NICOTINA
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  Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 92 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE! “Nicotina” is an uncertain, but also unboring, neo-noir comedy that has more than its share of gimmicks. Its characters smoke quite a bit, and they talk about the demon weed with roots in Winston-Salem more than Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega discussed burgers…
Posted on August 23, 2004 by Bob Westal
JUDITH WESTON: IT’S ALL PART OF THE ACT
The Culver City-based acting and directing teacher has a method which she’s expounded on in fascinating detail in two shockingly readable books and in classes which she’s taught all around the world…
Posted on August 13, 2004 by Bob Westal
EXTRA CREDIT
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  Year Released: 2000 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 11 minutes |
It’s a movie that starts well, then stops and basically just tells us what Bourget’s film is about without actually forcing us to sit through it…
Posted on April 29, 2004 by Bob Westal
MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP
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  Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 94 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE! With it’s touching story of a guileless man in one of the world’s most guile-full businesses, “Mayor of the Sunset Strip” is compulsory viewing for anyone with the slightest interest in rock history or the power of celebrity…
Posted on March 28, 2004 by Bob Westal
DOUBLE AGENT
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Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 123 minutes |
Spying is probably the world’s third or fourth oldest profession. Wars, cold and hot, aren’t going away anytime soon…
Posted on March 9, 2004 by Bob Westal
SMASHIN’ IT UP
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  Year Released: 2001 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 7 minutes |
It’s a truism that even making a really bad film is hard work…
Posted on February 13, 2004 by Bob Westal
GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING
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  Year Released: 1997 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 5 minutes |
Making us laugh about being bored without actually boring us is much easier said than done…
Posted on January 12, 2004 by Bob Westal
IN AMERICA
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  Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 103 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE! “In America” contains enough magic and sincerity to cover the proverbial multitude of cinematic sins. And, better yet, for all the Irishness, it contains not a single alcoholic and not one barroom brawl!
Posted on December 30, 2003 by Bob Westal
KAMCHATKA
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Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 103 minutes |
Written by Marcelo Figueras and ably directed by Marcelo Piñeyro, “Kamchatka” doesn’t break any new ground, but it is a touching paean to true family values…
Posted on December 6, 2003 by Bob Westal
THE FOG OF WAR
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Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 95 minutes |
Since his 1978 breakthrough, “Gates of Heaven,” master documentarian Errol Morris has made a career out of exploring the psyches of oddballs, enigmatic loners, criminals and the occasional hero and/or genius. Morris’s latest subject is a little of all those things…
Posted on December 6, 2003 by Bob Westal
SPIN
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  Year Released: 2004 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 108 minutes |
Maybe James Redford should have paid more attention to “Only Angels Have Wings”…
Posted on December 3, 2003 by Bob Westal
CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
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Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 87 minutes |
“Conspiracy of Silence” just might help alter the course of 21st century Catholicism…
Posted on November 30, 2003 by Bob Westal
RUB AND TUG
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Year Released: 2002 MPAA Rating: R Running Time: 90 minutes |
There are some things we’d rather do for ourselves. Others are more interesting if someone else lends a hand…
Posted on November 24, 2003 by Bob Westal
TEMPTATION
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  Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 86 minutes |
Everyone knows that holding on to your integrity in Hollywood filmmaking is hard. How much harder is it in San Fernando Valley porn?
Posted on November 20, 2003 by Bob Westal
ANYTHING BUT LOVE
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Year Released: 2003 MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 99 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE, NOVEMBER 7TH! It’s really kind of a shame. Ms. Rose is a better than average singer and probably a competent actress, but the film she co-wrote does what it can to undermine her at almost every turn…
Posted on November 5, 2003 by Bob Westal
