http://www.gomemphis.com/news/movies/beifuss/?partner=RSSGo Memphis Stories: Beifuss on Moviesen-usmovies/beifusshttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/feb/09/spy-thriller-plays-it-safe/?partner=RSSLike "Training Day," which earned its star a Best Actor Oscar, "Safe House" presents Denzel Washington as a sort of satanic tempter, complete with devilish goatee -- a sly, superior figure of dark aspect and apparently dark designs. Again, the potential victim of this veteran corrupter is a physically and morally lily-white young minion of the law, played here by Ryan Reynolds instead of Ethan Hawke. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-288387-734542movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Spy thriller plays it 'Safe'Go Memphisspy-thriller-plays-it-safeurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-288387-734542Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/feb/02/havent-seen-oscar-movies-you-could-still-beat/?partner=RSSThe first ceremony for the Academy Awards of Merit (the now- trademarked nickname "Oscar" had yet to be coined) took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner at the then-spanking-new Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The ceremony lasted only 15 minutes, in part because the winners -- including actor Emil Jannings, screenwriter Ben Hecht and special honoree Charlie Chaplin, to name a few -- had been announced three months earlier. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:42:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-287290-734535movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNHaven't seen Oscar movies? You could still Beat BeifussGo Memphishavent-seen-oscar-movies-you-could-still-beaturn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-287290-734535Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/27/think-you-can-beat-beifuss-at-oscars/?partner=RSSToday, this newspaper launches its 16th annual "Beat Beifuss at the Oscars" contest, which has drawn more than 23,000 participants since its debut in 1997, when "The English Patient" was named Best Picture. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286211-734529movies/beifussStaff Memphis, TNThink you can 'Beat Beifuss at Oscars'?Go Memphisthink-you-can-beat-beifuss-at-oscarsurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286211-734529Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/26/bosnia-drama-well-meaning-but-inadequate-debut/?partner=RSSAngelina Jolie is an actress of "physical perfection" (according to Vogue magazine) as well as a celebrated humanitarian (she's a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). She combines her profession and her passion to make her narrative feature debut as a writer-director with "In the Land of Blood and Honey," a sincere and ambitious yet inadequate movie inspired by what an onscreen legend describes as "the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II," the war in Bosnia. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:50:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286191-734528movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Bosnia drama 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' a well-meaning but inadequate debut for JolieGo Memphisbosnia-drama-well-meaning-but-inadequate-debuturn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286191-734528Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/26/dangerous-psychology/?partner=RSSOnce lauded as the master of "gynecological horror," David Cronenberg applies his directorial speculum to the human cranium in "A Dangerous Method," a confident and fascinating film about the relationship between big brains Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and their shared patient, Sabina Spielrein, who followed her mentors to become a noted psychoanalyst in her own right. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286189-734528movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: 'Dangerous' brings insight to Freud, JungGo Memphisdangerous-psychologyurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286189-734528Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/26/close-is-oscar-nominee-in-nobbs/?partner=RSSAlbert Nobbs is a strange "little man" in an unshowy little movie titled "Albert Nobbs," and I took a shine to them both. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:39:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286186-734528movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Close is Oscar nominee in 'Nobbs'Go Memphisclose-is-oscar-nominee-in-nobbsurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286186-734528Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/26/germantown-high-missi-pyle-oscar-nominated-artist/?partner=RSSMissi Pyle is almost single-handedly responsible for the PG-13 rating attached to "The Artist." According to the classification and rating administration of the Motion Picture Association of America, "The Artist" -- considered the front-runner for this year's Best Picture Oscar -- earned its parental warning that "some material may be inappropriate for children under 13" for "a disturbing image and a crude gesture." beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:01:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286043-734529movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNGermantown High grad Missi Pyle's comic flair speaks for itself in Oscar-nominated 'The Artist'Go Memphisgermantown-high-missi-pyle-oscar-nominated-artisturn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-286043-734528Change734529Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/19/silent-artist-is-golden/?partner=RSS "The Artist" is terrific entertainment. Already famous and perhaps overhyped as the first black-and-white silent film of the modern era, this salute to the romance of the movies is novel, funny and refreshing. It's a celebration of joyful uninhibited performance, of the type found in old musicals and slapstick comedies, when actors might be required to dance, brawl and pratfall within the same reel. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285159-734521movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Silent 'Artist' is clever crowd pleaserGo Memphissilent-artist-is-goldenurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285159-734521Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/19/extremely-well-acted-incredibly-elusive/?partner=RSSFrom its wordy title to the impressive vocabulary and compulsive list making of its possibly autistic young narrator hero, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" is a motion picture that never liberates itself from the printed page. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:18:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285145-734521movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Extremely well-acted, incredibly elusive movieGo Memphisextremely-well-acted-incredibly-elusiveurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285145-734521Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/19/pretentiousness-blunts-tale-of-sex-addict/?partner=RSSThe genitals are exposed while the motivations are mysterious in "Shame," an elegantly composed but overwrought film about a man who apparently wants to obliterate himself through sex -- to fornicate away the pain, so to speak. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:23:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285153-734521movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Pretentiousness blunts tale of sex addict in 'Shame'Go Memphispretentiousness-blunts-tale-of-sex-addicturn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285153-734521Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/19/heroic-tuskegee-airmen-grounded-by-red/?partner=RSSThe pioneering African-American fighter pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen deserve a more memorable and less cornball movie tribute than "Red Tails," a George Lucas production that perhaps was motivated as much by the Marin County mogul's desire to top the dogfight scenes in "Star Wars" as by his interest in World War II. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:13:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285152-734521movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Heroic Tuskegee Airmen grounded by 'Red'Go Memphisheroic-tuskegee-airmen-grounded-by-redurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-285152-734521Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/12/streep-astonishing-in-thatcher-biopic/?partner=RSSMeryl Streep has 16 Academy Award nominations — more than any performer. She already has two Oscars. I don't begrudge her more, but this year I'd rather see Viola Davis win Best Actress for "The Help" (which might happen) or Kirsten Dunst for "Melancholia" (which won't). Having said that, I'll add that Streep deserves whatever recognition comes her way for her work in "The Iron Lady." beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284150-734514movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Streep astonishing in Thatcher biopic 'The Iron Lady'Go Memphisstreep-astonishing-in-thatcher-biopicurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284150-734514Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/12/grownups-wreak-carnage/?partner=RSSA kid whacks another kid in the face with a stick at the start of Roman Polanski's "Carnage." beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:21:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284157-734514movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Grownups wreak 'Carnage' in dark comedyGo Memphisgrownups-wreak-carnageurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284157-734514Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/11/film-review-christian-movie-joyful-noise-has-show/?partner=RSS“Glee” meets God in “Joyful Noise,” a lively gospel musical set in a cheerful if economically depressed Georgia small town that’s the apparent embodiment of the “postracial” America that some people hoped would be inaugurated the same day as Barack Obama. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:16:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284021-734513movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Christian movie 'Joyful Noise' has show-stopping musicGo Memphisfilm-review-christian-movie-joyful-noise-has-showurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-284021-734513Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/08/the-final-bow-15th-annual-pop-culture-necrology/?partner=RSSIn 2011, we lost some big entertainers -- literally. From singers and actors to longtime local talent, we say so long one last time. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:01:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-283319-734510movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNThe final bow: 15th annual Pop Culture NecrologyGo Memphisthe-final-bow-15th-annual-pop-culture-necrologyurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-283319-734510Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2012/jan/05/oldmans-anti-bond-ensnares-in-tinker-tailor/?partner=RSSWith mirthless humor, the agents of the British Secret Intelligence Service who maneuver through "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" -- whether the classic 1974 novel, the 1979 BBC miniseries or this new feature-film adaptation -- refer to their employer as "the Circus." beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:06:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-283146-734507movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Oldman's Anti-Bond ensnares in 'Tinker Tailor'Go Memphisoldmans-anti-bond-ensnares-in-tinker-tailorurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-283146-734507Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2011/dec/29/best-of-2011-movies-of-mystery-and-magic/?partner=RSSThe movies are having a conversation among themselves. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:04:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-282156-734500movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNBest of 2011: Movies of mystery and magicGo Memphisbest-of-2011-movies-of-mystery-and-magicurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-282156-734500Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2011/dec/22/horse-is-one-noble-animal/?partner=RSSA story of the unbreakable bond between unworthy man and noble beast, "War Horse," which opens Christmas Day, takes place in rural England and on the battlefields of France during the First World War, but it owes as much -- or more -- to movie history as to historical reality. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:14:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281242-734493movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: 'War Horse' is one noble animalGo Memphishorse-is-one-noble-animalurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281242-734493Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2011/dec/22/finchers-tattoo-remake-a-superior-effort/?partner=RSS"Violence against women increases -- CDC study: 1 in 4 beaten, 1 in 5 raped." That headline appeared last week on the front page of The Commercial Appeal. As alarming as it was, it may not have shocked devotees of Stieg Larsson's phenomenally successful international best-seller, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and its two sequels. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:15:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281231-734493movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNFilm Review: Fincher's 'Dragon Tattoo' remake a superior effortGo Memphisfinchers-tattoo-remake-a-superior-efforturn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281231-734493Change0Usablehttp://www.gomemphis.com/news/2011/dec/22/impressive-looking-tintin-far-cry-from-beloved/?partner=RSS As frenetic if hardly as entertaining as "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" introduces us to its title hero in the midst of a busy European marketplace, where the boyish newspaper reporter is posing for a street artist. beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss)Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281100-734493movies/beifussJohn BeifussMemphis, TNMovie Review: Impressive-looking 'Tintin' far cry from beloved cartoonGo Memphisimpressive-looking-tintin-far-cry-from-belovedurn:publicid:www.gomemphis.com:news-Story-281100-734493Change0Usable