Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Jack in the box (Now on DVD) 2 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! The first Jackass movie is still the best entry in the Jackass trilogy, but this third incarnation is still dirty, delicious fun. All the guys are back, Steve-o, Chris Pontius, Bam Margera and of course Johnny Knoxville to deliver some hurt, laughter and gross out moments. Jackass 3D's use of 3D is decidedly bad. First of all, half the movie isn't even in 3D which is lame especially when you consider the price premium these types of tickets carry. The best the 3D visuals have to offer is the extra rounded stomach of Preston Lacy. Yet not mentioning how gross poop looks in three dimensions would be an injustice to the film's cinematographer. 3D is decidedly better at grossing you out than 2D. The movie is fast paced. I guess it makes sense that the MTV generation would benefit from watching an MTV film. With numerous stunts, probably numbering 20-something, you will be hard pressed to not laugh (or hurl) at som...

Don't wake up, Inception is a really good dream. 3 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! In a slumber of a summer movie season it’s hilariously ironic that the best film revolves around dreaming. Inception’s director Christopher Nolan likes to bend the rules when it comes to linear story-lines. Like Tarantino in the 90s, Christopher Nolan is a master of time manipulation. Inception revels is Nolan’s bag of tricks from start to finish. The plot centers around a dream thief, a highly skilled extractor named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team of assistants seeking to plant a idea into an unsuspecting energy company executive. Inception’s plot elements are folded like an accordion, one intriguing bit on top of another. The gist of the story is accessible through a single viewing, but I recommend seeing Inception twice. My second viewing didn’t unearth any significant new information, but it really enabled me to focus on the characters and how they deal with their emotions and each oth...