Socal Reviews

Arts & Culture

 

Books

IS KIM O NEILL  A BABY PSYCHIC? IS KIM O'NEILL A BABY PSYCHIC?
Sshh! Your Baby has Something to Say! Kim O'Neill's passion is clear: to empower and inspire all women to access this incredible gift, even for non-expecting ladies.
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Film

SHE S OUT OF MY LEAGUE JOINS THE LEAGUE OF GREAT ROMANTIC COMEDIESSHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE JOINS THE LEAGUE OF GREAT ROMANTIC COMEDIES
She’s Out of My League could easily be the type of comedy that simply relies on physical gags throughout the film. Luckily for viewers, it's much smarter than that.
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DEFENDOR’S EVERYDAY EXTRAORDINARY HERODEFENDOR’S EVERYDAY EXTRAORDINARY HERO
With Defendor, first-time director/screenwriter Peter Stebbings swings like a pendulum between dark comedy and drama with virtually no missteps.
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HAPPY TEARS IS A MIXED BAGHAPPY TEARS IS A MIXED BAG
With Happy Tears, it’s refreshing to see real women portrayed on the big screen as opposed to the adolescent male fantasy construct that’s usually presented.
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THE GOOD GUY: TOO GOOD TO BE BADTHE GOOD GUY: TOO GOOD TO BE BAD
To say that The Good Guy is merely good or bad is to misrepresent the film, which does justice to certain truths about the state of modern relationships while giving its characters the short shrift.
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THE 2011 OSCAR RACE KICKS OFF EARLY WITH SHUTTER ISLANDTHE 2011 OSCAR RACE KICKS OFF EARLY WITH SHUTTER ISLAND
Shutter Island may not end up being the best picture of the year, but as of Feb. 19, it’s definitely the film for all other movies to beat.
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Food & Drink

 

Live Stage

THEATRE REVIEW – AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’THEATRE REVIEW – AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
It was delightful to watch these performers of different generations make Thomas “Fats” Waller’s music come alive. There was something for everyone.
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Theatre Review: EVES RAPTURE ROCKS, FORSOOTH!Theatre Review: EVES RAPTURE ROCKS, FORSOOTH!
Eve's Rapture, far surpassed my initial expectations
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TV & DVD

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - DVD ReviewWHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - DVD Review
The beauty of this so-called “dark” film is that Max is allowed to release and express his anger through his imagination.
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PONYO - DVD ReviewPONYO - DVD Review
Miyazaki returns here to the ecological consciousness of earlier films like Nausicaä and Princess Mononoke, but does it with a childlike delight that makes Ponyo less a sermon than a joyful celebration of life on earth.
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THE INFORMANT! - DVD ReviewTHE INFORMANT! - DVD Review
The script is witty if not laugh out loud hilarious, although it’s debatable if the intent would have played without Damon’s almost euphoric embodiment of the lead character.
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EVERYBODY S FINE - DVD ReviewEVERYBODY'S FINE - DVD Review
While the plot is unpredictable and moving, the all-star cast adds to the movie’s charm.
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ICE CASTLES - DVD ReviewICE CASTLES - DVD Review
As a remake of a late-seventies triple-hankie special about overcoming adversity through dubious athletic training and dippy romantic music, the remake puts forth a token effort to modernize the story but ignores the fundamental absurdity at its heart and removes most of the original’s entertaining conflict.
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