Notes on It’s a Wonderful Life
You might consider It’s a Wonderful Life an old chestnut — but J. Dobbs Rosa asks that you take a deeper look.
Articles by J Dobbs
All The Leprechauns In The World
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We leave it to occasional contributor J. Dobbs Rosa to edit together a supercut of movie and TV leprechaun appearances that […]
The Beauty Queen Of The Crimefighting Set
A Once Upon a Dime classic: Who remembers the Cosmetic Crusader?
Man Of Steel Pre-Production Memo
After posting today’s official picture of Henry Cavill as Superman from Zack Snyder’s Superman: The Man of Steel, I got this forwarded email from occasional […]
Don’t Hunt The Hunted
A mish-mash of so many better films — and some not so better — The Hunted should probably stay lost in the wilderness…
Lost in La Mancha
Terry Gilliam keeps tilting at windmills as his impossible dream of making a movie without a hitch fails to come true again…
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 proves that it’s a simple formula, but it works. And works. And works. For J. Dobbs, it’s hilarious.
Adaptation Confuses and Pleases
Writing a review about a hall of mirrors movie in a hall of mirrors adaptation just leads to more mirrors… or does it?
Solaris Makes You Think
You might not be in the mood for a real thinker of a sci fi picture, but that’s what you’re getting with this masterpiece…
Half Past Dead Not Half Good
Never before has a movie tried so hard to clear the “worst movie of the year” bar and failed so miserably.
An Awkward Femme Fatale
Brian DePalma has settled into stealing from himself, giving us an awkward femme fatale instead of a sexy and thrilling one.
Bowling For Columbine
Bowling for Columbine is that odd must-see even if you don’t agree with it. Then you can go to your local library and “read more about it.”
Undisputed Returns Walter Hill to Form
After a stumble with Supernova, Walter Hill returns to form with Undisputed, a super-stylish boxing flick.
XXX: Extreme Bond, Extremely Boring
Marketed as the heir to the Bond franchise throne, XXX features everything but compelling action and ingenious gadgets.
Spy Kids 2 Regains Lost Dreams
Spy Kids 2 crackles with wit, charm, and joyful moviemaking. Robert Rodriguez dreams forward while keeping the best of the past.
Minority Report Fails
Minority Report fails to be the groundbreaking science fiction film it pretends to be, despite some isolated good moments.
Windtalkers Doesn’t Blow Smoke
Yes, though uneven, Windtalkers doesn’t blow smoke in its depiction of war. That wartime romance and racism, though, feels a little cliche.
Review: The Salton Sea
Once upon a time, the Fridays just pre- and post- summer were the time to open star-powered pictures with moderate budgets and decent scripts, but […]
Frailty Fails To Impress
Mixing together trends from the late ’90s: angels, ’70s nostalgia, X-Files, and unreliable narration, Frailty feels amateurish.
Panic Room Feels Secure
Writer David Koepp builds the most secure closet he can and throws two women in it without ever allowing the action to stagnate.
