Author Archive for Paul Peterson
They’re not at Hogwarts anymore: Peterson on Potter
I try to go against type so I briefly contemplated doing a Christmas preview column because there really are some big films coming up but even I feel the need to pander to the lowest common denominator . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It really is all of that and a bag of popcorn. […]
Due Date gives money’s worth of belly laughs
Here’s the story… of a man named Peter… OK – enough retro Brady Bunch references, but this is a re-worked story of two guys on a cross-country road trip that involves Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I’m guessing you enjoyed it more the first time when it starred Steve Martin and John Candy. Our story so […]
LIKE! Paul reviews The Social Network
I think a great movie is one that answers more questions than we know to ask and tells us a story that we already know and didn’t realize we cared about. Facebook is a part of the fabric of our daily life, or at least it cuts a very wide path. I’m not currently a […]
Movie Secretariat is a sure thing
Well quality has finally caught up with me. The films are getting better and in the last two weeks I’ve seen two really good films. I’ll review The Social Network next week because this week is all Secretariats. I have to admit from the moment I saw the preview I wanted to see this film. […]
Summer’s movies in the rearview mirror
Well, the summer is over and I’ve had my two weeks in the box to try to recharge what passes for my energy level. As usual, the column I wrote at the beginning of the summer had very little to do with how the movies actually turned out. I should give you some background because […]
The Other Guys is fun – right to schmaltsy ending
There is a brilliant exchange between Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Holtz (Mark Wahlberg) the most unlikely pair of cops to ever team up in this remarkable parody of the buddy cop genre The Other Guys. Stolz is a hot shot trying to get back to active duty after he inadvertently shot Derek Jeter, costing the […]
Dumb, dumberer, explode, exploderer
Well, this week is another twofer for a couple of reasons. I’m not sure there’s a single review in either film and there are so many similarities that it begs a shared space. Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz is the dumbest film I’ve ever enjoyed. Talk about suspending belief. The rules […]
Inception spectacular, surreal, breathtaking
There are three principle elements in a good film. Acting, writing and directing. There are other things as well like special effects and cinematography, but the big three do the bulk of the heavy lifting There aren’t that many actors that can elevate a decent film into a great one. A few. Meryl Streep makes […]
Hard being evil when Julie Andrews is your mom
There are two very good kid’s pictures out right now and I’m going to turn to my granddaughter for the thumbnail overview. She didn’t like Toy Story 3. It had nothing to do with the 3D effects or whether there was too much CGI. She didn’t find the manipulative nature of any Disney script offensive. […]
Grown Ups is a cliche filled storyless fiasco a lot of people will love
I could use the Adam Sandler template to do this week’s review of Grown Ups without a lot of difficulty. No one’s going to get a brain cramp trying to follow the plot line. Our story so far. Five kids were on a basketball team that won the championship when they were knee high to […]
