Author: Jason Zingale

Mel Brooks has done it all. He’s turned Frankenstein’s monster into a song-and-dance man (“Young Frankenstein”), capitalized on the tight-wearing pansies of fairy tales (“Robin Hood: Men in Tights”), and even revealed the West for its extreme political incorrectness (“Blazing Saddles”). It seems only necessary that he take his well-earned jabs at the only film genre he has yet to spoof, science fiction, with the hit-and-miss comedy “Spaceballs: The Movie.” A film that gets just as many things right as it does wrong, “Spaceballs” certainly isn’t Brooks’ greatest work to date, but it is probably his most famous, thanks to…

When planning to see the book-to-film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ highly celebrated sci-fi novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” I have only two words of encouragement: “Don’t Panic.” “Hitchhiker,” or as it’s known to its giant fan base, “H2G2,” is a brilliant collaboration of the witty, English-born roots and the jacked-up, summer-film-spectacle tactics of Hollywood. The wonderful cast of British and American actors are all up to the task of honoring Adams’ original creation, and the handful of additions made to the script are not only mostly harmless, but also mostly welcomed. Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman of “The Office”)…

Once in a great while, a film comes along that’s got everything you’d ever look for in an instant classic, and it’s hard to wonder how a project such as “Kung Fu Hustle” succeeds as a multi-cultural phenomenon. That is, of course, if it isn’t under the reigns of director/writer/actor Steven Chow, perhaps the epitome of Asian film talent on both sides of the world. As the one man who most Hollywood bozos could probably afford a lesson or two from in filmmaking, Chow is quickly on his way to becoming a household name in America, though he has certainly…

After initially hearing the premise for “The Interpreter,” I could only think of the numberless so-called “political thrillers” that Hollywood had obtrusively manufactured over the past decade – including the most recent remake of “The Manchurian Candidate” – but I was certainly open for reinterpretation. And then I heard that the film would be starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman (arguably two of the finest actors in the history of American film) and directed by legendary film icon Sydney Pollack. “The Interpreter” is by no means a thriller, but it was a pleasant surprise to see a mostly-intellectual script about…

It seems to have become common practice throughout the Hollywood marketing circles to relentlessly advertise their films as one of the must-see productions of the year, whether it’s through misleading trailers or quotes from random radio station critics who absolutely loved the latest box office flop. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the urban comedy “King’s Ransom” isn’t exactly going to be the film of the year, but it’s refreshing to see that the marketing team isn’t very supportive either, branding the movie posters with the tagline: “Big Man. Big Plans. Big Mistake.” Anthony Anderson stars as self-obsessed…

For those looking to be won over by a new action star in the same vein as such MIA Hollywood icons as James Bond and Indiana Jones, keep looking (and no, XXX doesn’t count), but Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) is a nice substitute for the time being. In the first of a collection of Clive Cussler stories that seems hellbent on creating a successful film franchise of the character, “Sahara” is a mediocre action flick that could just as well serve as your guilty pleasure of the year. Directed by Breck Eisner (yes, the son of Disney CEO Michael Eisner),…

The opening sequence of Bruce Willis’ latest action-thriller “Hostage” is a fast-paced adrenaline rush of suspense that not only keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, but also revives the since-shattered career of the charming action-star in a matter of minutes. And yes, this includes Willis’ horrifying cameo in “Ocean’s Twelve” as part of his questionable career choices prior to the release of this film. Following a visually entertaining credit sequence displaying a black-and-white cityscape shadowed underneath a blood-red sky, director Florent Emilio Siri rushes into the main action and never looks back. Based on the novel by…

Congratulations are in order for 20th Century Fox and their CGI animation adjunct Blue Sky Studios for joining the fight between Pixar and DreamWorks in the ongoing battle for animation supremacy. Despite the minimal success enjoyed from their first film “Ice Age” though (which was released amidst a whirlwind of much better competition), Blue Sky’s latest venture is only slightly better, especially considering when it’s the following act of Pixar’s award-winning “The Incredibles.” Director Chris Wedge’s “Robots” is a visually stunning display of the technological advances in animation over the past year, but the film depends too much on its…

While the basic plot of “The Jacket” may have seemed like a good idea upon the initial screening of the film to movie heads, it brings back far too many memories of bad films just like it; films that all stirred up their share of media buzz just before crashing and burning in theaters. And so, despite director John Maybury’s keen eye for experimental filmmaking and screenwriter Massy Tadjedin’s somewhat-clever plot, “The Jacket” falls into the growing list of promising films (like “The Butterfly Effect”) that share the common tragedy of ruining a great idea through careless direction and unnecessary…

Highlighted as one of the most anticipated sequels of the new season, “Be Cool” is also the most disappointing film of the year. Sure, it’s entertaining and boasts one of the best ensemble casts of recent years, but while the script (adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel) shadows the same motions of its incredibly successful counterpart, “Get Shorty,” it lands nowhere close to imitating the same qualities that made the original such a critical hit in the first place. While the R-rated venture “Get Shorty” featured rich characters like the bad-mouthing Dennis Farina and the gratuitous hit man played by James…