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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A Little Shouting About “Scream”
Okay, fine, Halloween was last week. We admit that, but also refuse to accept a world in which we can’t discuss a horror movie in November. Heck, the fifth “Scream” movie–which is not so cleverly titled, “Scream”–is being released this… Read More ›
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Tuesday the 26th: Josh vs. Jason
It may have taken decades to get there, but I’ve finally watched the first eight “Friday the 13th” movies. Yes, only the first eight — they’re the ones set Paramount released this year (the other two in the original series… Read More ›
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Rebecca Hall’s Performance Powers “The Night House”
We have, somehow, reached mid-October, and that means it’s time for horror movies (not that you can’t watch them any time). Out today on Blu-ray is “The Night House,” a mediocre haunted house film made quite good due to the… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Halloween Kills”
**editor’s note: This is one of those instances where we will discuss portions of the movie’s climax. It is impossible to talk about the biggest place “Halloween Kills” goes wrong without a discussion of the climax because that is where… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Son of Monarchs”
At one point in Alexis Gambis’s new film, “Son of Monarchs,” the lead character, Mendel, ghosts his girlfriend. Eventually he reconnects with her and instantly acts very badly over a dinner. Seemingly without explanation, this issue evaporates and the two… Read More ›
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Now That it’s Out, was “Free Guy” Worth the Wait?
Do you ever sit there for months on end waiting for a new movie or game or book or album to come out? How often does all that anticipation, all that build up, find you disappointed when the thing finally… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “No Time to Die”
One of the most interesting aspects of Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond is the push-and-pull it has offered between the traditional and iconoclastic versions of the character. The delicate balancing act has not always been a successful one for… Read More ›
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“Breakdown” vs. “Hardball”: Direct vs. Meandering
The Kurt Russell movie, “Breakdown,” knows what it’s about: this is the story of one man doing everything he can to rescue his wife after she is kidnapped. That’s it. The Keanu Reeves movie, “Hardball,” doesn’t know what it’s about:… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Titane”
It is the rare film that can make one both cringe in horror and cry in sympathy while still being utterly, off-the-wall, bonkers. This year’s Palme d’Or winter, “Titane,” is just such a film. Written and directed by Julia Ducournau,… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Mayday” (2021)
More and more, people complain about hearing movie “spoilers.” The complaint that has gone hand-in-hand with the seemingly ever-increasing presence of massive event movies. Interestingly, audiences are lied to on a regular basis for these movies, with things like trailers… Read More ›
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“The Forever Purge” is the Scariest Yet
There can be a sense of relief sometimes when one finishes watching a scary movie — the credits roll, the thing is over, and you can look out your window and remind yourself that the real world is just not… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Dear Evan Hansen”
The success of “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway makes it exceptionally clear that there is something in the story and the songs and the production (and everything else) that speaks to an audience. It is inarguable. Never having seen the… Read More ›
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Yucking it up with “Jungle Cruise”
I love the Jungle Cruise ride at Walt DisneyWorld. I know that it’s a little corny (or a lot corny), but it is an absolute favorite. I was, perhaps, a little trepidatious when it was announced that they were going… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Best Sellers”
I don’t know very much about the book publishing world. I cannot attempt to tell you, in any sort of detail (or even broadly), how a book goes from manuscript form to sitting on the shelf at a bookstore and… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Nightbooks”
There are kids who look a good scare as much as some adults, and it is for that crowd that the new Netflix film, “Nightbooks,” is clearly intended. Starring Krysten Ritter as an evil witch and Winslow Fegley and Lidya… Read More ›
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“Star Trek” and the Quest to be Better
At its best, “Star Trek” shines a light on our own humanity. It shows us how we could be better, how we could do more. It offers us not just those lofty ideals, but identifies its characters as being less… Read More ›
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“Nashville” and “A Place in the Sun” and America
The movies “Nashville” and “A Place in the Sun” are both great. They both offer up not just engrossing stories, not just wonderful filmmaking, but important thoughts about the American Dream and the ways in which we can destroy it…. Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Yakuza Princess”
One, usually, does not approach a jigsaw puzzle from a single spot. That is, as you go around building the entire border, separating all the edge pieces no matter if they match the ones you already have or not. After… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “Together” (2021)
We are going to get a whole lot of movies about Covid. It is inevitable. They are going to discuss the disease and the response, the effects on the world at large and specific people in particular. These movies are… Read More ›
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Movie Review: “The Protégé”
“Understated” is unquestionably the wrong word to use when describing Martin Campbell’s latest film, “The Protégé.” No, this is a movie with blood and violence and foul language. It is not understated. And yet, the most interesting thing about the… Read More ›
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