One of the many horrible lessons of 2020 is that all too often we choose to look out for ourselves even if it means hurting others; that we do not care when we see—or inflict—pain on someone else. Yes, there… Read More ›
movie review
Movie Review: “Monster Hunter” (2020)
Not every movie works, we all know that. Generally speaking, people go into making a film with the best of intentions and for various reasons it doesn’t pan out. Because of my faith that individuals who make movies want to… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Wild Mountain Thyme”
Some romances are meant to be. Whatever gets in their way, whatever surrounds them, it doesn’t matter – they are meant to be. With “Wild Mountain Thyme,” writer-director John Patrick Shanley gives us one such tale and it is heartwarming… Read More ›
Movie Review: “All My Life” (2020)
It is always interesting to think about the exact story being told when one is watching a movie (or reading a book, watching a TV show, etc.). Who is it that is telling the tale? What is their POV? What… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Half Brothers” (2020)
Regrettably, I have no “clever” little entry point into this review. I wish I could relate the thing back to some bigger picture idea. I wouldn’t mind riffing on the meaning of road trip films or lost fathers or found… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Croods: A New Age”
Some movies are balancing acts—or at least attempt to be—trying to manage two disparate things at the same time. Whether that’s because the movie is a mix of genres or attitudes or ideas or anything else, finding the perfect blend… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Uncle Frank” (2020)
Losing a family member is an incredibly difficult time in people’s lives. Not being able to lean on your support structure in such a moment only makes it that much worse. With “Uncle Frank,” Alan Ball gives us a completely… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Sound of Metal”
editor’s note: it was not until the credits started on this movie that I realized I know one of the executive producers of the film and have worked with him in my community for years (completely outside the world of… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Girl” (2020)
What does it take to be a brutal, stripped-down, thriller? How much plot is one allowed to expect in a movie which, seemingly, has amongst its goals, topping out at just about 90 minutes? How much blood? How much violence?… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Ammonite”
Ideas that look good on paper don’t always work out in reality. Even when it seems like all the elements are there the end result isn’t always a winner. Would that such were not the case, would that everything went… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Freaky”
The body swap concept has been around for quite a while (so long, in fact, that the very opening of this review sounds familiar). We have no fewer than three different movie versions of “Freaky Friday” which doesn’t count the… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Dreamland” (2020)
What is the truth? Or, perhaps more importantly, how do we convey stories that are true? Is it a question of getting the sentiment right; of getting the facts right; or of making sure that it is all, on every… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Mortal” (2020)
One of the fascinating—and insidious—things about conspiracy theories are the way they change and adapt in order to fit any incoming morsels of information which, logically, should force them to be dismissed. Someone out there will, undoubtedly, look at all… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Craft: Legacy”
As much as I, personally, may enjoy a good movie franchise or a great “cinematic universe,” the truth is that not every movie has to be a part of a franchise. More than that, they certainly need not be wedged… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Atlantic City Story”
Some titles tell you, if not the plot of a film, the overall tone a movie is going to have. If you hear a title like “The Atlantic City Story,” which is currently showing at the Denver Film Festival, you… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for make Benefit once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
It is, sadly with no surprise, incumbent upon me to report to you that we, as a country, may be doomed. If you didn’t know it before, if you weren’t clued in by the number of people who think it’s… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Roald Dahl’s The Witches” (2020)
It is essential to, at some point in a review of the new version of “The Witches,” based on Roald Dahl’s novel, to call the movie “deeply weird.” So, right now, right off the bat, let’s get it out of… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Radium Girls”
If you listen to the wrong kind of politician, you will hear about how regulation kills commerce. You will hear about how all these unnecessary laws stop ingenuity, reduce profits, decrease production, depress the economy. What you will not hear… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Honest Thief”
The Liam Neeson action thriller is its own genre. Twenty years ago one may not have thought his career would head in such a direction, but here we are – when someone tells you that they’re going to see the… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The War with Grandpa”
It can be exceptionally weird when the setup for a movie mimics a portion of your own life, especially a relatively recent portion. With luck when watching such a movie, it’s a comedy or some sort of lighthearted affair, not… Read More ›