Film & TV

Director Steven Soderbergh’s eclectic filmography includes everything from star-studded blockbusters (“Ocean’s Eleven”) to limited-release biopics (“Che”), and he’s more than happy to juggle genres. That makes him the perfect person to helm a film about a male stripper who can’t wean himself from the perks of the job. With “Magic Mike,” Soderbergh delivers a movie with enough star power and flash to satisfy the masses but an emotional center that’s rooted in the style of his independent efforts. 

In a commercial film industry increasingly dominated by derivative fare, writer-director Wes Anderson is a beacon of creativity and inspiration. Anderson established himself as a force with his first feature film, 1996’s “Bottle Rocket,” and his follow-up movies – including “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – have been equally unique and appealing. His latest, “Moonrise Kingdom,” is set in 1965 and tells the quirky story of Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward), troubled 12-year-olds who run away together and hide in the countryside of a New England island. 

It’s been 30 years since director Ridley Scott made a science-fiction film, so his return to the genre created a lot of excitement. The anticipation was warranted because Scott is a fine craftsman and his early science-fiction efforts, “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” are classics. With “Prometheus,” Scott is back in the “Alien” universe, telling a story that takes place before the events of his original 1979 movie. 

Escape Fire, which opens October 5, 2012, is constructed on three-levels: the human element, the problems with healthcare and the examination of the solutions for providing world-class, cost-efficient healthcare. While a work of nonfiction, the message and narrative pace suffers to some degree without an impact singular villain-- no Roger for Michael Moore to badger, no McDonald’s dollar menu to clog Morgan Spurlock’s arteries or usurpers to the King of Kong throne. Only the mass poor decisions of nutritional diet, antiquated training of medical students and a system that is more profitable if the U.S. general population is in need of constant medicinal treatment. 

One can always count on director Tim Burton to deliver movies dripping with atmosphere, and his film adaptation of the 1960s and ’70s soap opera “Dark Shadows” is eerily beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, the storytelling elements don’t keep pace with Burton’s visual craftsmanship. The “Dark Shadows” TV show ran five years, and vampire Barnabus Collins wasn’t in early episodes, but his eventual appearance created a ratings spike, making him the face of the series. Likely for that reason, Burton and company put the focus squarely on Barnabus (Johnny Depp). 

 Writer-actress-producer Mindy Kaling, best known until now as Kelly on the Emmy-winning comedy “The Office” and the author of a New York Times best-selling memoir, will navigate the singles scene as the star of “The Mindy Project,” which premiered Sept. 25 on FOX. Kaling joins other Indian-American actors and writers making a mark on American TV this season — with stars such as Aziz Ansari and Kunal Nayyar continuing their successful runs on hit shows and rising child actor Karan Brar in Disney’s tween series “Jessie.”

Surely writer-director Joss Whedon found himself thinking about “Batman & Robin” and similar efforts when charged with bringing the Marvel Comics superhero group The Avengers to the screen. Success would mean merging characters from several previous Marvel movies – “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “Thor” and “The Incredible Hulk” – and introducing them to even more players. The potential for failure was immense, making it rather astonishing that Whedon not only succeeded but produced one of the best films of 2012 so far. 

Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, “The Master,” is his most consciously esoteric movie to date. As the scenes add up, you have a growing suspicion that you’re missing something. Or that something is missing. I’m still not completely sure which is the case. All I can say is that the movie invokes the same experience as a queasy-strange nightmare that gradually churns to a haunting, perplexing conclusion.