07 Jan 2009

Why So Serious?: Mike Schulz's 10 Most Enjoyable Movies of 2008

By Mike Schulz

It's commonly understood that not all great movies are necessarily great-time movies, and I think we can all agree that not all great-time movies are necessarily "great." (Formally brilliant and historically essential though they are, I'm not sure I could summon the energy to sit through Intolerance or Triumph of the Will again, and while I love Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle to death, you'll never read 2,000 words on it in Cahiers du cinéma.)

07 Jan 2009

10 Things I Hate About You (, Hollywood): The Most Unbearable Movies of 2008

By Mike Schulz

Space ChimpsAt first, I thought it might be fun to compose 200-ish words each on my 10 least-favorite 2008 movies, to go along with my 10 favorites for the year. And then I realized that would just be mean-spirited and silly. And I still opted against it.

So instead, I'll content myself with random comments on the top 10 (well ... 20 ... ) Hollywood entertainments that made the job of being a movie critic just a little tougher than it should ever have to be.

 

07 Jan 2009

The Rest of 2008's Best. And Worst.

By Mike Schulz

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen in Frost/NixonSo you've got my 10 favorite movies and 20 least-favorite movies for 2008 ... but what about the 139 that landed somewhere in between?

Glad you asked!

 

07 Jan 2009

Disappointment Big Really A: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

By Mike Schulz

Taraji P. Henson and Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonTHE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Visually arresting and wildly ambitious, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a tough film to dislike. But I'm giving it a shot anyway, because while director David Fincher's 165-minute opus is spectacular in lots of small ways, it's frustrating and fundamentally unsatisfying in much, much bigger ones. Given several days to reflect on the experience, I no longer hate the movie the way I initially did, yet I remain convinced that what could have, and should have, been a magical, lyrical piece of work is instead a graceless, obvious, and frequently maddening one.

07 Jan 2009

Star Wars: "Doubt," "Valkyrie," "The Reader," "Bedtime Stories," and "Marley & Me"

By Mike Schulz

Meryl Streep in DoubtDOUBT

Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, writer/director John Patrick Shanley's period drama Doubt - set in 1964, and concerning a nun who suspects a priest of sexual misconduct with an altar boy - isn't much of a movie. Shanley's previous directorial effort was 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano, and it's a shame he wasn't able to get in more practice over the last 18 years; in an attempt to gussy up the visual blandness that accompanies most theatrical adaptations, Shanley opts for a series of high- and low-angle shots and symbolic thunder, lightning, and wind effects that oftentimes make Doubt resemble a satire of a low-budget horror flick. And it's still visually bland.

07 Jan 2009

What's Happenin': January 7 - 21

By Mike Schulz

On Becoming

St. Ambrose University

Tuesday, January 13, through Friday, February 13

 

Cherie Sampson's River Spirit of Life Ice PieceDid you know there are Reader readers who don't know that the What's Happenin' pages can also be found online? Just thought I'd mention it.

In other news, January 13 marks the opening of a new art exhibition at St. Ambrose University's Catich Gallery titled On Becoming, showcasing works by Midwestern artists Gillian Brown and Cherie Sampson. Running through February 13, the month-long exhibit will feature selections that employ video projection on sculpture, a technique that gives stationary objects the appearance of movement, and that allows for the presentation of some truly unique imaginings.

23 Dec 2008

Ho, Ho, Ho!: "The Santaland Diaries," at the Harrison Hilltop Theatre through December 28

By Mike Schulz

Mark L. Lingenfelter in The Santaland DiariesI love David Sedaris' writing, but on those rare occasions when I've heard the author read from his works on National Public Radio, I can only listen to him for a few minutes before feeling compelled to change the station. It's not that his high, reedy voice is unpleasant, exactly. But the caustic self-deprecation and derision that can make his stories so wickedly funny strike me as whiny and ungainly when Sedaris himself vocalizes them, and when he indulges in sentiment, his attempts at honest emotion ring hollow. (His "heartfelt" moments don't sound noticeably different from his sardonic diatribes.) This isn't a huge failing - Sedaris, after all, is a writer, not a performer - yet I still find that a little of him, vocally, goes a long way.

23 Dec 2008

What's Happenin' on New Year's Eve: Live Music, DJs, and Karaoke

By Mike Schulz

Family Groove Company"Happy Holidays, Jeff!"

"Happy Holidays to you, Mike."

"Guess what I'm giving you for your gift this year!"

"A moratorium on those annoying Jeff-and-Mike dialogues?"

"Ha ha! Good one, Jeff! No. But I'm going to make your job for the Reader's end-of-year issue so much easier - I'm giving you only one What's Happenin' article to edit instead of five!"

23 Dec 2008

Happy Noon Year!: Celebrating 2009's Arrival at the Bettendorf YMCA and Family Museum

By Mike Schulz

New Year's at Noon 2007Strange as it may seem, there are some people who would love to ring in the new year with a festive party who can't quite manage to stay awake until midnight. But enough about me. If you'd like to celebrate the arrival of 2009 with your kids, yet are concerned about them (or perhaps you) nodding off before the ball drops, Bettendorf will be offering a sensible December 31 alternative - the shouting of "Happy New Year!" at 12 p.m. - at two of the city's family venues.

23 Dec 2008

Just Say "No": "Yes Man" and "The Tale of Despereaux"

By Mike Schulz

Jim Carrey and Terence Stamp in Yes ManYES MAN

It feels as though the teasers for Yes Man have been running since the first Bush administration, so I'm assuming everyone is aware of the film's 10-word comic premise: Jim Carrey always says "no," then learns to say "yes." If you're thinking the setup sounds an awful lot like the conceit behind 1997's Liar Liar, you're not wrong, and in his one-joke role as a depressed loan officer who decides to embrace life by acting against his natural impulses, Yes Man also requires Carrey to goose the proceedings with the sorts of rubber-faced buffoonery and "spontaneous" madness that the actor can pull off in his sleep. Unfortunately, that's exactly what he appears to be doing here.

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