It is really challenging to consider a critical assessment of The Hobbit. The much-beloved Tolkien novel has to live in many shadows, from the achievements of Peter Jackson’s previous treks into Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, to the classic Rankin-Bass animated version, to the very novel itself. It’s almost impossible to judge Jackson’s return to Middle Earth without considering... 

With a record-breaking $85 million opening weekend, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  We spend a considerable time looking at the movie from the different aspects: How does it stand alone? How does it compare to the existing Lord of the Rings trilogy? How does it hold up to the novel? And just what is all the fuss behind Jackson’s 48 frames... 

It’s been a long, challenging road for The Hobbit. It’s endured lawsuits, studio bankruptcy, and even a change in directors. At times, it didn’t even look like the prequel to the popular Lord of the Rings movies was ever going to be made. On one hand, there were people who were happy with that outlook, feeling like the existing trilogy was so perfect that it was best to leave well enough alone.... 

As the story goes, Steven Spielberg discovered a love for Tintin, the Belgian comic book character, after he released Raiders of the Lost Ark and fans drew connections between the high adventure feel of the first Indiana Jones movie and Tintin’s comic book series, which follows a young reporter on unlikely adventures. It’s taken thirty years, but now Spielberg brings an animated version of Tintin’s... 

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them... 

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them... 

What better way to celebrate this year’s Halloween than by visiting John Carpenter’s Halloween as part of our Artist of the Month celebration. We also look at Carpenter’s Village of the Damned, discuss Mel Gibson’s expulsion from The Hangover 2, cheer the forward progress on The Hobbit, and have other tricks and treats, including a visit from a spirit of the show’s past! Weekly... 

This week sees the revenge of the senior citizens. After my past ageism comments about romantic comedies for the older set, I’m happy to give Red a positive review. It just goes to show: romantic comedies equals creepy, action comedies equals win. We look at the second and third of John Carpenter’s “apocalypse trilogy” with special guest, Mark Noble, who returns to the show... 

We may not be looking forward to the upcoming Fourth of July weekend at the cinema, but this week’s show is action-packed! Margaret saved the best for last, as we wrap up Jeff Bridges as our artist of the month with discussions of The Big Lebowski and Crazy Heart. We also offer up reviews of new films Knight and Day and Grown Ups, and discuss how Rafe’s gut has led us astray. Show Links USA... 

Closing Tabs started as a weekly look at news we didn’t cover on the site throughout the week. As the site has grown, however, we’ve moved away from reporting most news (you can catch most of it regurgitated on other sites anyway) in favor of more original opinions and editorials. Still, that news is out there, clogging up the tabs on our browsers, so now we offer the column as a Tuesday/Thursday...