As an origin story, Todd Phillips’ “Joker” tells us exactly how the Clown Prince of Crime came to be (in this universe anyway). Co-written and directed by Phillips, the movie breaks down exactly what drives Joker to commit unparalleled acts… Read More ›
It is all too rare that we see a movie not only establish an intriguing premise, but manage to carry the intrigue forward for the full running time. Written and directed by Vincenzo Natali (based on a novella by Stephen… Read More ›
To say that a reunion of Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci has been eagerly anticipated (at least in certain corners) is an understatement. However long it took, the men have come back together, they have added… Read More ›
As the credits began to roll there was no small amount of applause at the press screening I attended for “Abominable.” Children in the audience laughed throughout the movie and adults several times as well, so this ought not have… Read More ›
Who was Judy Garland when she was not on stage? This is the question that Rupert Goold’s new film, written by Tom Edge (based on the play “End of the Rainbow” by Peter Quilter), attempts to answer. By looking at… Read More ›
Do you prefer your movies simple and straightforward, or do you like them to operate as some sort of a fever dream, where one is never quite sure what is taking place, nor whether the events are real or imagined? … Read More ›
So often when movies take us into space, it is so that we can watch things blow up real good. There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it’s also wonderful to see a movie more in the “2001: … Read More ›
Taking a television series, particularly a beloved one, to the big screen is an incredibly difficult task. Amongst the myriad of potential problems is the issue of needing to come up with a story worthy of being a movie in theaters… Read More ›
Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria and “inspired” by a true story, “Hustlers” is one in a long line of movies that pretends to be deeper and smarter than it is in reality. At one crucial moment for the viewer,… Read More ›
There are some movies that totally and completely blow you away; they somehow manage to peel back any and all emotional calluses and hit you were it hurts the most. After watching them you leave the theater shaking, wondering how… Read More ›
There is a recurring joke in “It: Chapter Two” that James McAvoy’s Bill Denbrough, an author, doesn’t know how to write a good ending. Rather than simply feeling as though it is a trait of Bill’s work, it comes across… Read More ›
The strength and determination it must take to go to a new country, a place where people speak a different language, look at society differently, act differently, live differently, is incredible. Even taking such an action believing it will better… Read More ›
Much like “Jaws” before it, the shark-based horror film “47 Meters Down” may seem like an unlikely candidate for a sequel and yet, just like “Jaws,” it continues past the first film. We now have a second entry in the… Read More ›
Appearing front and center in the documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is the film’s writer-director, Mads Brügger. He tells the story via voiceover, he tells the story directly to those he’s working with, he—quite theatrically—injects himself into everything going on. He… Read More ›
The animated “Dora the Explorer” television series began after I was too old to be watching such a show. That said, as a good consumer of media, I am well aware of the show and the general structure of an… Read More ›
To say that a movie is “calculating” implies some sort of malevolence but of course, all movies attempt to elicit a response be it an emotional one, an intellectual one, or both. All movies are calculating. Words are often imperfect… Read More ›
There is something magical about the start of “After the Wedding,” the new movie from writer-director Bart Freundlich (and based on the movie “Efter Bryllupet”). This is a movie with adults who happen to find themselves in a difficult situation,… Read More ›
More than anything else, the new film “Corporate Animals” resembles a particularly off-kilter episode of “The Office.” Directed by Patrick Brice with a script from Sam Bain the movie sees a dysfunctional CEO, Lucy (Demi Moore), bringing her peculiar group… Read More ›
People will tell you that a preponderance of summer movies are big, loud, and stupid. Whether or not that’s the case, blockbusters don’t come much bigger, louder, or more stupid than this week’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” … Read More ›
Stories of undercover agents not following their handler’s orders are rather de rigueur. Stories of undercover agents following in love with someone they shouldn’t are none too fresh. Seeing the two types of issues crop up for an agent in… Read More ›
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