42 [2013]

Writer-director Brian Helgeland’s hagiography about Jackie Robinson contains nostalgic lighting, slow-motion baserunning and an overwrought sweeping score. Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), a cigar-chomping cartoon, is right at home in this afterschool special.

d: Brian Helgeland | imdb.com

Room 237 [2013]

Five film obsessives explain what Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is really about in this sort-of documentary. Their theories are complete and wonderful nonsense. Ultimately, the meaning of the film doesn’t matter, only that it means everything to these people.

d: Rodney Ascher | imdb.com | trailer | Last Call with Carson Daly
The Shining | The Power of ... | All work and no play makes Jack ...

Spring Breakers [2013]

Four college girls, two of them with a Disney pedigree, hit Spring Break and jail in an arthouse exploitation film. Then James Franco, wearing grillz and cornrows, bails them out, croons some Britney Spears and then the gunplay. This is really good (trash).

d: Harmony Korine | imdb.com | trailer | Chauffeur

Roger Ebert [1942-2013]

Roger Ebert reviewed movies for 46 years at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he won a Pulitzer Prize, and later on his web site and Twitter. But it was on television, as the larger half of “Siskel & Ebert,” that
he made film criticism accessible to everyone.

Appreciation | Chicago Sun-Times | A.O. Scott | Richard Corliss
Famous reviews | Hoop Dreams | North | Cop and a Half
On talk shows | Johnny Carson | David Letterman | Bob Costas