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The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

In Theaters: 'Taken 2' & 'The Paperboy' Are 'Butter' In The Mouths Of 'Frankenweenie' Who Haunts 'Wuthering Heights'

By Emma Bernstein
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October 5, 2012 6:01 PM
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News

Halloween is still a few weeks away, but, like the drug stores that erect candy aisles in August, the studios are rolling out the thematic material a little early. A reinterpretation of "Frankenstein" for kids (it's never too early to start them on the classics) is complemented by the horror-movie-of-the-week and a number of films that delve into more realistic terrors, like the demise of healthcare or the drug problem in the United States. Also, a Sarah Palin surrogate sculpts with butter. Spooky.

By Gabe Toro
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October 4, 2012 4:00 PM
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Reviews

There’s another era that would have welcomed the chaste suburban sex comedy “The Oranges.” In an earlier time, this mock-revealing story of two families coming apart due to infidelity would have seemed appalling, transgressive. Perhaps as a low-heat exploitation picture threatening to expose the chaos and lack of identity underneath the perfect suburban exterior. Maybe as a sobering drama about two groups of adults at an impasse between the intensity of their feelings, and the acceptable social mores which they must battle. But you review the movie that you’ve gotten, and “The Oranges” is neither of these films.

By Charlie Schmidlin
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September 13, 2012 10:43 AM
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News

Featuring an ensemble cast, suburban setting, and humorous holiday shenanigans, “The Oranges” seemed initially to be heading toward “Christmas With The Kranks” territory as it approached its TIFF premiere last year. However, since the project's 2008 Black List inclusion by writers Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer, a steady buzz has grown into the film's well-received screenings and recent first trailer, and now comes an opportunity to see Allison Janney cut loose in the film's red-band offering.

By Benjamin Wright
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July 25, 2012 12:47 PM
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1 Comment

News

Ever since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, the dramedy “The Oranges” seems to have had mostly quiet buzz leading up to its release in October. Hopefully that’ll all change after people catch the latest trailer showcasing an impressive ensemble comedy that looks both hilarious and heartbreaking all at once.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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September 11, 2011 11:18 AM
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5 Comments

The indie ensemble comedy genre is fraught with pitfalls, from high concepts that just don't deliver, to outrageous storylines that can't sustain their own frenzied energy. For every "Little Miss Sunshine" there are countless more that attempt to create that film's almost intangible alchemy but falter somewhere along the way. "The Oranges" could have gone either way - with Julian Farino a mostly TV director ("Entourage," "How To Make It In America") making his sophomore film with a grab bag cast including Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, Adam Brody and Leighton Meeste,r we really had no idea what to expect from the film. But playing to huge laughs, this winning comedy overcomes some of its patchier elements to become a bonafide crowd pleaser.