Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite Mack Wolford believed faith compelled him to face the risk »

Rate Outdoor Movies 'P,' for 'Pain in the Neck'

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 6, 2009 5:49 PM CDT

(Newser) – Outdoor screenings of cinema classics have spread across the nation’s cities and even its smaller towns. “But why would anyone willingly attend such an event?” wonders Juliet Lapidos of Slate. Prattling lawn-mates, necking teenagers, and too-bright city streets send Lapidos straight to the... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

4 comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Miami Face-Eater Identified

Slate (Source Grid »)

Entertainment

entertainment • film • summer • Bryant Park • movies • outdoor screening • lawn

More Newser Stories

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

(NEWSER) - Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3—but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones.

The movie "turns out to be so much fun," writes AO Scott in the New York Times . While it "carefully fulfills its blockbuster imperatives—with chases and explosions and elaborately contrived plot twists—it swerves into some marvelously silly, unexpectedly witty, and genuinely fresh territory."

Five-Year Engagement a Bit Drawn Out

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt star in truthful romantic comedy

(NEWSER) - The Five-Year Engagement clocks in at over two hours, which is a bit too long for many critics. But its honesty about relationships makes the Jason Segel-Emily Blunt rom-com stand out from the pack.

"Because it's so willing to drill down into Tom and Violet's misery, The Five-Year Engagement involves a higher grim-to-grin ratio than its fluffier brethren," writes Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post . "But there's an unmistakable ring of truth to the couple's conflicts and mixed feelings."

Mirror Mirror Looks Great, Feels Flat

Julia Roberts stars as evil queen in Snow White spectacle

(NEWSER) - The latest retelling of Snow White (before June's Snow White and the Huntsman) is a lot like its vain queen: visually stunning, but kind of shallow. Critics aren't particularly impressed with Mirror Mirror:

Though director Tarsem Singh "knows how to make performers and sets look good, he has trouble putting them into vibrant, kinetic, meaningful play," notes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times . That "effectively means that he’s a better window dresser than a movie director."

John Carter Bloated but Fun

Taylor Kitsch stars in Martian epic

(NEWSER) - John Carter was burdened by production drama and bad press about its giant budget; now critics are getting a chance to see what the fuss was all about. It's no great work of art, but the story of a Civil War veteran turned Martian hero is reasonably exciting, they say:

In Slate , Dana Stevens calls the film "a strange, at times misshapen, but somehow lovable thing: a movie that keeps trying to be smaller and simpler than its $250 million special-effects budget will permit." Its best moments are simply as a "bare-bones space western," but there aren't enough of those moments.

Oscars Were Basically the Same Old Sequel

Billy Crystal brings the same old stuff

(NEWSER) - Last night's Oscars, like its Best Picture, was a throwback to a different time in film history. And though the show may have topped last year's Anne Hathaway-James Franco fiasco, it was boring and tired throughout:

"The whole night looked like an AARP pep rally," writes Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times . "For a town that prides itself on tinsel and titillation, the night was pretty tame." "It all looked very familiar," but that "is perhaps necessary when so few of the nominated films are."

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Rate Outdoor Movies 'P,' for 'Pain in the Neck'

entertainment • film • summer • Bryant Park • movies • outdoor screening • lawn

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

Five-Year Engagement a Bit Drawn Out

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt star in truthful romantic comedy

Mirror Mirror Looks Great, Feels Flat

Julia Roberts stars as evil queen in Snow White spectacle

John Carter Bloated but Fun

Taylor Kitsch stars in Martian epic

Oscars Were Basically the Same Old Sequel

Billy Crystal brings the same old stuff

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?