Monthly Archives: June 2014

Movie Review: “Begin Again” revisits the charms of “Once”

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

Writer-director John Carney re-plays his greatest hit with “Begin Again,” a semi-successful attempt to recreate the magic of the Oscar-winning musical “Once” in New York with a big name cast.Get past the wildly improbable “music biz” moments and impromptu performances … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Poehler and Rudd riff and romp through rom-com cliches in “They Came Together

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd are such reliably funny actors that you’d be safe betting they could perform an instruction manual and still be amusing doing it. Which is kind of what “They Came Together” is, a How-to-Make-a-Romantic-Comedy primer. Think … Continue reading →

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“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” — the new trailer

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

Still having a lot of trouble not rolling my eyes over this remake, but if you’re a fan, go nuts.

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Movie Review: “Whitey: The United States of America vs. James V. Bulger”

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

We only hear his voice, running underneath mugshot photos and the occasional bit of silent black and white surveillance footage. Convicted crime boss and murderer Whitey Bulger comes off as articulate and calm, with that polished voice having a “Who, … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Minimalism and morality make “Drones” compelling

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

In “Drones,” a man and a woman sit in an air conditioned trailer in Nevada, working joysticks and making life-or-death decisions about the people they’re keeping an eye-in-the-sky on, eight thousand miles away.One’s the pilot, the other the officer in … Continue reading →

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Next screening: Melissa McCarthy in “Tammy,” heres the UK trailer

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Roger Moore

Does American comedy travel? Not that well, according to the not-that-strong box office returns of most Hollywood laughers. A few major stars open their pictures well overseas, but is Melissa McCarthy one of them? This UK trailer for her raunchy … Continue reading →

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Box Office: “Think Like a Man Too” goes soft, “Jersey Boys” underwhelms

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Roger Moore

Friday was a promising day and night at the box office. But as the weekend wore on, more people saw “Think Like a Man Too” and “Jersey Boys” and both faded and faded some more. “Like a Man” looked to … Continue reading →

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Box Office: “Think Like a Man Too” set for $33, “Jersey Boys” $13-14

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Roger Moore

On Friday at least, based on BO numbers and the average age of my hate mail, Clint Eastwood’s “Jersey Boys” brought in an audience of his peers (roughly), people Hollywood doesn’t make movies for because they would rather stay at … Continue reading →

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Next Interview: Questions for Chaz Ebert (Roger Ebert’s widow) and director Steve James re: “Life Itself”?

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Roger Moore

I remember that Siskel & Ebert were the first guys to alert me to the wonders of the great basketball documentary “Hoop Dreams.” So it’s fitting that Steve James, who directed it, did the interviews and directed the Ebert biographical … Continue reading →

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Weekend Movies: Poor reviews for “Jersey Boys,” awful ones for “Like a Man Too”

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Roger Moore

Octogenarian Clint Eastwood’s take on the Broadway musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, “Jersey Boys,” isn’t generating much love from America’s movie critics. With a no-star cast, songs fifty years past their pop expiration date (Don’t give me … Continue reading →

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