Monthly Archives: October 2015

The Commandant is carefully tutoring his boy soldier, Agu. He teaches him discipline. He inflames the child’s rage at the government troops who summarily executed his father and gunned down his fleeing brother. Final test? Draw blood. “Agu,” the silky-sinister … Continue reading →

Kind of a dismal fall at the box office, for those bothering to take notice. Since most people aren’t going to the movies, that “take notice” seems to be a rare quality, relatively speaking. “Burnt” is a star vehicle for … Continue reading →

The most shocking thing about “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,” is that four hacks fought to have their names listed in the credits under “screenplay.” Seriously. It’s the same house, or location. It’s the same set-up — family spooked/stalked by … Continue reading →

“Burnt” is Bradley Cooper’s “Cocktail,” a trendy, slick and superficial romance built around a seriously one-dimensional performance. It’s a foodie movie whose credits are riddled with big-name chef consultants — Gordon Ramsay, Mario Bitali. The meals are Michelin Guide ready … Continue reading →

We don’t really remember that decade of bad Sandra Bullock movies that came before her Oscar winning turn in “The Blind Side.” We just remember how she looked. The pratfalls might be half-hearted, the misty-eyed appeal to sentiment might be … Continue reading →

Here’s what shooting your heist picture in a single take gives you — breathless tension. The viewer can sense the lack of edits, the feeling that you’re hurtling along, with the characters and the hand-held cameraman, on a downward spiral. … Continue reading →