Author Archives
Josh Lasser is a freelance entertainment reporter/critic. His work has appeared in print, online, and perhaps one day in book form.
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“Women Talking”: Compelling and Disturbing
There is so much that can be said about the movie “Women Talking.” Not only did it win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay this past weekend, it also sent out mind spinning when we watched it on Blu-ray…. Read More ›
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Jonathan Majors, Moments, and “Devotion”
Jonathan Majors is an actor having a moment. He not only has two big movies in theaters at this second, he has one from last year arriving on Blu-ray. He continually delivers fascinating characters and is just so incredibly watchable…. Read More ›
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Movies on Movies – “The Fabelmans” & “Empire of Light”
Perhaps you can have too much of a good thing. Perhaps it is possible. Out this month on Blu-ray are both “The Fabelmans” and “Empire of Light.” The former is from Steven Spielberg and a semi-autobiographical work, while the latter… Read More ›
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The Truth or not the Truth, that is “Emily”‘s Question
A new movie written and directed by Frances O’Connor opens this week. Based on the life of Emily Brontë, the movie is titled, quite simply, “Emily.” What is nowhere near as simple is the notion of the truth as it… Read More ›
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The Past, the Future, Black Panther, and Mickey Mouse
Transitions are difficult, but we are transitioning all the time. We are always moving forward, it never stops. The question, really, is how we move forward while still honoring (when appropriate) the past. Today on thepodcast we’re looking a t… Read More ›
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“Strange World” and the Should-be Normal
It is unquestionably true that we cannot expect our children to always want to follow in our footsteps. Sure, we may want them to at some points, but at some point they are going to have to go off and… Read More ›
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“Ticket to Paradise” & “The Banshees of Inisherin” & Clothing
What if one of the answers to why “Ticket to Paradise” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” succeed while “Amsterdam” does not lies in clothing? Could that be the case? In this last episode of 2022 we look at these two… Read More ›
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“Pulp Fiction” Succeeds Where “Amsterdam” Fails
Last week, as you may recall, we spent our time discussing just how much “Amsterdam” doesn’t work. It’s a drag to spend time on the negative though. It just makes one feel sad. We would rather be happy. Consequently, this… Read More ›
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“Amsterdam”: The Weighty, Darkly Dramatic, Zany Comedy
Last time on the podcast, we discussed how some films know exactly what they are and are content with that; these films don’t push to be bigger or better or more grandiose or more important. There is something wonderful to… Read More ›
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Staying Small with “Jerry and Marge go Large”
Movies like to advertise themselves as the biggest and best thing you’ve ever seen. They are the funniest or the scariest or the loudest or the one with the most special effects or… whatever. Sometimes that’s just too much though,… Read More ›
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Does “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” Stray from the Path?
Sometimes there is a movie that is chock full of good ideas and led by great performances. There is a genius at the heart of such efforts. And yet, as we all know, making a movie requires more than that…. Read More ›
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“See How They Run” Back to Old Ideas
After seeing “The Mousetrap” in London this past summer with my children, my nephew, and their grandparents, there was no way I was going to miss “See How They Run.” The film, now available on digital, is not an adaptation… Read More ›
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“Thor: Love and Thunder” and Weightlessness
The fourth MCU “Thor” movie is out today on Blu-ray and DVD. That makes this the perfect moment to discuss not just this film, but the series and maybe a little bit of the MCU at large. We firmly believe… Read More ›
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All Six “Star Trek” Movies are out in 4K and Josh Told You So
It is not true that we cannot tell a lie. In fact, we will announce right now that Josh does indeed lie in this week’s podcast episode. Oh, no, he doesn’t lie about anything important–when he says that now is… Read More ›
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Hilarity and Disappointment with “Minions: The Rise of Gru”
While other individuals out there might be sick and tired of the Minions, what with their goggles and yellow skin and affection for denim, that is not the case here. No, here we still love the guys — we love… Read More ›
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The Disappointing Finale that is “Jurassic World: Dominion”
There are weeks when we feel optimistic, maybe not about the outcome of a movie, but about the endeavor as a whole. These are the weeks where we do our best to look past faults, to ascribe nothing but the… Read More ›
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The Slowpokes of “Lightyear”
One of the cardinal sins of storytelling (for me) is having characters who are allegedly smart act dumb. It becomes impossible to tell whether the filmmakers don’t think much of the audience or just don’t realize what they are creating… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Resurrection” (2022)
Perhaps the most important thing to note about writer-director Andrew Semans’s new film, “Resurrection,” is not that it is horrifying, but rather that it is grippingly horrifying. It may be described as a “psychological thriller,” and while those words are… Read More ›