Gary Thompson

Gary Thompson is the Daily News film critic.

Email Gary at thompsg@phillynews.com

Kirk Douglas plays a rowdy cowboy on the run.

Gary Thompson: Kirk delivers the thrills in 'Lonely Are the Brave'

Posted 2:19am

A COUPLE mediocre thrillers this week - Nic Cage's "Knowing" and Dakota Fanning's "Push." So it's a good week to look for newly issued old stuff, and the best of the bunch is Universal's $8.99 (the price is right!) "Lonely Are the Brave," an offbeat, downbeat 1962 neo-western starring Kirk Douglas as a rowdy cowboy who busts out of jail and fights off the law (Walter Matthau) and the advance of the modern world.

Gary Thompson: 'Hurt Locker:' War from a 'boots-on-the-ground' view

Posted 2:19am

THE war shelf. That's where director Kathryn Bigelow expects to see her movie "The Hurt Locker" when it's out on DVD. Right next to "They Were Expendable," or "Hell is for Heroes," or other movies about men in combat.

A new generation of soldiers: Mark Boal's script gives a look at troops of a different sort in Iraq - 7:48am: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com 215-854-5992

In reviews for "The Hurt Locker," you see critics going out of their way to declare that it's not like those other movies about the war in Iraq.
We hate you, ‘Beth Cooper’ — really, we do - 07/09/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

I was distracted during "I Love You Beth Cooper" by the mystery of why Paul Rust was in it. Not Paul Rudd. Paul Rust. Who is Paul Rust? That's what I wanted to know.
A new generation of soldiers - 07/09/2009: Mark Boal's script gives a look at troops of a different sort in Iraq

By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

In reviews for "The Hurt Locker," you see critics going out of their way to declare that it's not like those other movies about the war in Iraq. The ones you didn't want to see - "Stop-Loss," "In the Valley of Elah," "Grace is Gone," et al. Heck, they say, it's not an Iraq movie at all. Just a war movie that happens to be set in Iraq.
It’s not ‘Borat’ but ‘Bruno’ has its moments - 07/09/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

Much as I hesitate to use the words "stimulus" and "package" in relation to "Bruno," I could see an economic benefit to the movie's production. Sacha Baron Cohen has taken a portion of the pile he made from "Borat" and plowed it into "Bruno," the purported story of a cartoonishly gay German fashionista encountering homophobia in America.
Gary Thompson: Philly native featured in 'Right Thing' 20th anniversary edition - 07/03/2009: THIS WEEK marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most influential movies of all time - Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing."
'Moon' shines as a meditative, sly commentary - 07/02/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

To have any shot at enjoying the sci-fi mystery "Moon" you have to stop reading about it. There probably isn't one review in 50 that will refrain from spilling the movie's beans, since there is almost no way to examine the movie without doing so.
'Public Enemies' follows director Mann's usual script - 06/30/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

Director Michael Mann is a stylish, brooding perfectionist who makes movies about men who are stylish, brooding perfectionists. Mann's subjects are often cops or criminals, but though he carries a camera instead of a gun, you can feel the way Mann empathizes with and admires their terse professionalism.
'Ice Age' sequel: Dawn of the same old ideas - 06/30/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

"Ice Age 3" opens this week, so if you want to see a good animated movie, check out . . . "Up." Or maybe "Monsters Vs. Aliens," if you can still find it. Anything but "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," packed with ideas as fresh as "Land of the Lost," which we haven't seen for, oh, three weeks now.
Gary Thompson: Amid summer's slow dance, brainwise, try to'Waltz with Bashir' - 06/26/2009: SINCE THERE'S no shortage of frivolous entertainment in theaters now, adventurous viewers might want to take a shot at "Waltz With Bashir," a more cerebral DVD available this week.
‘Transformers’ sequel is too long, too loud, just too much - 06/23/2009: By GARY THOMPSON, thompsg@phillynews.com

Please don't call to complain about my negative review of "Transformers 2," because I can no longer hear. Both eardrums were blown out somewhere in the 138th minute, when there were still 10 minutes to go, not counting the credits, which list 400 sound and special effects technicians and roughly 20 speaking parts, most of those occupied by machines that talk.