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

Oscar predictions [2013]

My predictions for the 85th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night:

Oscars preview | Download EPISODE 42 of postmodcast.

Best Picture | Argo
Best Director | Steven Spielberg [Lincoln]

Best Actor | Daniel Day-Lewis [Lincoln]
Best Actress | Jennifer Lawrence [Silver Linings Playbook]
Best Supporting Actor | Robert De Niro [Silver Linings Playbook]
Best Supporting Actress | Anne Hathaway [Les Miserables]

Best Original Screenplay | Quentin Tarantino [Django Unchained]
Best Adapted Screenplay | Chris Terrio [Argo]

Best Animated Film | Wreck-It Ralph
Best Documentary | Searching for Sugar Man
Best Foreign Film | Amour



Best Original Song | “Skyfall” by Adele, Paul Epworth [Skyfall]
Best Original Score | Life of Pi

Best Cinematography | Life of Pi
Best Visual Effects | Life of Pi

Best Film Editing | Argo

Best Sound Editing | Zero Dark Thirty
Best Sound Mixing | Les Miserables

Best Production Design | Anna Karenina
Best Costume Design | Anna Karenina
Best Makeup & Hairstyling | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best Short Film | Curfew
Best Animated Short | Paperman
Best Documentary Short | Open Heart

Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig and the other “Bond”-makers strike the perfect balance of art and action film, throwing away all those cheesy gadgets and cheeky dialogue, and there’s even a song by Adele. It is certainly the best Bond film of all time, but that’s not saying much.

d: Sam Mendes | imdb.com | trailer