Rafer Guzman

The biggest movie weekend of the year is upon us: there's a lot to see. Mandy Moore stars in Disney's "Tangled," a new animated version of Rapunzel; Christina Aguilerra and Cher bare (almost) all in "Burlesque"; while Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal get caught in love's addiction in "Love and Other Drugs."

Rafer and Kristen, possibly the only two people in the world who aren't enthralled with Harry Potter, talk with Takeaway Digital Editor (and Potter aficionado) Jim Colgan about the latest in the Harry Potter series.

Kristen and Rafer's weekly disagreement returns as they debate "Morning Glory," along with morning news shows, a few movies about journalists, and ways to tell if a movie was made several years ago and only released recently.

Kristen and Rafer discuss the upcoming "127 Hours," films primarily about single characters, and the exact circumstances under which Kristen thought she might lose her lunch during the film.

A look ahead to the movies coming out over the holiday season, some of them hoping for love at The Oscars. Rafer and Kristen start from Saw-3D and quickly move on to the (better) films they're looking forward to in the next few months.

With special guest Mary Ann Winkowski, paranormal investigator, Rafer and Kristen talk about the ghosts that show up in Hollywood films.

"Paranormal Activity 2" is arguably the most highly anticipated horror movie sequel of the year. Like its predecessor, it follows regular people who are being haunted by menacing spirits. In an attempt to determine what’s really happening, the protagonists set up cameras in their home. But they inevitably find that the truth is scarier than anything they imagined.

Rafer and Kristin discuss Clint Eastwood's new film 'Hereafter' and the way American cinema deals with death and the afterlife.  

Rafer and Kristen look at this week's "It's Kind Of A Funny Story" and the history of movies set in psych wards, insane asylums and cuckoo's nests.

Rafer and Kristen discuss this past weekend's hit, "The Social Network."

Today, one of the greatest screen villains of the past quarter century returns in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.”

This time, Gordon Gekko, again played by Michael Douglas, returns to the investment banking world just in time to see it crash and burn ... and of course, in time to benefit from it crashing and burning.

But while some fans of Gekko and "Wall Street" are thrilled with the prospect of a sequel, we’re more interested in knowing whether the movie is good, the facts accurate, and what we might learn from it.

Rafer and Kristen (and special guest New York Times Wall Street and finance reporter Louise Story) discuss "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."

Rafer and Kristen discuss "Easy A" and the history of teen sex comedies.

In February 2009, audiences watched with equal parts glee and horror as Academy Award nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix appeared to have a meltdown during an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman." The actor, unrecognizable behind a unruly beard, dark glasses, and a belly, had everyone wondering whether another star was burning out or if it was some sort of hoax. Now the truth has come out. Yesterday, Casey Affleck, Phoenix's brother-in-law and director of "I'm Still Here," a so-called documentary about Phoenix's downfall, announced yesterday that Phoenix's behavior over the last two years has been part of an elaborate performance for the film. Newsday and Takeaway film critic Rafer Guzman has seen "I'm Still Here," and explains if this was a prank, performance art, or something else entirely.

Rafer and Kristen look at the recent strange tale of Joaquin Phoenix in what might (or might not) be a hoax documentary, "I'm Still Here."

Kristen and Rafer look at 'Machete': its over-the-top violence, serious political message and "Mexploitation" aesthetic.

The newest George Clooney vehicle, "The American," opened nationwide on Wednesday, and critics expect huge audiences in the coming days. Clooney plays an assassin, holed up in Italy for one last assignment. Given the film's star, one can expect intrigue and romance along the way, but does the newest Clooney film really show Clooney at his best? And what, exactly, is Clooney at his best?  

We look back at Clooney’s films with two people who know his work well, and we’re asking, what's the best version of Clooney, and what makes Clooney's appeal is so broad?

Equally scared and entertained by "The Last Exorcism," Rafer and Kristen discuss low-budget horror movies, and what can make them so effective.

Inspired by this week's "The Switch," Rafer and Kristen consider Jennifer Aniston's highly varied filmography

It’s been a brutal summer for movie-goers, with only a few memorable hits and one or two Oscar contenders. Takeaway film contributor and Newsday critic, Rafer Guzman assures us that it will all be getting better soon. He walks us through the movies he’s most looking forward to this fall.