It still has juvenile dialogue and amateur acting, but you can’t be mad at it. The nostalgia is real and feels right.
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a-ha | Not A One-Hit Wonder! New Music and New Film Coming
They sound more robust, rich vocals and gorgeous orchestration. The cinematography is stunning.
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‘Fall’ | Guilty Pleasure -Preposterous Fun
You won’t believe much of it for a second, but Fall offers a bit of guilty pleasure fun and thrills.
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‘Hockeyland’ Doc Review | “Rocky” On Ice is Surprisingly Moving
You don’t have to like hockey – it’s the story of the most fraught time of life: senior year of high school. Just try not to get a lump in your throat at the end.
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“Samaritan’ Review | Sylvester Stallone Can Still Kick It
I don’t care if he’s had a dozen facelifts and got new knees, it will always be fun to watch him kick people’s asses.
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‘Surrogate’ Horror Review | Single Mom in Ghostly Peril
Spoiler-Free take on the latest horror flick to put children in the spotlight
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‘Burial’ Film Review | What’s in the Box?
Cool female lead. Lots of shots fired and quite a bit of blood. Has its moments.
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‘The Good Boss’ Review | Javier Bardem Leads Stellar Cast
There are no big revelations or wowzer moments; it’s more of an accessible art film and a laid back way of killing a couple of hours. 3 out of 4 stars.
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‘The Runner’ Movie Review | Familiar Storyline Told in a New Way
At first you think there’s no way you’re going to be able to empathize with the plight of the protagonist in The Runner. After all, California teen Aiden is rich, good-looking and has never worked.
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‘Bullet Proof’ | Exhilarating Action & Bad Guy Vinnie Jones!
Hits the ground running and doesn’t screw around, keeping the action going for a tight 90 minutes.
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‘Emily the Criminal’ | Aubrey Plaza in Cool Crime Take
The cool thing is that Plaza is using a completely different set of acting muscles than what you’ve previously seen and she surprises you.
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‘Breaking’ | Intense Standoff Heightened by Great Cast
Not being a Star Wars franchise expert, I didn’t realize how amazing British lead actor John Boyega is at his craft. He is totally believable as an American vet.
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“Bliss” | Love Blooms in a Berlin Brothel
Here is a movie that involves sex workers, same sex love, and lots of nudity without making a big deal about any of those things.
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‘Nope’ Movie Review | Jordan Peele Slides Just Under His High Bar
So promising that you wish he had made a few adjustments so we can lean into the story more.
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‘The Gray Man’ | Better Than You’ve Heard | Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling proves to be the perfect antidote to the self-serious spy thrillers, even as it steals from the same template.
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‘Elvis’ Movie Review | Busy Bio A Shallow Splash
Austin Blake is a revelation as Elvis, but director Baz Luhrman never met a bread roll he couldn’t turn into a five-tiered wedding cake.
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‘The Black Phone’ a 70s Horror Throwback Minus the Scares
It goes from a reality-based narrative to one with supernatural elements. I wish it had stayed with one or the other.
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‘We Are the Thousand’ | How They Got Foo Fighters to Play Their Town
Remember that video of hundreds of musicians in an open field, playing in sync to get the attention of Foo Fighters? Here’s the story.
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‘Machination’ Movie Review | Pandemic or Paranoia?
if this were a half-hour episode of an anthology series, say Twilight Zone – it would have been a worthwhile view.
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‘Hold Your Fire’ | Arresting Doc More Relevant Than Ever
tension mounts, the path seemingly uncertain, and the kinds of colorful characters that could only come from the streets of Brooklyn:
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‘Foxhole’ Review | Tight, Intense, and Provocative
It’s all about subtle facial expressions, not so subtle conversations and scared young men, wrestling with their mortality.
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‘Castro’s Spies’ | Intriguing Doc Reveals Things You Didn’t Know
“We are all villains in someone else’s story,” These guys were ours, but they were elite heroes in their country.
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‘Happening’ | Unflinching Film at the Right Time
As tough as parts of it are to watch – the film keeps our rapt attention with a compelling character and an honest story.
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‘Pompo the Cinephile’ Review | Anime Goes Hollywood
If it weren’t for Speed Racer and Sailor Moon Re-runs, I wouldn’t know squat about Anime – but this one is accessible and interesting.
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‘Firebird’ Review | True Story of Forbidden Love in Cold War Russia
Handsomely crafted and well produced, aims to interest LGBTQ+ audiences, but the best bits will engage everyone and the weak bits not redeemed by designation.
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How to See the Global Release of ‘George Michael Freedom Uncut’
Here is the official trailer and link to tickets for the June 22nd theatrical release.
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‘Memory’ Review | Liam Neeson Officially Out of Rut
Like Willis, Liam has been in a string of films not worthy of his talent. This one is in a different class, and it fits our Senior action star like a glove.
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‘Charlotte’ Review | Tragic True Story with Keira Knightly
The slow bits and heavily stylized animation are countered by a moving true story that stays with you.
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‘Torch’ a Revealing Look at Blues Legend Buddy Guy
He’s been described as the last man standing among the Blues legends of the past century. He is living music history.
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‘A Peloton of One’ Review | Pedaling for a Powerful Message
You may think you’ve seen all you can take of this topic – it isn’t easy. But you will learn shocking information that you can personally do something about.
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‘Gasoline Alley’ Review | Neo-Noir gets 2 out of 4 Stars
yet another flick in which Bruce Willis spent more time at the photo shoot for the movie poster than for his actual part in the film.
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‘CODA’ Oscar Nominee Returning with FREE Tickets
Apple Original Films is Re-Releasing ‘CODA’ in Theaters with Free Tickets, while supplies last. It’s a lovely movie.
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“Blacklight” Movie Review | A Liam Neeson Comfort Food Flick
If there is a cinematic version of comfort food, Liam Neeson is surely the Chef-not a criticism.
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The Envelope, Please. Here are the Oscar Nominations, Snubs and Surprises
For anyone who thought that 2021 wouldn’t yield many great movies because of the pandemic and all, these Academy Award nominations will quickly school them. It was actually a great year – many, many top notch films did NOT get nominated today. Hey, there are only a few slots available,…
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‘The Long Night’ Horror Review | Don’t Cross These Cultists
It’s not just a home invasion flick, it turns out there’s a point. The reveal will let us know why the character is fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
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‘The Other Me’ Review | Weird in a David Lynch Way
I can’t honestly say I always knew what the hell was going on in this movie. But I always wanted to know, and that means that something was going right.
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‘In From the Cold’ Series Review | A Thrilling, Fun Binge
In episode 1, some things happened that made me think I wouldn’t be down for the series. Turns out to be a really fun, exciting watch for the whole season.
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‘Confession’ Review: Twisty Thriller Starts Off Super Strong
Twisty thriller has a killer first act and many unforeseen reveals, but gets too talky and slows down its pace before all is done.
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Will This “Grown-Up” Animated Film Take the Oscar? ‘FLEE’ Might Win!
It only missed my Top Ten of the Year because the competition was so fierce.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth Review | Not Bored by the Bard
It took this Texas Rube a Minute to Embrace Shakespeare Back in the Day. Give it a Try, You’ll Love it!
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‘Cyrano’ Review | This Adaptation ‘Nose” What It’s Doing
A new take on an oft adapted story. Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett will break your heart.
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‘See For Me’ Review | Home Invasion Thriller with New Twists
The Home Invasion genre is well-worn at this point – and using main characters with disabilities is overly familiar. But this one brings new twists
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The Best (and the rest) Animated Films of 2021
The big animation studios were keen to finally “get out there” after the long Covid pause.
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The Best Films of 2021 | Big Movies, Small Screens
A year of big movies on small screens and small movies that finally got theatrical releases. Here are my Top Ten films of 2021.
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The Best Documentaries of 2021 | Music, Crime, Sports & More.
This was maybe the best year ever for docs. This is the Golden Age. People are getting better at making them and streaming platforms have given them new life.
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‘The King’s Man’ Review | Prequel Loses Some Charm and Fun
This new origin story has some fun, but not the naughty joie de vivre of the other installments. Not as much, anyway.
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Don’t Miss Current Indies!|FLEE -French Dispatch -The Novice
Most of them are not popcorn pics. They are more thoughtful, more artful, and often go unseen by large audiences. Let’s help change that!
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‘Red Rocket’ Review | Losers’ Lives Are Cinematic, Too
It will be a shame if more moviegoers don’t see this film just because it’s “Indie” or “Art House,” because it’s excellent.
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‘Nightmare Alley’ | 4 out of 4 Stars | My Favorite of 2021
It will not be everyone’s favorite, but it is mine for all of the reasons here, and many more which I cannot mention.
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‘Don’t Look Up’ Review | It’s Not the End of the World
Yeah, there are some laughs, I recommend viewing the trailer below to get a feel for the brand of humor. The performances are played straight, as they should be.
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‘West Side Story’ Review | Spielberg Elevates a Classic
It starts with the songs and the singers who voice them. Everything else is icing. In Broadway’s history, these songs, as a group, are the best.
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‘Licorice Pizza’ Review | 3 ½ out of 4 Stars
It’s nostalgic and sunny and light on its feet, even when it veers into the fraught areas that come with being a teenager. I liked it a lot.
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‘Being the Ricardos’ Review | You’ll Love Lucy
She’s not doing the sitcom “Waaaah” Lucy. Not much, anyway. Nope, she’s doing the two packs of Chesterfields a day, behind the scenes, Lucy.
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‘Benedetta’ Review | The Naked Truth?
It’s set in 1625, but Benedetta feels very much like a 1970s film: it’s political, anti-establishment, and thoughtful and, oh yeah, there’s plentiful nudity.
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‘The Power of the Dog’ with Benedict Cumberbatch | 3 ½ out of 4 Stars
It gets such good press because we see 100-300 films a year, most of them identical. When something with a unique vibe arrives? It’s why we do this.
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‘Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road’ | The Maestro’s Swan Song?
The new recording studio footage shows the normally shuffling, mumbling genius in his element and in command.
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‘The Unforgivable’ with Sandra Bullock, Forgettable|2 Stars
Hard to believe two Oscar-winners and an amazing cast could all be so underutilized, but it happens. You just have to forgive and move on.
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‘House of Gucci’ Review | Lady and the Camp
Gaga pulls faces reminiscent of Liza Minnelli, Leto enters the Camp Performance Hall of Fame. Driver looks embarrassed. Thankfully Pacino doesn’t give AF
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‘Belfast’ Film Review | Sweet Story Finds Light in the Darkness
“Nice” has become an ironic term of derision where art it concerned, but it’s the feeling I had while watching Branagh’s easy balance of light and darkness.
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Review: ‘Spencer’ with Kristen Stewart | 2 Out of 4 Stars
With all credit due to a ballsy concept, a stellar cast, and Stewart’s good, but totally over-hyped performance, I was mostly bored.
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Unpopular Opinion: ‘King Richard’ with Will Smith is Good, Not Great
Smith always generates so much warmth and goodwill that you tend to give his films more latitude. King Richard is not even among his top 5 roles or films.
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‘Passing’ | Every Frame Gorgeous, Every Performance Moving
Remember the names of these three women- you’ll be hearing them mentioned a lot as we head into awards season.
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‘The Harder They Fall’ Review | A Certain Best Picture Contender
This all Black Western continues film history’s thread of hyper-violent Cowboy flicks. For many reasons, it is one of 2021’s best movie viewing experiences.
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‘Bitchin’:The Sound and Fury of Rick James’Dives Super Deep
Forget the cartoon Chapelle Show Rick James persona- he was a serious man, with serious talent and insight, which this doc skillfully lays out
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Review: ‘Fever Dream’ | Famed Novel Now A Cool & Trippy Film
If you like to re-watch movies to see what you missed the first time, Fever Dream will have you hitting repeat when the credits roll.
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Movie Review: ‘American Night’ Makes for a Long Evening
We learn it will be told in three parts, but by the end of the second part, and realizing there’s still a half hour to go, one gives up on it getting better
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Review: ‘Falling for Figaro’ Harmlessly Hums a Familiar Tune
While I cannot recommend it as a good film, I can say that it will be a good enough film for the right viewer at the right time. Yes, Mom, I am talking to you.
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Review: “Old Henry” Reveals Its Secrets in a Satisfying Way
For a quiet art house Western, the tension ratchets up heading into the final act, and it sticks the lyrical landing.
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‘The Nowhere Inn’ | St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein Are Screwing With Me-Right?
I don’t use drugs, but as I watched The Nowhere Inn, I kept asking myself, “Am I high?” What’s going on? Is this a midnight movie from 1979?
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Review” ‘Death Drop Gorgeous’ | Killer Camp or Comedic Drag?
The good news for Horror fans? There are some great over-the-top, so graphic as to be comical – but inventive, creatively admirable kills.
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Review: ‘The Sparks Brothers’| Perfect Doc for Music Nerds
I am from the generation who sat on the floor, wearing headphones the size of cinder blocks, reading all the liner notes. Why don’t I remember Sparks?
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Review: ‘The Madness Inside Me’ | Twisty Thriller
It looks at first like a run-of-the-mill revenge flick, but twisty plot points keep this genre film intriguing, if not always credible.
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Review: ‘ROADRUNNER: A Film About Anthony Bourdain’
Mixed Emotions: It isn’t 100% the film I wanted it to be, but it is 100% watchable the whole time. And it is moving
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‘My Childhood, My Country: 20 Years in Afghanistan’ | Powerful and Touching
He says today that he has never had a happy life and, in the same breath, that he is ever hopeful that his country will somehow pull through.
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Review: ‘The Colony’ | So-So Sci-Fi | 2 ½ out of 4 Stars
Cool looking and great production values, but never quite gets our full emotional involvement, But I’m not mad at it.
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Review: ‘Buddha Mountain’| 3 ½ out of 4 Stars
Something told me from the start that this would be a film worth watching. I love it when that feeling is realized.
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Review: ‘Die in a Gunfight’ | Bullets and Some Smiles
A mixed bag from me. 2 out of 4 Stars. It could’ve been a lot worse, I wish it’d been a lot better.
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Review: ‘The Boys in Red Hats’ | What is the Whole Truth?
Schroder has made a thoughtful, fair, and more complete look at the video and that day and the days after.
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Review: ‘Pig’ | Return to Nuanced Acting by Nicolas Cage in A Wonderful Film
Have the days of the overwrought, frenzied, bark at the moon performances by Nicolas Cage come to an end?
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Review: ‘Boss Baby: Family Business’ 2 ½ Stars
It’s never gonna not be cool to hear Jeff Goldblum’s voice coming out of an animated baby’s mouth. Is it worth sitting through a chaotic, loud, relentless movie
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Review: ‘Angel’ Pairs Star-Crossed Lovers In Exotic Locale
A film that gets great mileage from its atmosphere and understated performances, even if its artsy flourishes keep it from appealing to wider audiences
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Review: ‘Werewolves Within’ | You’ll Howl with Laughter
Forget the title, this is about a pack of hilarious eccentrics and their clumsy quest to solve murders.
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‘Take Back’: Kick-A** Woman vs Rubbery-Faced Mickey Rourke
Hollywood has done something rare and welcome: An African-American female over the age of 40 is the lead in an action film!
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Review: ‘Spirit Untamed’ Saddles Up For Big Screen Release
The animation is gorgeous, if not groundbreaking, the story is genial. I like the single Dad angle, which we don’t see enough of in films for younger viewers.
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Review: ‘Super Frenchie’| A Death Defying, Breathtaking Doc
These are the guys you knew in high school who would jump off of bridges and ride on the tops of cars down the highway. Only with incredible film footage.
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‘The Sound of Identity’ | Transgender Opera Diva Makes History
You can’t have a good documentary without fascinating people in it. This is a good doc.
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‘High on the Hog’ Feeds Your Soul With Both Food and History
If it looks like the kind of series you’d like, you’re right. If it looks like the kind of thing you aren’t interested in, give it a chance.You won’t regret it.
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Carmine Appice and Vinny Appice With Backstage Stories on Their Show
You’d be forgiven if you thought it was the title of an Adult Film, but, no – Hangin’ & Bangin’ is a talk show hosted by Rock brothers Carmine & Vinny Appice.
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‘Cruella’ is Spot On! Spoiler-Free Review
This feels like the movie that will bring us back after our long time away from the cinema. For that reason, alone, I feel very affectionately toward Cruella.
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Horror Review: ‘100 Candles’ | Is it a Blow Out?
You like scary movies, but not too scary?
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Film Review: ‘Enfant Terrible’ Gives Art House Fans the Story of a Genius
There is no question that cinephiles and those more familiar with Fassbinder’s work than I, will find a lot to attract them.
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Review: Knots: A Forced Marriage Story Shocks and Surprises
I had no idea that 46 states in America still allow some form of child marriage and that forced marriages are as common as they are.
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‘Undergods’ Review: You’ve Never Seen This Movie Before.
Where are we? When is this? What will happen next? The fact that those questions roll around in your head is one of the reasons to recommend Undergods.
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Review: ‘Berlin Alexanderplatz’ Gives Art Film Lovers Something Old, Something New
The less you know about the 1929 book, the more you’ll enjoy this new reimagining, with an African illegal immigrant as the lead character.
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Horror Film Review: ‘Separation’ | 2 ½ out of 4 Stars |
The whodunnit piece comes a bit too late in the slow build up to it, but I liked that bit of the story, as I am not usually a supernatural fan
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Review: ‘Vanquish’ | Looks Like Miami Vice, Feels Like A DVD
Here, I should probably stop and say that Vanquish is not a great film.
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Review: Unflinching ‘Slalom’ Dramatizes Assault in the World of Skiing
shockingly sudden and predestined by all the other physically intimate stepping stones that have preceded it.
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Oscar Nominees: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Wins This One. Bet On It
If you are a betting person who plays the office Oscar pool, the surest bet of the night is that the late Chadwick Boseman will win
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Review: “A Lot Can Happen in the Middle of Nowhere’ Has Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Stories from ‘Fargo’
Twenty-five years ago, my fellow film critics and I assembled in the very small, but well appointed screening room inside the notorious 666 5th Avenue building in New York City. By the time the lights came up after the showing of Fargo, there was mostly stunned silence (the same group…
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Review: Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon. Gorgeous, But Too Complex?
Disney’s first Southeast Asian themed film is otherwise an amalgamation of their greatest hits: odd couple on the road, searching for a missing (fill in the blank) while learning life lessons along the way. Of course, the story is deeper than that, perhaps too deep, but you get the idea.…
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‘Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story’ – Chilly Thrills, High Adventures
Long before there was such a thing as ESPN – heck, long before cable TV or sports being branded as “eXtreme,” filmmaker Warren Miller was making sports documentaries from the ski slopes of this country and around the world. Even if you were a kid growing up in Texas, probably…
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Oscar Nominee Review: ‘The Father’ Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman Shine
You don’t expect a film about a character with dementia to be haunting, but there are moments in ‘The Father’ that literally gave me chills. It’s not because this is a horror film, it’s because the movie tells parts of its story through the point of view of the character,…
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Oscar Nominee Review: Is ‘Nomadland’ the Best Picture?
It’s so low-key and observational that you worry all the hype will work against people’s expectations. I hope not. Nomadland, officially a 2020 release for awards purposes, is, yes, I’ll say it, one of the year’s very best films. On my personal list, it’s moved just ahead of Promising Young…
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Movie Review: ’17 Blocks’ is an Emotional Eye-Opener
Spanning twenty years in the lives of a Washington DC family, and evoking virtually every emotion along the way, ‘17 Blocks’ alternately rides waves of despair and anger with an occasional ray real hope that somehow, someday, this family who lives 17 blocks from the United States Capitol building will…
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‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Graphic Novels Coming with Movie’s Release
There’s actually so much new stuff coming out that I’ll start with the calendar so we don’t get lost. The movie is scheduled to be theatrically released internationally on March 26, 2021, and in the United States on March 31, where it will be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO…
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Oscar Nominee Review: ‘Minari’ – Heartwarming, Heartbreaking
Director Lee Isaac Chung is already racking up the accolades this awards season with his semi-autobiographical film, Minari. It’s true that there are certain touchstones present in every immigrant story – I was just thinking about Barry Levinson’s Avalon (already more than 30 years old) and how, even though his…
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Review: French Exit – Just A Oui Bit Weird, But Ooh La La
I like it when characters don’t give a shit whether you like them or not. It gives them the freedom to be their authentic (fictional) selves. French Exit is populated with such characters. They’re not super sweet – at times they’re not even polite or nice – but they’re good…
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Review: ‘Two of Us’ 3 ½ out of 4 Stars
There’s a place for usSomewhere a place for usPeace and quiet and open airWait for us somewhere ‘Somewhere’ from West Side Story by Sondheim and Bernstein If there’s one kind of story that has enthralled audiences for centuries, it’s that of star-crossed lovers. The new French film “Two of Us”…
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Review: ‘Malcolm & Marie’ Once is More Than Enough
I watched with interest, curiosity, and admiration. But when it ended, I knew that ‘Malcolm & Marie, now on Netflix, is a film that I will never see again. In the end, exasperation eclipsed all other emotions. Beautifully presented in high contrast black and white, the film is essentially a…
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Review: ‘The Night’ Interesting But Not Scary
I don’t know if they make bad movies in Iran, but I have yet to see one…and I’ve seen a lot. That said, the new film ‘The Night’ by noted director Kourosh Ahari isn’t wholly satisfying if one is expecting something super scary. If you go in with expectations more…
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Review: ‘The Little Things’ with Denzel, Rami and Jared. 2 out of 4 Stars.
Normally, this is the kind of movie I really like; the genre, the look, the cast. But somehow “The Little Things” goes down as a disappointment. Not for lack of talent. I mean three Oscar winners in the cast, all of whom deliver exactly the performances you expect from them.…
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Movie Review: Go/Don’t Go 1½ out of 4 Stars
Your mind wanders as you watch Go/Don’t Go, the low-budget Indie written, starring and directed by Alex Knapp, in which it is gradually revealed that he’s the last man on earth, so far as we can tell. Adam (Knapp) is the only guy around. He lives inside his head, remembering…
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Review: “One Night in Miami” |The Oscar Buzz is Real
Clay had defeated reigning heavyweight champ Sonny Liston just the night before, but each man was at the top of his respective game. And yet, they endured the kinds of indignities that no amount of success could alter: the color of their skin.
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‘Assassins’ Review: Is Truth More Bizarre Than Fiction?
By Kyle Osborne If we have learned anything in this age in which we live, it should be: Everything is being recorded on camera, everywhere, all the time. And The recordings rarely tell the whole story. Because of these two bits of reality, documentary filmmaker Ryan White, of whom I…
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Oscar Nominee Review: “Promising Young Woman” A Must See!
By Kyle Osborne Do NOT watch the trailer for this movie. Don’t read any reviews that would spoil it (I promise no spoilers. I mean, never spoilers) and don’t ask anyone about it. Just watch Promising Young Woman as blindly as possible. I’m so glad that I saw it knowing…
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