In "Boffo," his examination of entertainment blockbusters, Variety editor Peter Bart names the stage production of "Mamma Mia!" as one of the all-time great show business phenomena, on the short list next to "Casablanca," "Psycho" and "I Love Lucy."
By William Arnold | July 18, 2008
Heath Ledger dazzles as the oddball villain the Joker in Christopher Nolan's masterful "The Dark Knight," with Christian Bale as a brooding Batman and Aaron Eckhart as the ambitious new district attorney, Harvey Dent. Movie review by Moira Macdonald.
By Moira Macdonald | July 17, 2008
A Bruce Lee tribute in Seattle this weekend will honor the martial-arts star and include an announcement of plans for a new Bruce Lee museum to be built in the city.
By Tan Vinh | July 16, 2008
Heath Ledger filmed the role of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" just before his untimely death. Will his portrayal be the next in a line of great Gotham villains on screen?
By Moira Macdonald | July 13, 2008
Since it's not appropriate for a grown man to file a review that consists of "Wheeee!" I'll say these things: Director Guillermo del Toro is a mad genius, and I want to get drunk with him. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a flawed but tremendously fun comic-book flick with awe-inspiring visuals. And I never thought a Barry Manilow song could be used for anything but evil.
By Mark Rahner | July 10, 2008
Kerri O'Kane's documentary offers a candid appraisal and celebration of the Seattle punk-pop band that was poised for larger success in the early '90s before the murder of lead singer Mia Zapata cut their ambitions short.
By Ted Fry | July 4, 2008
At first glance, famed guerrilla journalist Hunter S. Thompson seems an odd subject for Alex Gibney, whose previous documentaries -- "Enron," "No End in Sight," "Taxi to the Dark Side" -- have mostly dealt with American moral decline in the New Millennium. But Gibney says "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" fits right in with his other films because the man embodied "just the kind of enterprise, eloquence and inspired disrespect for authority" that seems to have vanished from American journalism.
By William Arnold | July 4, 2008
In a summer filled with superheroes, special effects and "Sex and the
City" stilettos, it's downright refreshing to review a movie whose most
audacious effect is Abigail Breslin donning a wee cloche hat.
By Moira Macdonald | July 2, 2008
When Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa -- the director of "Eclipse" (1994) and "The Five Senses" (1999) -- was honored as an Emerging Master at the recent Seattle International Film Festival, it seemed an odd choice to some critics. After all, this encouragement award usually goes to a promising newcomer, and Podeswa is a 20-year directing veteran better known for cranking out episodes of cable television -- "Queer as Folk," "Six Feet Under," "The L Word," "Nip/Tuck" and "The Tudors." But his new feature, "Fugitive Pieces" -- which was showcased in the festival and goes into its regular run today -- is so assured and accomplished that it's easy to see why it inspired the SIFF directors to break tradition and get behind him.
By William Arnold | June 27, 2008
"WALL• E," Pixar's most recent effort, is a charming mix of sci-fi adventure, wistful romance and a dash of "Hello, Dolly!" Review by Seattle Times movie critic Moira Macdonald.
By Moira Macdonald | June 26, 2008
