Director Mel Gibson pulls off strong, visceral battle sequences, but his film is weakened by subpar performances.

The second MACHETE is better than the first. But don’t thank the stunt casting. Thank a lesser-known actor who gives this anti-heroic fantasy a formidable villain.

Night of the Living Theater…by Dead Playwrights largely presents exactly what you’d expect to happen if notable writers from the ages were asked to take their scripts to modern-day producers and pitch them for Hollywood treatment. But while the five works highlighted in the piece may frequently lack surprises, the work as a whole still adds up to enjoyable, briefly-diverting entertainment. The best of the short skits is “A Lot of Talking”, which smartly echoes…

Breaking the law, breaking the law We -ist folks love us some crime, and no misdemeanor is too petty for a post on any of our sites. This week, join us for a rogues’ gallery of miscreants major, minor, and alleged. Gothamist gets us started with “Law & Order”, muppet style. Oh, you know what isn’t a crime? Taking pictures on the MTA. So, why are cops stopping photographers? In other Gotham crime, a…

(By DCist contributor Hemal Jhaveri) DCist had heard rumors about Republicans in Hollywood, but never really believed them until you know who was elected governor of California. Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood, a new documentary which premiers tonight on AMC, proves otherwise. Directed and narrated by one time Hill staffer and Democratic speech writer Jesse Moss, the documentary explores the conservative side of Tinseltown, and yes, there actually is one. In the olden Clinton administration…