >>
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
November 26
comments: 0
Baz Luhrmann's epic 'Australia' is ambitious. Maybe overly so.
Yes, this is filmmaking in the old-fashioned epic style but only up to a point. When director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann says, "This film's DNA comes from the same stock as 'Gone With the Wind,' 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Giant,' but it has its own point of view," he's putting it mildly. more >>
Katjusa Cisar
November 21
comments: 0
Many things to like in 'Pajamas,' but it's also sterile and predictable
Based on a novel by John Boyne, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is a weightless tearjerker about the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of the eight-year-old son of a Nazi army officer. Inevitably, the film goes exactly where you'd expect it to go, although the ending is bleaker and more shocking than anticipated. more >>
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
November 20
comments: 0
Uncle Walt would have been proud of Disney's charming 'Bolt'
Animated features intended for families come in two varieties: films with personality and a genuine sense of humor, and films in which characters stand around cracking jokes like they were doing stand-up. The former used to be the exclusive property of Pixar, but that is starting to change. Case in point: "Bolt." more >>
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
November 20
comments: 0
'Twilight' should give teen romance fans something to chew on
It's easy to understand the tween- and teen-centric fascination with "Twilight," Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel about the romance between a high school girl and a vampire. At least it is judging by the movie based on the book. more >>
Rob Thomas
November 19
comments: 0
Nothing says cheese like Campbell flick
When it comes to big-screen cheese, Bruce Campbell is like a finely aged artisanal cheddar. more >>
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
November 13
comments: 0
Ruthless and joyless, Bond seems like he was Bourne yesterday
It took two men to kill James Bond: Austin Powers and Jason Bourne. At least that's the way it looks in "Quantum of Solace," the newest and most joyless installment of one of cinema's most venerable franchises. more >>
Katjusa Cisar
November 7
comments: 0
'Happy-Go-Lucky' more than meets the eye
The first half hour of "Happy-Go-Lucky" will be an exercise in torture for all but the most Pollyanna of viewers. British writer/director Mike Leigh ("Secrets & Lies") has created a giggly, gratingly upbeat girl of 30 named Pauline "Poppy" Cross, a primary school teacher in London who thinks she's an absolute gas to be around. more >>
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
November 7
comments: 0
'Madagascar' sequel needs more for little critters
"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" epitomizes the best and the worst of what animated filmmaking has become in an era dominated by computerized imagery, saturation-level pop culture references and parents who demand their own entertainment as they suffer through another matinee with the kids. more >>