Saturday, June 25, 2011

You do not have the correct Flash player version to view this feature.

In order to view this feature, you must download the latest version of Flash.

Once you have downloaded the latest version of Flash player, you will need to reload this page.

A movie theater in Beijing.
Shiho Fukada for The New York Times

A movie theater in Beijing.

“You will see this movie!” seems to be the marketing strategy behind “Beyond the Great Revival.”

Movie Review | 'Cars 2'

Sidekick Tries to Tow a Sequel

A scene from the Pixar film
Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures

A scene from the Pixar film "Cars 2."

Mater the tow truck, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, is front and center in Pixar’s new four-wheeled adventure.

Cameron Diaz, left, and Lucy Punch in “Bad Teacher,” directed by Jake Kasdan and opening nationwide on Friday.
Gemma LaMana/Columbia Pictures

Cameron Diaz, left, and Lucy Punch in “Bad Teacher,” directed by Jake Kasdan and opening nationwide on Friday.

Cameron Diaz has found her down-and-dirty element in “Bad Teacher,” a broad comedy that threatens to get ugly and more or less succeeds on that threat.

Peter Falk, Rumpled and Crafty Actor in Television’s ‘Columbo,’ Dies at 83

Mr. Falk, known for his signature role on television, had a wide-ranging career in comedy and drama in film and onstage.

Catch That Reference? There’ll Be a Quiz

Films like “Super 8,” “X-Men: First Class” and “Midnight in Paris” capitalize on previous knowledge moviegoers have of the influences on them.

Movie Reviews
Movie Review | 'Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop'

One Ticked-Off Comic, Venting to the Faithful

“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” tracks Mr. O’Brien, the talk-show host, on his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour” of 32 cities.

Movie Review | 'The Names of Love'

You’re a Fascist? Let’s Hop in Bed!

In “The Names of Love” a young Frenchwoman carries the philosophy of “make love, not war” to comic extremes.

Movie Review | 'A Better Life'

Drifting Apart, Struggling Together

“A Better Life,” directed by Chris Weitz, is an emotionally resonant film about a struggle to hold onto a home of one’s own.

Movie Review | 'Turtle: The Incredible Journey'

The Call of the Wild, Heeded With Tenacity

In “Turtle,” the loggerhead, a threatened species, embarks on a quarter-century life voyage, a trip that covers thousands of miles and is fraught with life-and-death dangers.

Movie Review | 'Passione'

Soaring From Poverty All the Way to Ecstasy

“Passione” is a documentary in which John Turturro explores the sounds and singers of Naples, Italy.

Movie Review | 'Leap Year'

Bridging Loneliness in Mexico City

“Leap Year” is a slow flare of emotional agony that follows Laura, a freelance writer, and her one-night stands.

News & Features

A Lord of Fright Reclaims His Dark Domain

The horror director John Carpenter (the original “Halloween,” the remake of “The Thing”) returns to features with “The Ward,” his first big-screen effort in years.

Creating an Adolescence for the Ages

Two independent films — Azazel Jacobs’s “Terri” and David Robert Mitchell’s “Myth of the American Sleepover” — revise and reinvigorate a cherished American genre.

How to Succeed in Hollywood Despite Being Really Beautiful

Brit Marling might have been just another starlet. Then she decided to write the roles she wanted to play.

  • comment icon

Political Plotlines in Liberal Doses

At least three coming high-profile Hollywood films explore the underbelly of Democratic politicians and their handlers.

David Rayfiel, Screenwriter With Sydney Pollack, Dies at 87

Mr. Rayfiel collaborated with Mr. Pollack and Robert Redford on many of their most successful films, including “Three Days of the Condor” and “Out of Africa.”

As 3-D Falls From Favor, Director of ‘Transformers’ Tries to Promote It

Michael Bay, the king of the summer movie spectacle, is on a campaign to convince moviegoers that his latest “Transformers” film is worth an extra $3 to $5 a ticket to see it in 3-D.

Sometimes a Vegetable Is Just a Vegetable

The debate over movies that may be “nutritious” but not always tasty is joined by a writer and The Times’s chief film critics.

Big Movies Coming in Short Packages

At the Palm Springs International ShortFest viewers can see work by filmmakers with predictable professional backgrounds — and from those with very uncommon résumés.

Global Auto Racing and Spy Chasing

World cities are presented with digital flourishes in Pixar Animation’s “Cars 2.”

Dissecting a Frame From ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’

As the new “Transformers” movie poises for its opening, its director, Michael Bay, and visual effects supervisor, Scott Farrar, deconstruct a frame from it.

Photos & Video
Design for the Road in ‘Cars 2’

Pixar’s film takes the race-car Lightning McQueen and his tow-truck pal, Mater, to great world cities.

Critics' Picks: 'Rome, Open City'

A. O. Scott looks back at Roberto Rossellini's film about the struggle against oppression.

Photos & Video
Human Rights Watch Film Festival

Images of some of the films appearing in the festival, which runs June 16-30.

Inside BAMcinemaFest

Images from some of the films playing at BAMcinemaFest, a Brooklyn festival that celebrates independent cinema.

Mid-Century Mutants

A look at some of the sets of “X-Men: First Class” with commentary from the production designer Chris Seagers.

Anatomy of a Scene

In this series, directors discuss ideas and techniques behind moments in their films.

Summer Movies

The critics' take on girls in action movies, Maria Bello's tough dramas, Michael Fassbender on his rise from bit player to leading man and more.

The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

This guide includes links to the original reviews from the archives of The New York Times.