By Kyle Osborne Fun. Now, there’s a word you never hear in conjunction with Shakespeare. You hear “interesting” or “edifying” or “educational”, but hardly ever just “fun.” You know, like a pumpkin patch or a boat ride—something that simply gives you pleasure, makes you smile. Get ready to have fun…
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Movie Review: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ Has 2 Much There, There
By Kyle Osborne The Spider-Man reboot of 2012 with Andrew Garfield in the title role was great—the youthful exuberance and joke cracking was, to me, more appealing than Tobey Maguire’s sleepy-eyed moodiness. Hey, if we want a brooding super hero, we’ll go to a Dark Knight movie. Now comes “The…
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Theatre Review: ‘Two Trains Running’ at Round House Theatre
By Kyle Osborne Playwright August Wilson had already achieved star status by the time of his death in 2005 at the too young age of 60. His cycle of ten plays, one for each decade of the twentieth century, included the celebrated Fences, and introduced theatre goers to his hometown of Pittsburgh—specifically the…
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Theatre Review: ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ at Ford’s Theatre
The past couple weeks have been filled with sad and disappointing news on TV and online—it makes one wish for a quick “getaway.” Some way to spend an evening, perhaps, laughing and smiling and enjoying oneself. If only there was a way…. Ah, here’s something: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling…
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Movie Review: ‘Transcendence’ High-Tech or High Camp?
By Kyle Osborne “Transcendence” comes out of the chute with crackling energy and the promise of a good premise, but don’t get your hopes up—less than half way in the film collapses into camp and never recovers. Johnny Depp plays Dr. Will Caster, a real expert on Artificial Intelligence. He…
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Movie Review: ‘Draft Day’ Not Just By The Numbers
By Kyle Osborne You know how you can tell that you’ve just seen a good movie? If you’ve been entertained or interested in a story, the subject of which you couldn’t care less about, then the film has done its job. Insider trading on Wall Street? I don’t even know…
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Movie Review: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’
The comic hero genre isn’t my thing. I’ve enjoyed the Iron Man series for its detached, winking-at-the-camera take on things. And I enjoyed the Spider-Man reboot for its sense of fun. Although ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is waaaay too long at 2 and a quarter hours–there are some amazing…
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Theatre Review: ‘Loveland’ at Arena Stage
By Kyle Osborne The last person in the world you’d want seated next to you on a plane from LA to Ohio is Frannie Potts. She’s the kind of overly-familiar chatterbox who makes time stand still. But don’t mistake her sensible sneakers and child-like demeanor for stupidity—there are deep, meleancholy…
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Movie Review: ‘Noah’ : Too Much Bloat, Not Enough Boat
By Kyle Osborne The deal breaker for me wasn’t whether ‘Noah’ took artistic liberties with the Bible’s ancient story from Genesis. It wasn’t that Noah (Russell Crowe) and his family wear clothes akin to jeans and hoodies—or that they do that dramatic removal of the hood (kind of like when…
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Movie Review: ‘Divergent’: This Ain’t No Hunger Games
By Kyle Osborne One way to judge the success of a film is whether the audience for whom it’s made can get into it. Oh, people will tell you that their films are made for “everyone to see and love,” but make no mistake, there is a “target demo” for…
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Theatre Review: ‘Normal’ by Molotov Theatre Group
By Kyle Osborne Have you ever known someone, perhaps a relative, an old Uncle, who could tell a scary story that made you shiver? If you can imagine getting chills just from someone’s storytelling– no blood, no scary sound effects—just words—then you have a good idea how you’ll react to…
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Movie Review: ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ Don’t Call It “Quirky”
By Kyle Osborne Quirky. Quirky, quirky, quirky. There, I’ve gotten that out of the way before I even start. Has there ever been a film by director Wes Anderson that wasn’t deservedly described as “quirky”? And yet, that word has become too facile, too shopworn at this point. It also…
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Movie Review: ‘Need For Speed’: Shut Up and Drive
By Kyle Osborne Your brain will say, “Oh, hell no!” but your eyes will say, “Oh, my!” Apparently, ‘Need For Speed’ is a series of popular video games dating back to 1994. This will already be known to many people, and that knowledge will either heighten their expectations or make…
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Movie Review: ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ ABS-solutely Beautiful Visuals
By Kyle Osborne It comes down to this question: Is it worth it to see a movie for the sole purpose of the film’s visuals? I mean, would you go to a concert where the music wasn’t the best, but the light show and performances were amazing? For me, it’s…
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Theatre Review: ‘Mamma Mia!’ at The National Theatre. The Corniest Musical You’ll Ever Love
By Kyle Osborne It’s broader than the side of a barn and more over-the-top than a Liberace and Dolly Parton pairing in Vegas. The choreography is clumsy and the actors stiffly recite their lines like Soap Opera characters in a high school play. It’s shamelessly corny and includes pratfalls and…
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Interview: Kit Harington from ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Pompeii’
By Kyle Osborne While trudging through icy climes as his best known character, Jon Snow, in the hit HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’, actor Kit Harington is usually clad in more fur garments than Aretha Franklin at an Igloo convention. But starring as the lead character in the big screen…
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Theatre Review: ‘American Idiot’ at The National Theatre
By Kyle Osborne Seeing the Broadway musical American Idiot, currently playing at The National Theatre through February 23rd, is a lot like seeing a Green Day concert…only with better diction and more harmony vocals. This is a good thing, mind you. All of the songs from their CD of the…
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Theatre Review: ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ at Arena Stage
By Kyle Osborne Anyone who saw Kathleen Turner’s last stay at Arena Stage, 2012’s Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, knows that she can command a stage. And, for that matter, she commands the audience—almost pulling them along for the ride. In this case, a ride atop…
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Theatre Review: ‘Violet’ at Ford’s Theatre
By Kyle Osborne The cast alone makes ‘Violet’ a must-see musical at Ford’s Theatre. Erin Driscoll, a great singer and actress, shines even brighter than the spotlight she deservedly earned as the play’s title character. Set in the Civil Rights era 60’s, Violet is a young woman who sets out…
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Movie Review: “Labor Day” Like A Nicholas Sparks Novel, Only It Doesn’t Suck As Much
By Kyle Osborne Author Nicholas Sparks has had eight of his best-selling novels adapted into mostly silly and subpar movies (Please, fans of “The Notebook,” no nasty letters) with two more in the works for this year and next. The new movie “Labor Day” wasn’t written by Sparks, but it…
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The Worst Movies of 2013
By Kyle Osborne You can see my Top Ten Films of 2013 here:http://www.examiner.com/review/the-top-ten-films-of-2013?cid=db_articles And these are other excellent films that, in any other year, would have made a Top Ten list, and just barely missed it this year. They’re all highly recommended. SIDE EFFECTS, PRISONERS, PHILOMENA. PLACE BEYOND THE PINES,…
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Which Stars Had The Worst Year in 2013 ?
STAR WHO HAD THE WORST YEAR IN 2013 By Kyle Osborne Hey, remember who the star owners of the Planet Hollywood Restaurant chain were back in the 90’s? The big 3 were Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger. And guess what? They were each repeat offenders in 2013, starring in some of…
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Movie Review: ‘Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones’
By Kyle Osborne In the new movie, “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” the first two words of the title have become a kind of “Quentin Tarantino Presents.” It’s a form of branding, rather than a continuation of something. In this case, that’s good news for movie goers, because ‘The Marked…
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Theatre Review: ‘The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess’ at The National Theatre
By Kyle Osborne ‘The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess”, now playing at The National Theatre is a riveting, emotional experience, but audiences expecting a “typical” Broadway musical should know that their evening will feel much more like a night at the Opera. That’s because it is, or rather, was an opera…
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Theatre Review: ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’ at Arena Stage
By Kyle Osborne When the film, “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” opened on New Year’s Day, 1968, the Civil Rights movement was just barely in the rear view mirror, many wounds still fresh, but enough distance (and change) that racial, uh, discomfort could be mined for comedy. The set-up of…
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Theatre Review: “The Apple Family Plays” at Studio Theatre. Pull Up A Chair!
The Apple Family Plays at Studio Theatre Rating:4 out of 5 Stars December 17, 2013 By Kyle Osborne Give yourself a gift this holiday season and head to Studio Theatre to see “The Apple Family Plays.” Playwright Richard Nelson’s two one-act plays, “That Hopey Changey Thing” and “Sweet and Sad,”…
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Theatre Review: ‘Maurice Hines Is Tappin Thru Life’ at Arena Stage
In “Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life,” the great hoofer distills all of the best elements of old fashion “showbiz” into a delightfully entertaining ninety minute time capsule. Ostensibly set up as a tribute to his late brother and dancing partner since childhood, Gregory Hines, the show is one big…
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What Are The Best Films of 2013? Vote Here – Vote Now!
We’re closing in on the end of a decent year at the movies. I’m already formulating my Top Ten list for the year, though I still have about 5 or 6 films to see before the final ballot is cast. But I want to hear from you! Please visit my…
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Movie Review: ‘Thor: The Dark World’
By Kyle Osborne There are so many dudes walking around in caftans and weird shaped helmets, speaking with Middle Earth accents, that I thought I was watching “Thor of The Rings” for a moment, and not “Thor: The Dark World,” the sequel to the 2011 superhero flick. But just when…
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Theatre Review: ‘Pride In The Falls Of Autrey Mill’ at Signature Theatre
By Kyle Osborne They say that the secret to comedy is timing, but in the case of ‘Pride In The Falls Of Autrey Mill,’ world premiering at Signature Theatre, just as important as timing is casting. It’s impossible to imagine Paul Downs Colaiizzo’s pitch black comedy without Christine Lahti as its heart…
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Theatre Review: Romeo and Juliet at Folger Shakespeare Library
By Kyle Osborne ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is already considered the most accessible (if not over exposed) of Shakespeare’s works. But the new adaptation at Shakespeare Folger Theatre kicks the door open even wider. This is not your father’s Shakespeare—it’s your daughter’s. The centuries old tragedy has been given an almost…
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Music Review: #Eminem ‘s New Album: ‘The Marshall Mathers LP II’
New Music Review: ‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2’ by Eminem By Andy Hoglund , Special Contributor to Entertainment Or Die “I’ve still got a lot of growing up to do… But when it’s all said and done I’ll be 40 Before I know it…” -Eminem, age 26, The Marshall Mathers…
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Movie Review: ‘Ender’s Game’
By Kyle Osborne ‘Ender’s Game’ comes to the multiplex with a built-in fan base of Sci-Fi readers who have devoured the original novel since its award winning year of release in 1985. That’s a lot of time and pressure, and one suspects that fans with that much of an emotional…
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Looking For A Scary Movie? This Guy Has 150 Suggestions For You
By Kyle Osborne If you want to find a diamond, you go to a jeweler. If you want a great recipe, you ask an experienced chef. And if you want to find a scary movie, well, just ask Dustin. In his new book, ‘The Fright File:150 Films To See Before…
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Movie Review: ‘All Is Lost’: Robert Redford Stays Afloat, But Does The Film Sail?
By Kyle Osborne Tom Hanks had a volleyball to talk to. Sandra Bullock had “Houston in the blind.” But poor Robert Redford, the only, and mostly silent, character in “All Is Lost” has nothing but his inner thoughts (which are unheard by the audience). He’s stranded at sea, his impressive…
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Theatre Review: ‘Extremities’ by Molotov Theatre Company
By Kyle Osborne The first fifteen minutes of ‘Extremities’ are an anxiety-inducing swan dive into the dark waters of human behavior. And that’s before the real moral dilemmas begin. The one-act play, which opened off-Broadway in 1982, is the perfect choice for the always adventurous Molotov Theatre Company, since exploring…
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‘The Exorcist’ Returns To Theaters For One Week + Q&A with William Peter Blatty
One Week Exclusive Engagement October 31 – November 7 At the AMC Georgetown Theaters in Washington, DC Q&A Screening with author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty Thursday, October 31, 2013 Academy Award® winning author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty will kick off an Exclusive One Week Engagement of The Exorcist in celebration of…
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Movie Review: ‘Carrie’ A Remake That Stands On Its Own
By Kyle Osborne For once, my fading memory serves me well–thanks to my aging gray matter, combined with the many intervening years since I last saw the 1976 original “Carrie,” directed by Brian DePalma, I am able to review director Kimberly Peirce’s re-make as a stand-alone film. I can judge…
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Movie Review: ‘The Fifth Estate’
By Kyle Osborne Sometimes I wonder if our feelings about a movie are influenced by whether the characters within are “good” or “bad” or “unlikeable.” Take, for instance, ‘Captain Phillips,’ a just “okay” movie about a “good man” and played, of course, by the beloved Tom Hanks. Are the overly-generous…
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Movie Review: ’12 Years A Slave’ Hard To Watch, Impossible To Forget
By Kyle Osborne Painful to watch, but impossible to look away from, ’12 Years A Slave,’ based on the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup, is an eye-opener in the most wrenching possible way. Director Steve McQueen’s unflinching take on the epic journey of a free and well-educated New Yorker, (Chiwetel…
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Movie Review: ‘Escape Plan’ Arnold and Sly are Back on Planet Hollywood
By Kyle Osborne With a combined 113 years of living between them, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have seen it all. They’ve been at the top, at the very bottom, and now in their AARP years, these two muscle-heads have floated back up just a bit—they’re in that, “Yeah, their…
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Movie Review: ‘Captain Phillips’ with Tom Hanks
By Kyle Osborne Tom Hanks is the Jimmy Stewart of my generation—there isn’t a more affable star of his stature in Hollywood. So, it’s not easy (or probably very smart) to be the voice of dissent regarding his latest film, “Captain Phillips,” which is getting mostly rave reviews by other…
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Movie Review: #Gravity Marks A Return To Long-Lost “Movie Magic”
We’ve all heard the expression, “You won’t believe your eyes,” but the single biggest achievement for “Gravity,” is that you will believe your eyes. You will absolutely feel as if you’re floating in space with Sandra Bullock and, try as you might to figure out ‘How’d they do that?’, you…
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Theatre Review: ‘The Velocity Of Autumn’ at Arena Stage
By Kyle Osborne If The Velocity Of Autumn ends up on Broadway (and that is the hope) there is one major tweak that will need to happen before it gets there—more pauses between the uproarious laughter. That’s a great ‘problem’ to have, right? Laughter so loud and sustained that the…
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‘Movie Review: ‘Prisoners’ is Perhaps The Best Crime Thriller Since ‘Silence of The Lambs’
In these days of most movies being extensions of comic books and video games, it’s nice to see Hollywood release a film for grown-ups. ‘Prisoners’ is maybe the quietest movie that is also this intense. I think it just might be the best crime thriller to come along since ‘Silence…
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Theatre Review: ‘Detroit’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre
By Kyle Osborne If good fences make good neighbors, then the distinct absence of a fence between the two suburban houses in Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit foreshadows darker things than the superficiality of suburban life usually yields. The great joy of this pacey one-act play is watching that very façade peel…
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Movie Review: ‘Riddick’
A guest review this week from our friend Rick Sandlas of http://www.DearFilm.net , site that writes “letters” to the films it reviews. Dear Pitch Black 2, Since you are a favored franchise and with a few mixed reviews I went in to the theater more neutral than I usually do.…
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Theatre Review: ‘Miss Saigon’ at Signature Theatre- Now Extended Again Through Oct. 6th
Note: The run of Miss Saigon has been extended for a second time–now running through October 6th. Ticket details follow the review By Kyle Osborne Melodramatic by design and operatic in its execution (indeed, it’s loosely based on the Puccini Opera “Madame Butterfly”) ‘Miss Saigon’ lands on the stage at…
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Movie Review: ‘Lovelace’ – It’s Deep
This review courtesy of my buddy Ric Sandlas of http://www.DearFilm.net When your opening dips your toe in the controversy of the films fame for just a moment before dialing us back to the beginning and Linda’s high school years, I find the era is replete with all the accessories that…
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‘Born To Royalty’ A Must See Doc For Royal Watchers, Plays Limited Run At Angelika Mosaic
BORN TO ROYALTY Plays July 20 & 24 at the Angelika Mosaic Born To Royalty, an intimate look at what it means to be a child of the British Royal Family, is coming to the Angelika Mosaic for a limited engagement on Saturday, July 20 at 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July…
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Movie Review: ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’
What is it with these half full/half empty movies lately? Last week, “Jack The Giant Slayer,” a movie with wondrous visual effects, had a slow first hour before getting on to a finish with great flourish. This week, “Oz the Great and Powerful” does just the opposite; It comes out…
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Meet The Actors From Signature Theatre’s “Dying City”
There’s no question that the material is, at times, heavy, but watching actors Rachel Zampelli and Thomas Keegan work in “Dying City,” is pure joy. Here’s a behind the scenes look at both the preparation and the effects the actors endured to play roles that they love. Tweet Pin It
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Movie Review: ‘The Words’ With Bradley Cooper
“The Words” isn’t exactly a page turner, its story is both too obvious and told at too leisurely a pace for anything like that. It does, however, have its moments, plus a game cast that makes it the cinematic equivalent of one of those “guilty pleasure” beach paperbacks that a…
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Movie Review: ‘Lawless’ Serves Up Jugs Of Corn, Buckets Of Blood
Excerpt: “Let us turn our sites on Shia LaBeouf, who plays the wide-eyed youngest brother in the most literal sense: he actually keeps his eyes opened wide. Combine that with a southern accent you might hear at a theme park Wild West show, and you’ve got the weakest link of…
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Movie Review: Only The Songs Shine In “Sparkle”
The first two minutes of “Sparkle” telegraph to the audience exactly what they can expect for the next one hundred minutes that follow: some great singing and some very bad dialogue. And, sorry to say, some less than stellar acting from the beautiful Jordin Sparks and the late Whitney Houston;…
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Theatre Review: ‘Beef Encounter’ for Capital Fringe
Take pause from your daily grind and go on a walking holiday with Belinda Donovan (Claire Carroll, and writer of the play) as she trudges through the English countryside. Read a review of her funny British quips about life in Beef Encounter here and then buy tickets to see her performance, please.…
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Theatre Review: ‘Beertown’ at Woolly Mammoth for Capital Fringe
It starts with lemonade and cookies. It’s true! Theatregoers entering the space at Woolly Mammoth Theatre set aside for “Beertown,” literally walk into a room with a dessert pot-luck set up behind the seats. Homemade cookies and brownies set the interactive scene for the town hall-style meeting that’s about to…
Read MoreMovie Review: “Bully”
As filmmaking, “Bully” may have its flaws, but director Lee Hirsch’s documentary shines a light on something all too common and shameful in American schools, and the nationwide discussion about the topic has already started weeks in advance of its release. Please read the full review: HERE Tweet Pin…
Read MoreMovie Review: “The Cabin In The Woods” Surprise, Surprise
Ever watch a bad movie with a smart-ass buddy, and the two of you heckle the flick, taking turns cracking wise at the idiots on the screen? Well, here’s a movie that does that to itself! “The Cabin In The Woods,” actually provides characters to stand back and heckle the…
Read MoreMovie Review: “Three Stooges” Zero Laughs
If you’ve ever seen a blooper-reel of news anchors completely losing their sh*t on live TV, you know very well that laughter is involuntary; you can’t stop it to save your life and you can’t fake it without sounding like a sycophant reacting to his boss’s bad jokes. It-just-happens. Or,…
Read MoreMovie Review” Lockout” You’ll Like This F-ing Guy (Pearce)
One of the things that makes a “Bad Movie” truly bad is its total lack of awareness. The movie must have absolutely no idea of its awfulness just to be considered among the bottom tier of cinematic offenders. For that reason alone, we can say that one may not love…
Read MoreMovie Review: American Reunion
When the first “American Pie” movie was released in 1999, it seemed to be riding a wave of “more is more” that had started with “There’s Something About Mary,” a film that took onscreen bodily fluids to an unprecedented level, yet became a huge box office hit. It was also,…
Read MoreMovie Review: “Project X” Is Just A Cannonball Into The Pool
As a movie, “Project X” is just a Cannonball into the pool. It makes an obnoxious splash with poor form and no skill. Let’s put aside, for a moment, that this movie is, in an abstract way, a schoolyard bully; it’s sneering and mean and spits on people. But what…
Read MoreMovie Review: “The Innkeepers” Boo? Hiss!
“The Innkeepers” is earning some praise for its lack of gore, but it’s the lack of content that left me struggling to stay awake. Even the music sounds like it’s been pulled from an after school TV movie soundtrack. A movie that might’ve been about bff’s planning a party, not…
Read More“The Grey” Wolfs Down Horror Movie Cliches
“The Grey” with Liam Neeson won the weekend box office, and earned plaudits from all corners of the critical universe…but not from me. What starts out as a classy, enigmatic film ultimately ends in a formulaic, paint by numbers, trudge through frozen tundra and icy clichés. Liam Neeson’s voice overs…
Read MoreMovie Review: “A Separation” , One Of The Year’s Best, Opens In The DC Area
So far, the Iranian film, “A Separation” is two-for-two, winning both the Critic’s Choice and Golden Globes statues for Best Foreign Language Film. Expect the trip to continue all the way to Oscar night. Set in present day Iran, this story goes places you never see coming, after starting with…
Read MoreThe Ten Best Films Of 2011
My Favorite Films of 2011 Why does Hollywood make us go through 10 months of hit and misses before back-end loading the year with all the good stuff in December, with releases that continue into January? The short answer is that the studios want their most “Award Worthy” films fresh…
Read MoreInterview: Elizabeth Olsen, Rising Star From “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
When Elizabeth Olsen walks into the room, she is both confident and gracious. It’s hard to believe that the well-spoken woman before you just graduated high school four years ago. But then again, this 22 year old is the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, she has a lifetime…
Read MoreReview: Paranormal Activity 3. Bored To Death.
If there’s one thing you’ll need to make it through the Paranormal Acitivity movies. Just one thing? It’d have to be patience. What else will get you through three movies that have a net total of, say, 15 minutes of “action” or “scares”? Not even a large soda was enough…
Read MoreRavi Kabob in Arlington. If You Can Find A Better Kabob In The Area, Call Me
Don’t you love finding great food in unlikely places? Ravi Kabob boasts, perhaps, the worst ambience of any eatery in Arlington. The lighting is dingy, the linoleum floor depressing, and the guy at the cash register does Not-Have-Time for you to glance at the menu and decide what you want,…
Read More“Merzi” Restaurant In DC Is Good and Fast. Imagine A Chipotle In Bombay.
I had about an hour to kill before the play at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in the Penn Quarter district of DC was to begin. I was starving, but knew I wouldn’t have time for a “sit-down” meal. I also knew that I was tired of fast food and figured I’d…
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