Author: Jason Zingale

Given that the number of below-average thrillers flooding theaters these days is at a record high, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood finally got one right. It comes as a bit of surprise, however, that the one to break the streak is the work of writer/director Bruce A. Evans, a man who (along with penning “Cutthroat Island” and the Disney crapfest “Jungle 2 Jungle”) has only one other directorial credit to his name: the 1992 Christian Slater action-comedy “Kuffs.” Of course, when you have resident nice guy Kevin Costner risking career suicide by playing a serial killer…

When news hit that Seth McFarlane’s new show, “American Dad,” would be packaged together with the return of “Family Guy” as part of FOX’s Sunday night animation block, my heart skipped a beat. Already a big fan of the latter, it seemed silly to think that McFarlane’s latest project would disappoint. Unfortunately, it did, and after only a few weeks of watching what amounted to a sorry “Family Guy” rip-off, I forced myself to delete the Season Pass from my TiVo. Then, the season one DVD arrived on my doorstep, and feeling compelled to watch the remaining episodes in order…

Not since college have I torn through a book in a single weekend (and even then, only because it was expected of me), but Chuck Palahniuk’s (“Fight Club”) latest – “Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey” – is so grossly original that it’s near impossible to put down. Remember that old adage about Pringles chips? Well, it’s like that, only twice as addictive and 10 times as good. The novel is also Palahniuk’s most ambitious yet, featuring not only the usual dose of dark comedy and social comedy that you find hidden away in his character’s dissociative narrations, but…

Pushed from its release date three times in as many months and forced to undergo last-minute reshoots, the Jesse Peretz comedy formerly known as “Fast Track” hasn’t exactly had the easiest time on its way to theaters. Given a marketing makeover after the filmmakers realized the name had nothing to do with the actual movie, “Fast Track” was repackaged under the even more dubious title of “The Ex” and slated for a mid-May release, one week after the opening of “Spider-Man 3.” Upon screening the film, it seems the crackpot marketing team has done it yet again: not only is…

For fans of cute, fuzzy animals (“March of the Penguins”), musical prodigies (“Rock School”) and adrenaline-pumping sports (“Murderball”), last year’s class of feature documentaries was nothing short of spectacular. And with the genre becoming more like your average Hollywood narrative with each successive year, it comes as no surprise that the first great documentary of 2006 – Patrick Creadon’s “Wordplay” – also trumps most Hollywood thrillers with its fast-paced, nail-biting journey into the crazy (and incredibly nerdy) world of crossword puzzle enthusiasts. Whether or not you actually enjoy these types of puzzles is a moot point, really, since “Wordplay” will…

History has proven that movie sequels rarely exceed their original, but as we already know, “Spider-Man 2” holds its place in history as one of the very few to ever do so. The 2004 follow-up to Peter Parker’s origin story offered better drama, action and special effects, not to mention the most engaging character study of any superhero to grace the big screen. It’s an even rarer feat, however, for the third installment of a trilogy to live up to its predecessors, but “Spider-Man 3” pulls it off almost effortlessly, thanks in part to the return of the same creative…

Considering that the whole Texas Hold ‘Em poker fad has gone a bit stale since its explosion at the turn of the century, you’d think Warner Brothers would have made the release of Curtis Hanson’s poker drama, “Lucky You,” a little more time sensitive. For one, the movie isn’t exactly your typical summer fare, and the fact that it’s opening against a juggernaut like “Spider-Man 3” doesn’t help its chances. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the recent overexposure of the leisure sport means that you can switch on your television at just about any time of the day and watch…

To say that Adrienne Shelly’s “Waitress” doesn’t represent something more than the average chick flick is an understatement. After all, the film’s big debut at Sundance earlier this year was overshadowed by the director’s untimely death, and though the cast and crew were all there to support the premiere, it’s hard to imagine that anyone had anything else on their mind other than paying tribute to their dear friend. Despite the somber attitude, however, the film wowed audiences as one of the more impressive entries at the festival. While “Waitress” probably won’t enjoy the same success as last year’s “Little…

Director Gregory Hoblit has never made a great film, but he’s made several good ones over the past decade, and the trend continues with the color-by-numbers thriller “Fracture.” Based on my theory that most moviegoers don’t actually pay attention to the little details sprinkled throughout a given story, “Fracture” takes a relatively simple set-up and creates an enjoyable game of cat-and-mouse that, while frequently unimpressive, will no doubt entertain the average moviegoer. Anthony Hopkins stars as Ted Crawford, a successful aerospace engineer who, upon discovering that his beautiful wife (Embeth Davidtz) is having an affair, shoots her in the head…

Director James Foley would probably like to believe that his latest film, “Perfect Stranger,” is the next great thriller, but what starts out as a mildly interesting concept quickly stumbles into a laughable farce that’s so invested in its big surprise ending it simply forgets about the other 100 minutes along the way. One could assume that the film’s principal cast signed on for the same exact reason, and quite honestly, it’s a shame that they did. Written by the men who brought us the equally formulaic “Taking Lives” and, um… the direct-to-DVD flicks “Resistance” and “Bad Seed,” “Perfect Stranger”…