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The great film critic Andrew Sarris, who was instrumental in popularizing auteur theory in America, has died of a stomach virus at the age of 83 at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.

It's difficult to overstate the impact Sarris had on the way this country sees movies. Inspired by Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Goddard and other writers for the French film journal Cahier du Cinema, Sarris penned an essay in 1962, "Notes on the Auteur Theory," that championed the then controversial idea that directors were the sole authors of movies. Prior to Sarris and his numerous followers, Americans would talk about, say, "Dial M for Murder" as a Grace Kelly movie, not a Alfred Hitchcock film. Or, to put it in more recent terms, without Sarris, "Jaws" would be known as a  Richard Dreyfuss movie, not a Steven Spielberg flick. So if you have ever talked about a filmmaker's "oeuvre," referred to "Pulp Fiction" as a Quentin Tarantino movie or geeked out on thematic similarities of one David Cronenberg movie with another, you can thank Sarris for that.


And during the 1960s and '70s, arguably the golden age of American cinema, Sarris, along with his regular sparring partner, New Yorker critic Pauline Kael, helped make the country aware that movies can aspire to being more than just mindless Sunday afternoon diversions.

Sarris landed his first steady gig at the Village Voice in 1960 when he filled in for Jonas Mekas, who was taking time off to make a movie. He raved  about Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," — which had received decidedly mixed reviews — beseeching readers to watch the movie three times: once for the terror, once more for the dark comedy, and once again for its "hidden meanings." He boldly proclaimed  that Hitchcock was "the most daring avant-garde filmmaker in America today." His review drew piles of hate mail but time has confirmed Sarris' assessment of the director.  Sarris ended up writing for the Voice for 28 years.


While Sarris lovingly embraced other directors from John Ford to Sam Fuller to Martin Scorsese with similar zeal, his acerbic dismissal of other filmmakers is the stuff of legend. He lamented that Stanley Kubrick's faults "have been rationalized as virtues." He dismissed John Huston as "less than meets the eye."  And he wrote off Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni as "Antoniennui."

The Twitterverse exploded with chatter at word of Sarris' death. Roger Ebert tweated, "I will miss his intelligence and his laughter. He helped me to see movies." New York Times critic A.O. Scott wrote "the dean of our profession passes." Director Greg Mottola, best known for "Adventureland" and "Superbad," tweeted "very sad to hear that my former professor Andrew Sarris has passed away. An inspirational film writer and teacher. RIP, Andrew."


Thelma Adams offers this memorial:

"Sarris was the ideal critic, who accessed his head and heart to connect with movies of all stripes, from French New Wave to American pop. Most cineastes know that he was the father of the auteur theory, but I have the good fortune to remember the man himself. When I was a green film critic at the New York Post he told me in a shared elevator that I was as beautiful as my prose. He was that kind of generous gentleman. He was an inspiration to stay honest and slay sacred cows, to look at every movie fresh without forgetting the films that went before. He loved a great intellectual fight, but in my experience he was more lover than fighter, although he suffered fools not at all."

Sarris is survived by his longtime spouse and intellectual partner Molly Haskell.

This week, we're looking at a pair of sci-fi movies that prove you don't need a gargantuan budget to be good.

Back in 2007, Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo wowed audiences with his debut feature, "Timecrimes," an immensely clever thriller that combined the slasher and time-travel sci-fi genres. Told with admirable economy -- the movie had only four characters -- the film stuck with its premise while remaining suspenseful, mysterious, and inventive. It's a mind-bending mini masterpiece.


Vigalondo's feature-film follow-up is "Extraterrestrial," which is one part alien-invasion yarn, one part film noir, and two parts screwball comedy. The result might not be as tightly conceived as "Timecrimes," but it's a lot of fun.

Julio (Julian Villagran) wakes up in the remarkably well-appointed apartment of Julia (Michelle Jenner) following a drunken one-night stand that neither can remember all that well. They interrupt their awkward morning-after conversation when they see a massive four-mile-wide flying saucer looming over the city. Worse, it seems that the neighborhood was evacuated at some point during their drunken slumber. Well, not quite. Julia's creepy, love-struck neighbor, Angel (Carlos Areces), has stayed behind, along with Julia's long-term on-and-off again boyfriend Carlos (Raul Cimas), whose crazed intensity about the impending alien invasion has left him blind to his girlfriend's infidelity. When Carlos shares a rumor that aliens might be walking incognito among them, Julio and Julia use it as an opportunity to cover up some of their more obvious lies. Needless to say, things quickly spiral out of control. I don't want to give away the movie's numerous plot twists, but I promise that you won't look at a tennis-ball machine in quite the same way after seeing this film.


Let's get one thing clear: "Beyond the Black Rainbow" -- which opened in NYC a few weeks ago and starts a limited run this week in Los Angeles -- is not everyone's cup of tea. But if you're the sort of person who spent much of your adolescence trolling the cult corner of your local video shop, if you fast-forward through "2001: A Space Odyssey" to get the trippy last 15 minutes, and if you have been on or are currently on hallucinogens, then this movie is for you.

The year is 1983. Using a "unique blend of benign pharmacology, sensory therapy, and energy sculpting," Dr. Barry Nyle (Michael Rogers,) the turtleneck-sporting, pill-popping head psychologist of the Arboria Institute, promises happiness to potential clients. Yet mirth seems to be greatly lacking at the clinic. Nyle's sole source of enjoyment is bullying Elena, a mute, heavily sedated young girl housed in a room so sterile that it makes "THX 1138" seem cozy. At first, the movie feels like a pastiche of John Carpenter or early David Cronenberg films. But as  it unfolds like a slow-motion fever dream, director Panos Cosmatos's obsessions reveal themselves as far stranger and more avant-garde, recalling works by art-house heavyweights Kenneth Anger, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Andrzej Zulawski. We see a younger Nyle immerse himself in a viscous black substance that causes his head to light up like a volcanic rock doused with magma. A throbbing disco pyramid emits fog. Seven-foot-tall sentinels with baby heads patrol the institute. And then, when Elena finally escapes from her cell, the movie gets really weird.

"Black Rainbow," with its very deliberate pace and psychedelic synth score, is one amazing, visually audacious head trip. Even if you don't enter the theater in a chemically altered state -- not necessarily a bad idea for this movie -- you'll feel you are in one when you leave.

Talk to any four-year-old and they'll tell you what's out this weekend: "Brave."

While the film is rated PG -- mainly for some scarier moments than we're used to seeing in G-rated fare -- the marketing and advertising wizards at Disney/Pixar have keenly focused on the animated feature's lead character, Merida, and her wild, curly red locks. On a giant, color-saturated road-side billboard, how could any kid miss it?

Animation has reigned over the box office these past few weeks with the success of "Madagascar 3," and "Brave" is shooting to hit the top target this weekend.

Here is more on what you can expect from this weekend's movies:




Brave

Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor.

What's the story?

Merida is a tomboy who loves to ride her horse and shoot her personalized bow-and-arrow -- hitting nearly every target for which she aims. Also a princess, Merida is forced to dress in uncomfortable formal wear and entertain potential suitors along with her family at their Scottish castle. Her independent spirit proves both troublesome and useful as her fate, and the fate of her family members, is at stake after she recklessly instigates a misguided magic spell.

Who will dig it?

Disney and Pixar fans, Scottish stock, independent ladies and those who love them for it. Animation geeks also have a lot to sink their brains into as the film contains numerous technical and visual innovations.




Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence.

What's the story?

Another hyperbolic premise assumes the world is near its end as an earth-bound asteroid is set to destroy the planet, giving everyone time to plan their remaining days. Starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, their two characters converge, enabling them to see the silver lining in what are otherwise epically dim circumstances.

Who will dig it?

Doomsdayers, philosophically-minded folk, those who fawned over the dog in "The Artist" (there is also a cute little canine in this flick), romantic comedy and road-trip film fans.

New Delhi, June 22  Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its decision to oppose UPA's presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee, the Congress party Friday sought widest possible support for the leader and hoped parties not supporting him would revisit their decision.

"Opposing for the sake of opposition is the basic mantra of the BJP... If somebody decides to have a contest for the sake of it... they could find an excuse to justify it -- BJP is doing just that," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

The BJP Thursday decided to back P.A. Sangma for the president's post.

However, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ally Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is yet to clarify her stand on the presidential poll after former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, whom she proposed, declined to join the fray.

Tewari said that parties opposing the candidature of Mukherjee for the top constitutional post should reconsider their position.

"Considering his (Pranab Mukherjee's) long years of public service and political contribution, those who are not supporting him should reconsider their position," Tewari said, adding that the Congress hoped "widest possible support across the spectrum" for the union finance minister.

Referring to the 2002 presidential election, Tewari said the Congress party had displayed magnanimity and decided to back candidature of National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

He said after UPA decided its presidential candidate, "outreach was made to the BJP at the highest level".

Tewari said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to BJP leadership and party president Sonia Gandi had also made an appeal for cross-party support to Mukherjee.

"In case they raise bogey of non-consultation, nothing much can be done," he said.

Alluding to BJP allies, including Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena, who have extended support to Mukherjee, Tewari said the BJP has not returned the generosity his party had shown in the 2002 presidential poll.

"We are grateful to all those who have supported the candidature (of Mukherjee). We hope others will also revisit their position so that there is the largest possible consensus (on Mukherjee's name for the president's post)," Tewari said.

Lucknow, June 22  Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Friday gave full marks to the Uttar Pradesh state government headed by his son, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on the eve of completing 100 days in office.

"I am very happy with the way things are shaping up and will give a 100 on 100 to the government," said Mulayam.

He, however, cautioned that he would be doing a threadbare review of the government's performance when it is six months into office. "It is too early as of now. After six months, I will myself review the functioning of the government," he said.

Adding that his party was working hard for the Lok Sabha 2014 polls, Mulayam said the party's manifesto was of prime importance and the government should implement it as soon as possible. "The people have given us not only a mandate but full faith. We should live up to it," Yadav further said.

He said the national executive meeting of the Samajwadi Party would be held in Kolkata after the July presidential election.

Meanwhile, the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came down heavily on the 100-day-old Akhilesh Yadav government and alleged that it was an "all-round failure".

"The state is in the grip of lawlessness, power chaos and lack of governance," said BSP state president Swamy Prasad Maurya. Adding that this government was out to squander the mandate of the people, Maurya said he was happy that the people of the state had already started regretting voting for the SP.

Akhilesh Yadav's government completes 100 days in office Saturday.