Blogcritics Author: Diana Saenger

Paul Newman Leaves Us A Legacy

Diana Saenger — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:56:40 EDT

The iconic Paul Newman is gone.
The iconic Paul Newman, a dearly loved actor and humanitarian passed away September 26, 2008. The 83-year old Newman died of cancer at his Westport, Connecticut home. With his mesmerizing blue eyes, amusing personality, compelling acting talents, and dedication to affect lives positively, Newman was one of the most popular celebrities of the...

Movie Review: Iron Man Is Bold, Novel, and Fun

Diana Saenger — Fri, 2 May 2008 07:07:25 EDT

Destined to be a pre-summer blockbuster.
The U. S. Marines are looking for "a few good men," and they need look no further than Marvel Comic's superhero Iron Man, amusingly and brilliantly played by Robert Downey Jr. in the new Iron Man movie. Self-absorbed billionaire Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) has taken over his late father's high-tech arms company. Stark Industry, one of...

An Interview With Academy Award-Winning Cinematographer Robert Elswit

Diana Saenger — Sun, 6 Apr 2008 16:06:01 EDT

Elswit talks about his craft and his contributions to There Will Be Blood.
Robert Elswit, a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, won the Academy Award this year as cinematographer for There Will Be Blood. My favorite movie of 2007, the film will be released on DVD on April 8 by Paramount Home Entertainment. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two. In addition to Elswit's well...

An Interview with Stop-Loss Director Kimberly Peirce

Diana Saenger — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:59:53 EDT

Kimberly Peirce talks about her new film.
It's been nearly nine years since Kimberly Peirce directed, produced, and wrote Boys Don't Cry, a story about a transgender boy brutally raped and murdered. The movie, which Peirce began as a short film while attending Columbia University to earn her M.F.A. in film, garnered many awards and praise both nationally and internationally. Her...

And The Oscar Goes To...

Diana Saenger — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:44:01 EST

Oscar winners and acceptance speeches.
Well, it was quickly over except for biting the chocolate head off the little Oscars by their plates and finding their limos at the end of the night. The extravaganza once again showed TV audiences what Hollywood is all about. There were few surprises but some interesting facts. All four acting awards went to foreign actors. Tilda Swinton actually...

Movie Review: Charlie Bartlett

Diana Saenger — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:11:31 EST

Charlie Bartlett has geniune laughs and adult appeal.
Charlie Bartlett begins as a somewhat typical coming-of-age teen comedy, but by the second act it had me thinking it's an original idea with some clever dialogue and stand-out performances. Though many are comparing it to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), I thought in some ways it mirrors the more recent Juno, last year's...

DVD Review: Feast of Love

Diana Saenger — Sun, 3 Feb 2008 11:17:21 EST

Although there are a few clich� moments, this story has enough depth to be watched more than once.
Put nine people in a room together and ask them their philosophy on love and you're bound to get nine different opinions where some mutually meld and others are miles apart. That's what happens in Feast of Love, a story based on a novel by Charles Baxter about love of a spouse, friend or child.Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) is a professor...

What Do You Mean My New HD DVD Won't Play?

Diana Saenger — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:16:30 EST

Should owners of DVD players be expected to update them?
When my young granddaughter was visiting for Christmas, she wanted to play one of my HD DVDs. When a strange error code came up that I had not seen before, I put in a regular DVD for her to watch. After Christmas when I seriously needed to catch up on my DVD reviews, I tried several new titles only to get the same message. Then I noticed a note...

An Interview With Oscar

Diana Saenger — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:12:35 EST

What the man himself has to say about the big show...
Being a trained newspaperwoman and journalist, I know to go to the source of any story when you can. Thinking about the big entertainment news – why were there no Golden Globes, will there be an Oscar show, and how would the SAG awards this past weekend affect this dilemma – I decided to go to a very big source -- Mr. Oscar...