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May 20, 2013
Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star
The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation
David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church
May 10, 2013
Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be
May 8, 2013
Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas
Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate
Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility
May 6, 2013
May 3, 2013
Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine
April 29, 2013
Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust
Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA
April 26, 2013
Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty
April 24, 2013
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Jewish World Review
July 12, 2012/ 22 Tamuz, 5772
Grading the summer movies . . . so far
By
Barry Koltnow
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
When you're a kid, the learning stops when the summer vacation begins.
When you're an adult, the learning never stops.
For instance, I've been in school since the beginning of May.
My classroom is a darkened movie theater, but it is a place of learning nonetheless.
Here is what I have learned from this summer movie season ... so far. Obviously, there will be more knowledge gained by the end of the summer movie season, and I'll check back with you then.
You probably should take notes; there might be a pop quiz.
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There are TWO Hemsworth brothers: I know this isn't going to make me seem very bright, but I thought there was one spectacular Australian stud who was in every big movie of the year. As it turns out, there are two distinct actors, Chris and Liam Hemsworth. I'm not quite as impressed now that I know one guy isn't doing all the work, but each brother has built an impressive portfolio in his own right. This year alone, Chris was in the horror flick "The Cabin in the Woods," reprised his Thor character in the third-biggest-movie of all time, "The Avengers," and now is in the big hit "Snow White and the Huntsman." His younger brother Liam got off to a monstrous start in "The Hunger Games," and next will be seen with Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis in "The Expendables 2." Both brothers have a long list of other movies lined up, but you can be assured of one thing the money has to be divided between TWO people so it won't be as impressive as you think.
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Sometimes, a dumb-sounding idea really is a dumb idea: I don't know about you, but when I heard that someone was going to make a movie based on the board game "Battleship," I thought it was a joke. You know, like when people talk of a "Titanic" sequel or a musical version of "The Silence of the Lambs." I couldn't figure out how they were going to tie the game to a movie, and sure enough, they couldn't. While the movie made some money in other countries, it sunk in domestic waters.
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Even Brooklyn Decker can't save bad movies: The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model might not be the next Meryl Streep, but she's certainly fun to look at, particularly if you are of the guy persuasion. Brooklyn appeared in two movies that opened on the same weekend the aforementioned "Battleship" and the painful "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and neither yielded impressive numbers. But neither failure was Brooklyn's fault, and I sincerely hope that Hollywood continues to cast her in movies. That is, unless a better-looking supermodel comes along.
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Never underestimate the expanding Marvel universe: Did we mention that "The Avengers" hit the $1 billion mark in less than two weeks? Five years from now, I'll be saying the same thing about "The Avengers 3."
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Two rights occasionally make a wrong: To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows" when it ran on TV in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, when I heard that Johnny Depp was going to play vampire Barnabas Collins, and the weirdly original filmmaker Tim Burton was going to direct the movie, I got excited. It was going to open the second weekend of the summer, right after "The Avengers," and I thought it might have a chance to separate itself from the pack. I figured "The Avengers" would fade quickly (I also give stock tips for a small fee), and then "Dark Shadows" would take over the box office. I forgot lessons learned in previous summer movie schools never assume a hit. While the movie started off well, two hours later we were left with a bloodless corpse. It was disappointing in the end.
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It's never too late to make money: It had been 10 years since the second "Men in Black" movie, and one would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who believed that a third film would ever be made. In 10 years, cast members scatter (or get too expensive), public tastes change and studios go bankrupt. "Men in Black 3" is underperforming compared to "The Hunger Games" and "The Avengers," but with receipts from the international box office, it should make a hefty profit.
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There is room for Judi Dench in the summer: Everyone assumes that the summer movie season is just one loud kid movie after another, but filmmakers have dared to throw a few quieter, adult-themed films into the summer blender. And the strategy of "counter-programming" is working, most notably with the film "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," which is holding its own among the blockbusters. And Dench didn't once have to don a superhero costume.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on Barry Koltnow's column by clicking here.
Previously:
Readers are angry about TV network practices, too
TV networks have some explaining to do
The night Johnny Depp made me a star
Summer movies: the dark horses
Lindsay, Ashton, Kim --- are they kidding?
Readers pick their favorite baseball movies
Our 10 favorite baseball movies
The most over-hyped movies of 2012
The 10 worst best pictures ever
The greatest Oscar acceptance speech NEVER given
The worst biopics ... ever
20 celebrity questions that must be answered in 2012
The Golden Globes are meaningless
The 10 Most Annoying Celebrities of 2011
The funniest comedy teams
Fake celebrities ignite real controversy
Hollywood: Stop spoiling our movies
Mob expert reveals his favorite gangster flicks
Good riddance, Harry Potter
The coolest car movies ever made
Our favorite teacher movies
Are women funny?
Our special snarky summer movie guide
The 10 most pressing show biz questions
Readers weigh in on the royal wedding
The royal wedding: I don't get it
Readers reach verdict on lawyer column
Our favorite lawyer movies ever
Readers pick their worst Oscar winners
The 10 worst best pictures ever
25 hit-man movies to die for
The 10 greatest sidekicks ever
The 10 biggest celebrity missteps of 2010
Who's cooler than Steve McQueen? (Answer: nobody)
The best revenge movies ever
The good old days, when celebrities weren't train wrecks
Making sport of celebrities
Youth will be served? Don't give me that trash!
A celebrity answer is no answer at all
Caution: geniuses at work
© 2010, The Orange County Register; Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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