V for Vendetta

This is a thinking person’s action film – a futuristic slice of pop-culture agitprop, replete with a costumed antihero, lovingly choreographed action sequences, cunningly ornate dialogue, and a terrific, rousing score.

"...Directed by: James McTeigue. Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Roger Allam, Stephen Fry and..."

March 17, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Local and National Gifts for the Politically Minded

Goodwill to all and coal for a few

"...Who says the News desk can't deliver some holiday peace and goodwill instead of just bad..."

Dec. 2, 2022 News Feature by Maggie Q. Thompson

Ninja Assassin

No amount of fighting sticks and throwing stars can elevate this silly tale or its Korean pop-lite star Rain.

"...exercise in homoerotic beefcakery, this astonishingly crappy slo-mo gorefest proves once and for all that McTeigue wasn't the man..."

Nov. 27, 2009 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

London Has Fallen

This jingoistic blow-’em-up takes no prisoners

"...Aboutboul, Waleed Zuaiter, Melissa Leo, Jackie Earle Haley, Robert Forster, Michael Wildman, Radha Mitchell, Patrick Kennedy and Nigel Whitmey...."

March 4, 2016 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

"...Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh and David Hemmings. Utilizing the comic book series written by Alan..."

July 11, 2003 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

SXSW Film Festival 2006

Something for everyone. See www.sxsw.com/film for full schedule.

"...The SXSW Film Festival continues through Saturday with lots of screenings still to..."

March 17, 2006 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Robin Hood

This umpteenth iteration of He Who Steals From the Rich to Give to the Poor puts its dumbness front and center

"...Otto Bathurst. Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Jamie Dornan, Tim Minchin, Paul Anderson and F...."

Nov. 21, 2018 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Dark Knight Rises

An uncannily accurate mirror of the contemporary cultural zeitgeist, this epic finale to the Batman trilogy is just that: epic.

"...Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Juno Temple, Matthew..."

July 20, 2012 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Speed Racer

The Wachowski brothers' hyperbolic film is supersaturated with outrageously eye-popping visuals, but there's nary an honest emotion in sight.

"...dead – pure, unadulterated fun contained within a scant five minutes of Rockstar Games' new Grand Theft Auto IV..."

May 9, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

SXSW Film Gets Latest Apatow, Snowpiercer Premiere

Huge lineup includes new docs on St. Vincent, Ozzy, Zappa

"...Get ready for the raunch. SXSW has established itself as the Spring..."

Jan. 15, 2020 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Attack of the Cybermen

Activism empowered by the Internet

"...WikiLeaks. Anonymous. Occupy. Exactly when did real life slipstream over into some bizarre yet highly entertaining mash-up of V..."

March 9, 2012 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

Closed Circuit

Paranoia strikes deep in this Brit courtroom suspenser.

"...– act, sing, putter around in his garden, snooze for a while – but even he can't save this..."

Aug. 30, 2013 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Cinema's Labyrinth

The year in film, 2006

"...Marc Savlov's Top 10 1. Babel – Alejandro González Iñárritu's film..."

Jan. 5, 2007 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

An American Haunting

A satanic-possession thriller set in 1817 stars Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek – to little avail.

"...that makes him look like a cross between X-Men Wolverine and Beast, but where Sutherland really excels in this..."

May 12, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

A Decade Under the Influence

The 'Chronicle' movie critics take a look back at what the Aughts wrought

"...Personally, I had a hangover that morning. Not a skull-stripper, more of a minor..."

Dec. 25, 2009 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

This Land Is Your Land

This muckraking populist grab bag of a film isn't so much a documentary as it is a harried piece of grassroots agitprop.

"...there's anything wrong with that (agitprop is, first and foremost, meant to agitate), but ever since Michael Moore elevated..."

Feb. 3, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Get Focused!

Gather round the TV, kids.

"...hiatus, the "Austin in Focus" posse of KLBJ 590's Steve Pickering, FOX 7's Crystal Cotti and yours truly get..."

Feb. 29, 2008 News Post by Wells Dunbar

Comic Creator Confusion No. 2

"...Dear Editor, Re: V for Vendetta review by Marc Savlov [Film Listings, March..."

March 21, 2006 Postmarks

Comic Book Snobbery

"...Dear Chronicle, I normally avoid verbal tête-à-têtes in the media as it boils down..."

July 24, 2012 Postmarks

SXSW Film 06 Update

The official list will be released early next week, but we've got a credible source on the inside that was able to supply some titles a bit ahead of time

"...of films will be released early next week, but we've got a credible source on the inside that was..."

Feb. 3, 2006 Screens Feature

Sons of Anarchy

'The East' director Zal Batmanglij dishes on life as an anarchist

"...The East, the closing night film at SXSW, is very much in the cultural zeitgeist. It's a slick-looking, Hollywood-style..."

March 15, 2013 Screens Feature by Dan Solomon

Cinema's Labyrinth

The year in film, 2006

"...about Top 10 lists by pointing out that I have made three unique lists for three separate organizations this..."

Jan. 5, 2007 Screens Feature by Marjorie Baumgarten

PRIDE Weekend 2010: I Am QueerBomb. I Am Austin Pride.

How queer is your Pride? How Austin is your bomb?

"...For many, 2010 will mark a year of great growing..."

June 4, 2010 Features Feature by Kate X Messer

Lighting a Fuse

Critics see Big Brother in proposed data-sharing center

"...Do you have to be a bong-smoking, V for Vendetta-viewing Ron Paulite..."

Aug. 14, 2009 News Feature by Wells Dunbar

Letters @ 3AM

When your novel crawls along at about a paragraph per night and your apartment is tired of your company, then hooray for Hollywood and trans-fat popcorn: A summary of the movies seen by Ventura in 2006.

"...When your novel crawls along at about a paragraph per night and..."

Jan. 5, 2007 Column by Michael Ventura

They Call Me Mister Spock!

Leonard Nimoy surprises Alamo audience with new JJ Abrams Star Trek film

"...some mass geek hallucination? Were you there? Did you have a Spockgasm, too? Is the Alamo Drafthouse the coolest..."

April 7, 2009 Screens Post by Marc Savlov

SDS Jumps the Gun

Anti-subsidies group compains about first check to Domain developers (the one even they admit is legal)

"...Election day isn't until Nov. 4, but it seems some people need to check..."

Oct. 31, 2008 News Post by Richard Whittaker

Things That Came: It Might Be Science, But It Sure Ain't Fiction

'Videodrome' and 'They Live,' then and now

"...giants like Monsanto are hedging their bets, if not overtly breeding the stock ingredient of the late Charlton Heston's..."

July 25, 2008 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

Postmarks

For the Record

"...response to the Chronicle's May 8 article ["Naked City," Vol.17, No.35] concerning the dispute between myself and Southwest Texas..."

May 15, 1998 Column

Postmarks

Our readers talk back.

"...More to the Villas Story..."

Feb. 8, 2002 Column

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