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Gary Dowell

Professional film critic, journalist, Byronic hero.
Gary Dowell has written 563 posts for movie ink™

DIFF Announces 2012 Honorees

The Dallas International Film Festival has announced that this year’s Dallas Star Award would be presented to noted costume designer Bernie Pollack (Ordinary People, Rain Man), and that it will honor Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) with the Dallas Shining Star Award.  Both Pollack and Sidibe will receive their awards at DIFF’s annual awards dinner on Friday, April … Continue reading

Q&A with David Mamet

Back in January, I was fortunate enough to interview writer, director, playwright and all-around cool guy David Mamet for the upcoming Spring issue of Heritage Auctions’ in-house periodical, Heritage Magazine for the Intelligent Collector. It was a quick Q&A for the recurring back-page feature “Passions with…” (sounds tawdry, I know). We discussed his collection of firearms … Continue reading

Movie review: ‘A Dangerous Method’

After re-inventing himself with the gritty crime fare of A History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007), director David Cronenberg turns in a surprisingly disappointing follow-up with A Dangerous Method, a limp and uninteresting historic drama that would thrive on — but is completely lacking — the psychosexual tension that usual permeates Cronenberg’s work. … Continue reading

Movie reviews: ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’

The latest entry in the in the live-action series based on the Hasbro toy line is every bit the sort of bombastic spectacle we’ve come to know and loathe from director Michael Bay; it’s also less of a beating to sit through than the previous entries thanks to a tiny amount of restraint. Granted, that’s … Continue reading

Movie review: ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark’

Though a very literal adaptation of the 1973 TV movie, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark nevertheless manages to stand on its own merits as a creepy, suspenseful, squirm-inducing thriller that impressively taps into all those irrational dreads and fears that plagued us as children. Bailee Madison gives and impressive performance as Sally, an elementary … Continue reading

Asian Film Festival of Dallas Deadline Nears

The final deadline for submissions to the 2012 Asian Film Festival of Dallas is March 31, 2012 (postmarked). The festival is open to domestic and international filmmakers, and entry fees are $40 for feature films and $25 for short films. The AFFD’s mission statement is “to celebrate and support emerging and established Asian and Asian-American … Continue reading

This Week’s Repertory Screenings:

The Texas Theatre’s Kimono Club series — featuring the best in Japanese cinema, bad karaoke, Kirin and sake bombs — continues with the girl-bikers-run-amok action flick Girl Boss Guerilla (1982), 9pm (karaoke at 8pm), March 25, at the theater. Details — The Magnolia’s The Big Movie classic films series concludes its Great Directors showcase with a … Continue reading

James Franco to Headline UTA Graduation Ceremony

Academy Award-nominee James Franco (127 Hours) will headline the University of Texas at Arlington‘s 2012 Graduation Celebration at 7:30pm, May 11, at the Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram St., Arlington. Franco will make a keynote address at the annual party, which will also feature fireworks, music, and food. Other speakers include UT Arlington President James D. Spaniolo … Continue reading

Movie Review: ‘The Hunger Games’

The first real event movie in a year littered with them, The Hunger Games is poised to inherit the mantle of “Next Great Young Adult Novel Franchise Turned Blockbuster Film Franchise” from the concluded Harry Potter series and the wish-it-never-had-been Twilight series. Many have tried and failed (we’re looking at you, I Am Number and … Continue reading

Movie review: ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2’

After seven movies in ten years, the Harry Potter film franchise comes to a bittersweet but satisfying conclusion in the form of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2. It delivers the pay-off that the plodding first part so selfishly promised but declined to deliver, and rewards the years of dedication and anticipation that … Continue reading

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