Putting the ‘art’ in ‘art house’

Terrence Malick’s ‘To the Wonder’ is less accessible than his last movie

By Anders Wright

This much is certain: If you hated The Tree of Life, To the Wonder is not for you.

Wednesday, April 17,2013
Film

‘Comrade Kim’ shows North Korea through its own lens

San Diego Asian Film Festival’s Spring Showcase tops our coverage of movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

Comrade Kim Goes Flying is a North Korean feature film that has to be seen to be believed, especially considering the current political climate. Like Linsanity, it's a follow-your-dreams, never-give-up movie.

Wednesday, April 10,2013
Film

Danny Boyle’s new film, ‘Trance,’ is a hypno-thriller

You’ll start to wonder just who’s head you’re in

By Anders Wright

At the end of Trance, director Danny Boyle’s new movie, you may feel inclined to dismiss it as a neatly packaged thriller whose twists and turns are all straightened out in the final moments.

Wednesday, April 10,2013
Film

‘Room 237’ geeks out on ‘The Shining’

Documentary on Kubrick’s classic horror film leads our coverage of movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

There are plenty of cinephiles, me included, who revere Stanley Kubrick as a visionary director whose body of work is unique and can’t be equaled. He’s made several masterpieces, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange.

Wednesday, April 3,2013
Film

Chris O’Dowd is the key to ‘The Sapphires’

San Diego Film Festival opening-night movie lands in theaters

By Anders Wright

The Irish comic actor Chris O’Dowd, who became known to American audiences when he played the love interest opposite Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, had quite a showing at last year’s San Diego Film Festival.

Wednesday, April 3,2013
Film

Digital Gym takes in a ‘Hipster’

Destin Daniel Cretton’s feature leads our rundown of movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

Cretton’s movie I Am Not a Hipster will open at Digital Gym on Friday, April 5. The film, shot in and around San Diego, has screened here several times, but I think this is its first theatrical run.

Wednesday, March 27,2013
Film

Child soldiers are at the heart of Oscar-nominated ‘War Witch’

Canadian movie features a gripping performance from a non-professional actor

By Anders Wright

There is a message of hope in War Witch, but it comes at a terrible cost. It's challenging for us viewers to watch as a child is destroyed by grown men. This is not a film about politics, however.

Wednesday, March 27,2013
Film

Media Arts Center’s Digital Gym Cinema opens

New 99-seat theater in North Park leads our coverage of movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

Digital Gym Cinema will screen movies regularly, bringing in independents, foreign films and documentaries; it’s essentially a completely new space, programmed by SDLFF artistic director Lisa Franek.

Tuesday, March 19,2013
Film

‘Spring Breakers’ tries to bring meaning to our violent, sexualized culture

Harmony Korine always has something to say, but it’s the way he says it that counts

By Anders Wright

Korine's never been afraid to push buttons or envelopes. This is the guy who wrote Kids and directed Julien Donkey-Boy and Trash Humpers.

Tuesday, March 19,2013
Film

Destin Daniel Cretton is riding high

Local director’s SXSW win leads our rundown of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

South by Southwest was the first time the new movie played to a large crowd, and watching it in a packed theater was an entirely new thing for Cretton.

Arts & Culture Features

Head Crammers

Nudge these nuggets into your noodle

A new app called Buycott makes it easier for you to make informed decisions about what goes in your pantry, plus more things we like.

By CityBeat Staff

New doc about Ricky Jay plays its cards close to the vest

If you know who he is, you know how cool he is, and if you don’t know who he is, you should

There are two sorts of people in this world: those who are fully aware of Ricky Jay and his work and those who haven’t yet had the pleasure. Now, there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you aren’t familiar with him.

By Anders Wright

Cult of personality

Fiona Maazel’s beguiling new novel about the perils of loneliness

Either Fiona Maazel—named in 2008 to the National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" list—possesses psychic powers or her novels are remarkably prescient.

By Jim Ruland

Canvassed

Photographer Monica Hoover's latest project, boisterous Balkan music and more cool events

Our weekly Red List roundup

Digable causeCityBeat's had its eye on photographer Monica Hoover ever since she opened Voice 1156 gallery back in 2004, where she featured street-inspired and lowbrow work by artists ...

Mike Giant signing in North Park

The graffiti icon stops by Home Mercantile to launch his new book

The name Mike Giant elicits responses like "that dude's sick" in the graffiti world. He's been a fixture in the art, graffiti, tattoo and skateboarding scenes for decades.Giant will stop by Home Merca...