"Mad Men" Season Finale Review: "The Phantom" (Season 5 Episode 13) - “I’m President of the Howdy Doody Circus...”

The fifth season of Mad Men comes to an end with the season finale, episode 13, “The Phantom.”  It’s the last hour of a fantastic season, so for the final time this year, I’m here with my weekly review and analysis.  To do the finale justice, this review contains heavy spoilers, so don’t read unless you’ve seen the episode.

Spoilers for “The Phantom” after the jump…

Review: "Prometheus" aims high, comes inspiringly close to greatness

Film Rating: B+

At the heart of Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” lies one of the single most subversive and unsettling questions I have ever seen posed by a major Hollywood release: What if we – the entirety of the human race and all our experiences – are not only one massive cosmic accident, but an unwanted one as well?

That’s bold, incredibly thought-provoking material to build a film around, and as such, “Prometheus” is a work of monumental ambition.  Scott and his team have crafted a rich mythology with limitless possibilities, one born from the question posed above and many, many more.  The film wishes to accomplish so much, in fact, that it’s no surprise the final product is dramatically flawed in several areas.  It’s frustrating, because “Prometheus” comes breathtakingly close to true greatness over and over again; one can sense at every turn seeds of what could very well be one of the all-time great sci-fi efforts. 

Yet at the same time, it’s rather uplifting to see the film come as close as it does.  I would much rather have Scott and company swing for the fences and miss than watch them play it safe, and at the very least, “Prometheus” aspires to be something special.  That, in and of itself, makes it an invigorating piece of can’t-miss cinema, one I’m tempted to embrace wholeheartedly, warts and all. Continue reading after the jump...

Read my "Moonrise Kingdom" Review at 'We Got This Covered'

You may recall that I was recently hired to write for the entertainment website We Got This Covered; at the time, I promised I would notify you when I began reviewing movies predominantly over there rather than here, and it looks like that time has come.

I've just published my first movie review for WGTC, an analysis of Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," a fantastic new film that stands as the best American release of 2012. I cannot publish the review here, but please head over to WGTC to check out the piece, because I feel it's a very strong bit of writing.

Read my "Moonrise Kingdom" review by following this link!

Make sure you check We Got This Covered regularly for all the in-depth content I'm providing, from regular news to editorials to reviews of movies, TV, and more! 

And check back to Jonathan Lack At The Movies this weekend for my exclusive reviews of "Prometheus" and the Mad Men season finale. 

"Mad Men" Review: "Commissions and Fees" (Season 5 Episode 12) - "What happened to your enlightenment?"

The fifth season of Mad Men enters its home stretch with episode 12, “Commissions and Fees.”  It’s the penultimate hour of a fantastic season, and as always, I’m here with my weekly review and analysis.  To do the hour justice, this review contains heavy spoilers, so don’t read unless you’ve seen the episode.

Spoilers for “Commissions and Fees” after the jump…

Review: "Snow White and the Huntsman" flirts with creative brilliance

Film Rating: B

“Snow White and the Huntsman” is a deeply flawed film I have near limitless respect for.  It is the rare major studio motion picture with vast ambition, brought to life by Rupert Sanders, a first-time director with the talent to execute as much of that vision as possible given the realities of this business.  And the reality is that when a studio like Universal has given a rookie filmmaker $170 million to execute a popular, marketable fairy-tale set-up, artistic license is far from the only master being served.  Unfortunately, it shows.  Sanders and the screenwriters have come up with fascinating, insightful new interpretations of the title characters, the wicked Queen, and the world they inhabit, but the film’s greatest qualities are constantly held back by what feels like a studio-manufactured checklist of plot points and blockbuster pacing. Continue reading after the jump...

Blu-Ray Review: "The Secret World of Arrietty" offers a flawless Studio Ghibli experience

The films of Japan’s Studio Ghibli resonate with the heart more powerfully than any body of work I have ever encountered, and their latest film to reach American shores – “The Secret World of Arrietty” – is no exception.  It is a thoughtful, visually lush, deeply emotional work of art, the best film I have yet seen in 2012.  It failed to make a box-office dent upon its February theatrical release, but I hope that wrong will be righted on Blu-Ray.  Is Disney’s high-definition release worthy of the film, though?  Find out in my in-depth review of “The Secret World of Arrietty” on Blu-Ray after the jump…

"Mad Men" Review: "The Other Woman" (Season 5 Episode 11) - "Shall we address the men?"

The masterful fifth season of Mad Men continues with episode 11, “The Other Woman,” and as always, I’m here with my weekly review and analysis.  To do the hour justice, this review contains heavy spoilers, so don’t read unless you’ve seen the episode.

Spoilers for “The Other Woman” after the jump…