Shooting Craps with Joel Siegel
It seems like everybody in America could recognize film critic Joel Siegel. He was the guy with the mustache on the network morning news show who reviewed films and provided comic relief, the guy who […]
June 2007
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) -vs- Die Hard (1988)
The Smackdown Sometimes you just need to see a well-deserved butt kicking. On that basis, the Die Hard series generally satisfies because all of the movies are intended to simply deliver what they excel at […]
Introducing the Dwights (2007) -vs- Meet the Fockers (2004)
The Smackdown Everybody is secretly afraid to introduce their friends to their parents, let alone bring home that special girlfriend. At least half of those people are probably right to be worried. “Introducing the Dwights” […]
A Mighty Heart (2007) -vs- Proof of Life (1988)
The Smackdown Real violence trumps reel violence, although maybe not when selling tickets. “A Mighty Heart” opened small over the weekend ($4 million) and may not grow much. Michael Winterbottom directed this real life horrorshow […]
The Good German (2007) -vs- Chinatown (1974)
The Smackdown The trouble with being a Man Who Wants to Know Too Much is that you can take a real beating for your curiosity. Now that “The Good German” is out on DVD, we’re […]
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -vs- The Incredibles (2004)
The Smackdown So far this summer, I’ve swung dizzy on the thinning web of a spider, gotten sea sick while sailing with pirates in the Caribbean, and gambled successfully on a bunch of con-men. This […]
Music and Lyrics (2007) -vs- Once (2007)
The Smackdown Tone is everything. It’s not so much the idea anymore in films, it’s the filmmaker’s “take” on the idea. For some stark insight into the difference between studio and indie films, and between […]
This Year’s Smacks!
Summer’s over at Movie Smackdown! but we’re still on the move! Several new critics have joined in this year, the site traffic now sets a new record every month and we’re getting a lot of […]
Nancy Drew (2007) -vs- Get A Clue (2002)
The Smackdown Say, chum, I heard from some of the fellows that you’re a friend of Frank and Joe Hardy, and have I got a mystery that’s right up their alley! Here’s the payoff- What […]
Next (2007) -vs- Harold and Maude (1971) -vs- Charade (1963) -vs- To Have and Have Not (1944)
The Smackdown There are four corners in a ring (usually) and we need all of them to fit this Smackdown inside. When I first caught a preview for “Next,” I saw Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore […]