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ARE women necessary? Not with Ava around. Even without hair on her head or flesh on her legs, Ava has enough allure and cunning to become a classic film noir robot vixen. Despite being a plastic and mesh gizmo locked in a glass cell, she can enmesh men with frightening ease. Ava is the appealing heroine, or apocalyptic villainess, of “Ex Machina,” a stylish sci-fi thriller set in the near future, written and directed by Alex Garland, a 44-year-old Brit who wrote the 2002 zombie hit “28 Days Later.” Critics are divided over whether “Ex Machina” is a feminist fable...

... [Jake] LaMotta has been the subject of several books, a film considered one of the greatest in American cinema, and a failed stage show called "Lady and the Champ." Now there's a second feature film about his life, this one titled "LaMotta: The Bronx Bull." LaMotta will be in Orange County on Saturday when the new movie, produced by Irvine-based Main Street Films, premieres as part of the Newport Beach Film Festival ...

It appears that ‘Star Trek Beyond‘ may be the title of the upcoming Star Trek film, lucky number 13 in the franchise. As far as the storyline is concerned, the title suggests that the new film will venture farther out into the galaxy than we have seen in the previous two Abrams films, as co-writer Simon Pegg has been hinting at for some time now.

After having written about Prince of Egypt several readers told me I should also watch Joseph: King of Dreams. I did and, I have to say, you all were right. Like Prince of Egypt, Joseph: King of Dreams is a must-watch because it touches on some very important things about our relationship with God: [VIDEO] Like Prince of Egypt, Joseph: King of Dreams is a must-watch because it touches on some very important things about our relationship with God: [VIDEO] 2. God guides us, but it’s up to us to act. Joseph used every opportunity he got to improve his...

A Friday story in the Springfield News-Sun reported that a group of veterans and family members expressed outrage that a military cemetery in Cherokee County, Georgia was closed off so that a production company could film scenes from an upcoming Ang Lee Film, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” The position of the group is that turning a cemetery into a movie shooting location would heap disrespect on the honored dead. But the subject matter of the film, based on a satirical anti-Iraq War novel by Ben Fountain, may well push the envelope where it comes to disrespecting those who put...

It’s is a vividly accurate, cutting-edge film about one of the most shockingly misunderstood wars in American history – and it took Westminster, California, by storm when it premiered there this month, selling more than $30,000 in tickets in just three days during its limited release at a single movie theater. Overall, the film brought in $50,923 in a week of showings at the Regency Westminster 10 theater from March 27 to April 2. The film profits will support four charities: Semper Fi Fund, Agape International Missions, Field of Dreams and Allegiant Giving. “I’ve been waiting 40 years for this...

Dear Dave, Yesterday evening you suggested I watch The Prince of Egypt, in your opinion the best movie inspired by the book of Exodus. Although I didn’t have time then, I got to it this morning. It impressed me mightily. The top 5 reasons why I loved it – and why everybody who reads this article should watch it if they haven’t already – are: 1. Moses never doubts God, only himself. This is a vital lesson for believers of all kinds; you can doubt your own abilities, but never doubt the most high God, who created everything, and without...

It has been years since audiences have been given a horror movie that wasn't a carbon copy of another film—big-budget film producers aren't exactly flowing with ideas. Thankfully, the Horror Showcase at the Newport Beach Film Festival, running April 23-30, aims to counter that fatigue with a new crop of filmmakers outside of the Hollywood milieu, presenting seven short films and one feature film that not only break the mold of clichés, but also eat their brains . . . or something. Because if there's one thing we can be mindful of, it's that some of the best, most memorable...

1. Orson Welles was born on May 6, 1915. 2. As a filmmaker, his three greatest pictures, in order, are Touch of Evil (1958), Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). 3. Ah, yes, but Citizen Kane tops many lists as the greatest film of all time (with Welles filling the top slot on many directing lists). The fictional story of a megalomaniac newspaper magnate (loosely based on William Randolph Hearst) and innocence lost is indeed a masterpiece . . . albeit a dated one. Newspaper magnates? Not in this century, bub. 4. John Houseman wrote in his 1972...

A little change of pace tonight with our first science fiction film at the DfB Theatre. A mysterious Pacific storm engulfs the USS Nimitz, sending it back in time almost 40 years, just hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, and Katharine Ross.

Richard Dysart, the Emmy-winning actor who portrayed the cranky senior partner Leland McKenzie in the slick, long-running NBC drama L.A. Law, has died. He was 86.Dysart, who also played Coach in the original 1972 Broadway production of Jason Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning That Championship Season, died Sunday at home in Santa Monica after a long illness, his wife, artist Kathryn Jacobi, told The Hollywood Reporter ...He ... was the bad guy who battled Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider ...

The Michigan House recently passed House Bill 4122 which would end the state’s film incentive program. The legislation now moves on to the Senate. But Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, has raised concerns about ending the subsidy. And Gov. Rick Snyder, who previously proposed eliminating the subsidies, now says he doesn’t believe ending the program abruptly is an “appropriate answer.” So those are the obstacles standing in the path of terminating payouts to Hollywood. The good news is that it is believed most Michigan Senators want to end the subsidies. There may end up being an agreement between...

Geoffrey Lewis, the father of actress Juliette Lewis, has died. He was 79 ... Lewis was well known for his appearances in western films and his roles in multiple Clint Eastwood movies ... He also had various television credits on popular series ...

"A.D. – The Bible Continues" premieres on Sunday, April 5, to coincide with the Easter holiday. It's a time of celebration for Christians, and the new series from Mark Burnett and Roma Downey captures the turmoil and emotions of those witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The series opens with the final moments of Jesus' life played out: charges of blasphemy brought by the High Priest, Pontius Pilate washing his hands of accountability in Jesus' death, and the crucifixion. Viewers are introduced to a man desperately trying to spare his own life in the midst of...

I just watched "Killing Jesus". To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I found it unbearable. I understand adding pieces between the lines to flesh out the story for TV, but totally re-writing the Bible is beyond the pale. The stories of John the Baptist death, the trial before Pilot, and especially Judas and the 30 pieces of silver are totally rewritten, and the original was much better. I saw no one in this film worthy of worship, much less praise. Sorry, O'Reilly - You missed the mark on this one.

The Bible on screen

Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek, who was nominated for Oscar twice and cooperated with Czech-born director Milos Forman, died on Saturday evening at the age of 80, Martha Issova, partner of his son David, told CTK today. Ondricek is famous in the Czech Republic and abroad primarily for his cooperation with Forman in Czechoslovakia and in the United States. Both film-makers are leading personalities of the Czech New Film Wave of the 1960s.

Gene Saks, an actor who switched to stage and film directing in midcareer, winning three Tony Awards and becoming the leading interpreter of the plays of Neil Simon, died on Saturday at his home in East Hampton, N.Y. He was 93.

Yesterday I saw the 1999 movie, The Suburbans on the tube. It was supposed to be a comedy and I thought it might be funny because Ben Stiller was in it. How wrong I was. It was beyond horrible. It turns out that the nobody actor, Donal Lardner Ward, in the lead role also wrote and directed the movie. Fortunately almost nothing has been heard of him since. So as a public service, please list the WORST movies you've seen in the past year so we know not to waste our time on them.

Watched the movie over the weekend and it is a very GOOD example of what libs think the world would be if they could have it their way.