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Miley Cyrus (left) stars as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana and Lucas Till is Travis Brody in “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
- photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures Studios
- photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures Studios
7 months ago | 0 
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With several hundred screaming and singing pre-teens in the audience during “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” it felt more like a concert than a film screening. But I guess that’s how big Hannah Monta...
7 months ago | 0 | 6 |
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The stale scent of buttery popcorn and cooking sugary churros fill the air with an aroma all too familiar. Combine that with the cacophony of arcade game sounds and whirling rides, and you’ve got...
7 months ago | 0 | 7 |
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In 2006, “Crash” was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Editing, while being nominated for a slew of other awards for which it did not win. Although “Crash” is an excellent, ...
Time-jumping bogs down ‘Duplicity’Frozen pizzas. Face cream — or lotion. Shampoo. These three items are not what one might think would be major plot points in a film about con jobs or corporate espionage. In the film, “Duplicity,...
7 months ago | 0 | 8 |
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‘I Love You, Man’ flips chick-flick genre on its headClichés in the chick flick genre are known well enough that I probably don’t need to explain them. But when men are thrown into these roles, playing up the stereotypes in a “bro-mance”-type setti...
7 months ago | 0 | 7 |
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Phoenix’s performance raises ‘Two Lovers’
I haven’t a clue whether or not Joaquin Phoenix is actually pursuing a career as a rapper and has quit the film industry completely. If this is his current life path, it’s a huge mistake — especi...
I haven’t a clue whether or not Joaquin Phoenix is actually pursuing a career as a rapper and has quit the film industry completely. If this is his current life path, it’s a huge mistake — especi...
7 months ago | 0 | 7 |
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‘The Class’ teaches thoughtful lessons of Parisian school life
Hollywood filmmakers have a knack for tricking audiences to believe that a racially mixed teen drama shows the hardships that come from whatever neighborhood in which they live. Whether or not th...
Hollywood filmmakers have a knack for tricking audiences to believe that a racially mixed teen drama shows the hardships that come from whatever neighborhood in which they live. Whether or not th...
8 months ago | 0 | 8 |
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‘Watchmen’ looks every inch a superhero
The setting of many comic book films is a fictional place that resembles a major U.S. city — Metropolis in “Superman” or Gotham City in “Batman.” These locations set the tone and create an ambian...
The setting of many comic book films is a fictional place that resembles a major U.S. city — Metropolis in “Superman” or Gotham City in “Batman.” These locations set the tone and create an ambian...
8 months ago | 1 | 9 |
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Kung fu beats up acting in ‘Street Fight”
Whoever thought movies based on video games would be a good idea was sorely mistaken. Generally this can work the other way around if a video game based on a popular film comes out. And there is ...
Whoever thought movies based on video games would be a good idea was sorely mistaken. Generally this can work the other way around if a video game based on a popular film comes out. And there is ...
8 months ago | 0 | 22 |
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‘Fired Up!’ filled with some good cheer
Be aggressive! Be, be aggressive!” These should be words to live by when it comes to making a cheerleading movie. “Bring It On” followed that mantra and brought it’s A-game nine years ago, but si...
Be aggressive! Be, be aggressive!” These should be words to live by when it comes to making a cheerleading movie. “Bring It On” followed that mantra and brought it’s A-game nine years ago, but si...
8 months ago | 0 | 8 |
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Unpredictability of Oscars made for great show
I beat the .500 mark at the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, though just barely. Of the 19 Oscar categories in which I had seen every film nominated, 10 of my picks were correct — though onl...
I beat the .500 mark at the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, though just barely. Of the 19 Oscar categories in which I had seen every film nominated, 10 of my picks were correct — though onl...
8 months ago | 0 | 7 |
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‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ will hop into your heart despite rough animationFilms dealing with using your imagination are often lost on me. On one hand, I understand helping kids utilize their minds by being creative. On the other hand, watching a movie about imagination...
8 months ago | 0 | 12 |
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Fact would have been better than fiction in overwrought ‘International’
According to the character Wilhelm Wexler (played by Armin Mueller-Stahl) in “The International,” fiction must make sense and non-fiction does not make sense. Well, I hate to break it to Wilhelm,...
According to the character Wilhelm Wexler (played by Armin Mueller-Stahl) in “The International,” fiction must make sense and non-fiction does not make sense. Well, I hate to break it to Wilhelm,...
8 months ago | 0 | 17 |
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Script-by-committee approach spoils ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’A beautiful, red cashmere coat beckons you to feel it, try it on, realize it hugs your body perfectly and eventually spend more money on it than you should. After wearing it a few times, soaking ...
8 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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‘Coraline’s’ animated stop-motion comes to life in dark, 3-D story
In the past, I’ve been quick to express my general distaste for children’s movies filmed in 3-D — “Fly Me to the Moon” is the first to come to my mind. My feelings about the use of 3-D are startin...
In the past, I’ve been quick to express my general distaste for children’s movies filmed in 3-D — “Fly Me to the Moon” is the first to come to my mind. My feelings about the use of 3-D are startin...
8 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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9 months ago | 0 | 9 |
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The same story has been told many times: A high-powered executive is transferred from a big city to a small town only to find herself eventually siding with the small-town residents quirky way of l...
9 months ago | 0 | 9 |
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Mickey Rourke seemed to channel himself in order to play Randy “The Ram” Robinson in “The Wrestler.” Rourke, who’s making a comeback on the big screen, was trying to make his way through the indepe...
9 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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The 25th annual Sundance Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday after a 10-day run in Park City and Salt Lake City. Although this year’s festival wasn’t as star-packed or sponsor-filled as the last ...
9 months ago | 0 | 9 |
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It was empty. It was quiet. And it definitely was not the typical scene on Main Street in Park City early Friday afternoon during the first weekend of the Sundance Film Festival. I wasn’t the onl...
9 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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It was empty. It was quiet. And it definitely was not the typical scene on Main Street in Park City early Friday afternoon during the first weekend of the Sundance Film Festival. I wasn’t the o...
9 months ago | 0 | 8 |
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It’s sometimes difficult to decide what films to see at the Sundance Film Festival. Usually you end up seeing a few bad movies mixed in with a select handful of good ones. Luckily, I chose wisely...
9 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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The thought that kept running through my mind during the screening of “Hotel for Dogs” was this: At least none of these dogs are talking. Dozens of talking dogs would have made “Hotel for Dogs” j...
9 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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Christmas and New Year’s have already passed, but for film enthusiasts, the excitement of a 10-day movie-going “holiday” is about to begin. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival starts Thursday and run...
10 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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Anne Hathaway should’ve stuck to being a drug rehabilitating sister of a bride-to-be, like she was in “Rachel Getting Married,” instead of a bride herself, as in “Bride Wars.” I just hope “Bride ...
10 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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A director can do almost everything correctly in a film to help deliver a poignant message, yet one slip-up can spoil the entire effort, shaking an audience’s confidence in the story. That’s how I ...
10 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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The year started out rough with the writer’s strike in Hollywood, which had a major effect on television shows and trickled down to the film industry. I was worried there weren’t going to be enough...
10 months ago | 0 | 11 |
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Bedtime stories parents tell to their kids have a magical aura. They allow kids to use their imagination and become creative. There comes a time, however, when these tales should come to a screechi...
10 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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Nine movies are opening in Utah on Christmas day, but the three below are my picks for the best of the lot. Two of the three — “Frost/Nixon” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” — are sure O...
10 months ago | 0 | 11 |
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If you’ve seen “Liar Liar,” you’ve essentially seen “Yes Man.” It’s the same concept: A man’s life is stalled and he doesn’t know what to do. Some force then causes him to begin speaking without ...
10 months ago | 0 | 10 |
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At first glance, “The Tale of Despereaux” feels like a rip-off of last year’s Academy Award-winning animated movie “Ratatouille.” Both involve rodents and fine foods which is now, after “Ratatoui...
10 months ago | 0 | 11 |
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No matter how good an ensemble cast may be, if it succumbs to a mediocre plot, it won’t be good. That’s exactly what happened to the talented cast of the new Christmas film, “Nothing Like the Holid...
11 months ago | 0 | 15 |
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I’ll say this right up front: Despite all of its flaws, “Slumdog Millionaire” is a really good movie. It’s provocative, intense and beautiful all at the same time. I was completely engrossed by t...
11 months ago | 5 | 14 |
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I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the Swedish film “Let the Right One In” (“Låt den rätte komma in”) was released in U.S. theaters days after the release of the immensely popular vampire tw...
11 months ago | 0 | 11 |
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The “Transporter” trilogy is the epitome of big, dumb action movies. These movies have very little plot, but enough action sequences to make parts of James Bond’s films look tame in comparison. W...
11 months ago | 0 | 11 |
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Vince Vaughn can be funny. Sometimes he can even be hilarious — witness “Wedding Crashers.” When it comes to Christmas movies, however, he can’t seem to incorporate his typical brand of humor int...
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