Star Trek Into Darkness is playing now at the Regal Ballston Common Stadium 12 and at the AMC Courthouse Plaza 8. Watch the trailer in the media box to the right.  -----     Boy, this is going to be one short review. This movie has more spoilers than the 1967 Enterprise had Tribbles…and in the interest of full disclosure, this is written by the Cinema Siren who owns chairs from the Voyager show, can list the original episodes in order of appearance, has a T-shirt with a quote in Klingon, and a model of the Enterprise signed by all the original cast members. That is to say, fandom lives here. …

Let's face it. Those of you who are interested in films like "Iron Man 3" and have waited through a year of comic book conventions dressed as your favorite Marvel superhero do not need Cinema Siren to tell you whether to head out to keep one of Hollywood's biggest studio franchises alive and Robert Downey Jr. out of the poorhouse. You already have your tickets. It's the souls who usually stay home with a glass of wine watching "Downton Abbey" and occasionally go to the multiplex only for the most-hyped and well-reviewed blockbusters the studio wants to charm into theaters. ["Iron Man 3" is …

In director Joseph Kosinski's "Oblivion," you can see a love for and desire to expand on the great classics of science fiction on film. With the most impressive use of IMAX for a feature film to date, in that respect he has created something new and exciting — a 3-D movie where you don't need the glasses. Production designer Darren Gilford ("TRON: Legacy") and cinematographer Claudio Miranda (who won an Oscar for "Life of Pi") make, to quote the movie, "an effective team." The visual landscapes of the film and the meticulousness taken in the action sequences are extraordinary. The integration…

Director Danny Boyle, fresh off being dubbed a national hero for his triumph directing the Olympic ceremonies in London, took a big directorial risk with his new release "Trance." The film is a frenetic, haunting genre-bender that grabs hold of and keeps your attention from its first moments to its last with such force you'll feel like you're falling through Alice's rabbit hole after being hurled into it by two burly 6-foot bunnies in kilts. This cinematic journey is one filled with confusion, illusions, violence and moral ambiguities, and not a head trip everyone will be willing to surrender…

Once again we are at an old-versus-new and purist-versus-innovator crossroads. Why in the world would anyone go out to see "Jurassic Park" in the theater for $12-plus when they can snuggle at home and watch it on their own 40-inch HDTV? What could make this release worth the time of movie fans out there? It all comes down to the experience. We haven't seen "Jurassic Park" in the movie theaters since its release in 1993. They could have re-released it without the new bells and whistles and I'd have been halfway there. With all the mediocre new 3D releases depending on the new technology to …

Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator — who is actually from the Washington area and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, which runs from April 25 to 28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and they feature both great movies and great guest stars. This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites. Mankeiwitcz said attendees are some of the most knowledgeable …

"The Croods," the new 3-D computer-animated feature release from DreamWorks Animation, is the story of a prehistoric family that takes a road trip out of necessity. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) spends every day protecting his family by alternately leading them on life-endangering family hunting trips and terrifying them into staying in their tiny cave-home with stories about everything in the outside world being potentially deadly. "Never not be afraid," he says. Daughter Eep (Emma Stone) believes that's no way to live. Her sense of adventure carries her father away from the cave and her dad…

This week, we have four new movies of note: "The Call," "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," "Stoker" and "Upside Down." 'The Call' — Don't Answer This movie stars Halle Berry as 911 operator Jordan in a race against time to save a teenage abductee Casey (Abigail Breslin). For a story that centers on the potential torture, rape and death of a young girl, it starts off well enough. We learn why Berry's character is highly invested in keeping alive the girl at the center of the action. She's been there before, and it didn't go well. This means not only will you be watching extended scenes of a …

"I don't want to be a good man, I want to be a great one!" This declaration by James Franco as the title character of Sam Raimi's new Disney prequel could just as easily be a hope of the director's as well.  Is the movie great? Is it even good? "Oz the Great and Powerful" is entertaining, and you could do worse than to spend your time watching this interpretation of L. Frank Baum's world flash flowers and toss monkey wings in your face.  But the weaknesses of it make me walk to the dark edge between  recommendation and warning to ponder throwing my ruby shoes into the abyss. This movie tells …

By the time the bombastic, yet tragic minor-keyed blockbuster-like theme music swelled to accompany the climactic battle scenes in "Jack The Giant Slayer," I was tempted to flamboyantly roll my eyes in slow motion. I couldn't have cared less. This new release, that was slated for last summer and tellingly sat on the shelf until now, is exceedingly straight-ahead, uninventive and laden with special effects. It leaves the audience feeling like it spent an evening at an expensive restaurant expecting to taste some delicious, innovative dish, only to find themselves digesting a bland, flavorless …

Cinema Siren is a big fan of love. There's nothing more wonderful than being around those in love. It brings everyone around them up, even if the experience can be a bit of a sap-fest.  Anytime I can play Cupid with a well-recommended romantic comedy, I'm right there for it. Sadly, Valentine's Day is only once a year. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared to do the aural equivalent of tossing rose petals at our significant others, or put ourselves in a loving and romantic mood.   I've put together a collection of scores very specifically chosen for romantic interludes. For that time you'…

Cinema Siren is writing from London this week and preparing to see James McAvoy in "Macbeth" at Trafalgar Transformed. A fan of his work for years, I jumped at the chance to see a new and exciting version of the play put together by the famous British stage director Jamie Lloyd with production design by Soutra Gilmour, who won the 2012 Evening Standard award for Best Design. It got me thinking about the many cinematic versions of Shakespeare's work in film history. Shakespeare never goes out of style, as witnessed by the recent release directed by Ralph Fiennes, "Coriolanus," in 2012. Joss …

No, "Warm Bodies" is not an ode to necrophilia. It is a charming and whimsical movie that goes deeper than anyone would expect about connectedness, trust and a willingness to change.  I never thought I'd say, "This zombie flick is a great date movie," but now I have. As a matter of warning, it should be rated "Z" for brain-eating zombies. Still, a large cross-section of movie lovers will enjoy it, making it a far better choice on Feb. 14 than that new "Die Hard" — coming out that day! Wah? — for everyone from girlfriends to couples who don't mind a bit of edge in their flicks.  To all those …

Sometimes a movie is just bad. We can all watch it and see what they had in mind, how the pitch went, how the director and producers signed on, and talked some pretty big stars into taking part. And we can see the whole thing derail through to post production, delayed release, and as we watch the finished product with an ever-dwindling vestige of hope. Such is the case for "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters." Why Cinema Siren is reviewing this movie at all is a fair question. I'll go on record as saying there is always a chance a good movie will find its way to the multiplex in January — not …

January. Everyone knows it is when the mediocre to the truly awful hobble off to die a quick death after beating each other senseless for a quick buck in the box office arena. When a film gets slated for a January release it is because there are no other contenders to fight for those dollars, or it won't survive any other time anyway. After all, everyone with any sense is scrambling to see the Oscar nominees. So one approaches January movies with a mix of optimism and dread. Two genre-specific movies have recently been released. If you are a fan of horror or ultra-violent action flicks, the …

"Zero Dark Thirty," which brought in $24 million in its first two days of wide release, has been lauded worldwide and almost universally as an impressive piece of filmmaking. It's a movie that is anything but formulaic. It is always very different for those of us who live in the Washington area. Our experience of anything political is amplified. The headquarters of the CIA and FBI, not to mention the White House, are all within driving distance. It is nearly impossible not to have heard about the controversy surrounding this film.  Sens. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., Carl Levin, D-Mich., and …

This year we saw superheroes, grown-up movies, genre mash-ups and cartoons scoring places at the top of the box office. Much was made about big flops, from the divisive "John Carter" and ridiculous "Battleship," both of which starred the same unlucky actor. This topsy turvy year in the world of film is likely to lead to some interesting shifts in focus for actors and filmmakers alike. The box office receipts didn't automatically match studio expectations in 2012. For once, some of the most lauded movies took money away from the mediocre ones. Out of respect and a hope for healing I'm sure we …

The filmmakers want to ask, "Will you join in their crusade?" After much promotion and fanfare, a new musical film interpretation of "Les Misérables" is opening nationwide on Christmas Day. For you non-Mis folk, this is the story of Prisoner 24601, Jean Valjean, who breaks parole, is hunted relentlessly by Inspector Javert and encounters various troubled and impoverished characters in post-revolutionary France.  Based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, it is beloved by generations of musical theatre fans. A musical version of the movie was a risky undertaking, but now promises a huge pay-off …

December is Oscar time. Filmmakers need to get their movies in under the wire so they'll be in the running for this year's awards. Consequently, this month is a weird mix of crowd-pleasing mediocrity and painfully long masterpieces that mix horribly with a need for fluff. But what's a movie lover to do? Gotta see them! Having only viewed two of these films — "Lincoln" and "Silver Linings Playbook" — I'm as in the dark as you all are about how truly great these movies are, and how they measure up to each other as far as acting and scripting are concerned. All I know is what I hear, and I'm …

Last year I offered my Top 10 Christmas cartoons for the first time. As an animation art gallery owner of 25 years and an animation historian, I have studied and enjoyed them for a long time. What an uproar I caused! I got a veritable avalanche of emails about the cartoons I "couldn't possibly overlook." While I stand by all last year's excellent offerings, I do have some amendments this year. Here is the list with some considered additions and subtractions. The cartoons listed below are all classics and are wonderful opportunities for holiday viewing with friends and family. You can enjoy …