Culture

There are bad movies and then there are bad movies. Some movies are merely not entertaining and some movies are morally reprehensible. Law Abiding Citizen manages to pull off both kinds of bad so well that it will undoubtedly become a classic of its kind.
Films often reflect social trends and political shifts. Michael Douglas, for example, has built his career on roles that chart the post-1960s crisis points of the white American male. The men he played in the films Basic Instinct, Falling Down, Disclosure, Fatal Attraction, War Of The Roses and The Game are victims of women's liberation, affirmative action and liberalism. Between this film, 300 and the Gamer, Gerard Butler looks set to take his mantle.

Cold Souls is a quirky dark comedy, a thought-provoking mystery, as well as a metaphor-ridden quiz. It's edgy enough to pass as weird but formulaic enough for the audience to follow. With interwoven doses of art-house film stamped throughout, it's guaranteed to keep your attention.
The notion behind Cold Souls' story is funnier than it's actually depicted on screen. Paul Giamatti plays an actor named (oddly enough) Paul Giamatti, although he's not the guy from Sideways or Duets; he's a stage actor rehearsing Chekov's Uncle Vanya and struggling to get into the character.

You could argue without fear of contradiction that Where the Wild Things Are is the most ambitious film ever conceived that was inspired by a 10-sentence-long picture-book – but I don't think even that sentiment does justice to this prickly, hilarious, devastatingly emotional work of art.
Maurice Sendak's classic book hinted at the complex psychology of childhood, with its rambunctious wolf-costumed protagonist. Co-writer/director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), however, has found the feature concept lurking beneath Sendak's minimalist text – and burrowed straight into the heart of a troubled young psyche trying to understand itself.

note: Our film critic, Morgan P. Salvo, spent the weekend taking in the movies of the BendFilm Festival, where he's long been a volunteer. Here's a list of the flicks that caught his eye and also may have caught your eye, too, if you made it out to BendFilm.
NARRATIVES:
Cold Storage (Directed by Tony Ellwood) This was by far my favorite, although in a semi-packed house I was one of only four people who applauded. A very warped and disturbing movie, it features the same hillbilly perspective of Norman Bates' Psycho world. This gory, graphic and darkly comic flick will make you think twice about taking that trip through the mountains.