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Dan Carlson
Los Angeles, California

I'm a twentysomething white male with ambitions to be a professional film critic and generally spend my days getting paid to watch movies and write about it. A compulsive reader and stubborn cineaste, I take an often contrary stance to my more fundamentalist peers and upbringing by celebrating the pursuit of the good, and the Good, in life, love, art and film. If you watched enough episodes of certain TV shows — for starters, "The Hungry and the Hunted," "The Cut Man Cometh," "The Body," "The Zeppo," "Waiting in the Wings," "Out of Gas," "April Is the Cruelest Month," "20 Hours in America," "Colonial Day," "An Echolls Family Christmas," "Look Who's Stalking," "The Garage Door," "Charlie Gets Crippled," "Wind Sprints," and "Corner Boys" — you would understand me completely, and you'd also realize that much of my worldview and philosophical insights are heavily influenced by fictional works/programs, and many of the good things I've said in my life are just a regurgitation of someone else's imaginings, or at any rate a heartfelt attempt to interpret them. I guess I was made to be a film critic.

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« Assistant District Attorneys On "Law & Order" In Ascending Order Of Hotness |Main| The Memory Of Love's Refrain: A Few More Thoughts On Genre And Stardust »

August 10, 2007

Review: Stardust

By Dan Carlson

I really liked it. Like, I was surprised by how much I found myself liking it. I didn't even listen to music on the drive home, just kind of coasted on that cloud of positivity that some movies send you into the aisles with, humming the music from the closing credits. I dug it.

Seriously, the trailer makes it look straightforward and dull, and doesn't even let Claire Danes talk. But the movie is smart, and self-aware, and funny, and Danes' character is sarcastic and brave and witty and all kinds of goodness. Really, it's worth checking out, even/especially if you've been soured on it by the bad trailer and poor marketing.

Click here for the review.

Comments: 3

Constance

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to see Stardust. I'm relieved that you're singing it's praises. I was worried it would be ..corny.. but Neil Gaiman is one of my all-time favs and I need this movie to be great.

YAY!

Aug 10, 2007 5:10 PM

Kevin Longrie

I'm going to take your word for it, despite the HORRIBLE trailer.

Aug 11, 2007 2:17 AM

Grubbs

Hey, don't knock those of us who worked on the marketing. Most of it was due to the studio executives unwillingness to see the film as anything more than a "star" vehicle for Pfeiffer and DeNiro. Believe me, we tried to get them to see it as progeny of Princess Bride. We kept putting funny stuff in, they kept taking it out. Oh, and my company had nothing to do with the trailer. I agree, it blew.

Aug 13, 2007 8:50 AM

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