Monthly Archives: August 2016

Disney’s re-imagining of its lightweight 1977 kids’ film “Pete’s Dragon” high-mindedly aims high — for a movie about an orphan boy raised in the woods of the Pacific Northwest by a dragon. Co-writer/director David Lowery is no Steven Spielberg (Who … Continue reading →

  In “Nine Lives,” the director of the “Men in Black” and “Get Shorty” movies turned filmdom’s special effects wizards loose on the most challenging bit of fakery ever attempted in a movie. They digitized a cat so that they … Continue reading →

“Edge of Winter” enters my field of vision with a natural advantage. It’s my kind of story — gritty, woodsy, with a hint of survivalism about it. There’s still a vicarious thrill in experiencing wilderness through those trapped in a … Continue reading →

When British theatre critic Michael Coveney first published “Maggie Smith:  A Biography,” back in the mid-90s, he and she must have had every reason to believe he was summing up an acting life well-lived, and fully lived. But that was … Continue reading →

This summer’s hits and misses can seem like surprises if you go by things like reviews, muted fan buzz pre-release, limited feedback on reviews and stories about the films on blogs and the like. But Hollywood creative accounting can balance … Continue reading →

It started strong Thursday night, blew up Friday and didn’t tail off that much Saturday. Warner Brothers tinkered with the finished film for months, altered the marketing to make it seem more like “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Marvel’s version of … Continue reading →

It set a midnight showings record on Thursday — over $20 million. That helped the critically dismissed “Suicide Squad” blow up to an epic $63 million opening day — or opening day plus one. And that sets the Warner Brothers … Continue reading →

  There’s much to love in the latest adaptation of the beloved Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novella “The Little Prince”, an animated marvel by Mark Osborne, whose “Kung Fu Panda” (the original) was more visually inventive than you might remember. A stunning blend … Continue reading →

“Tallulah” is just the sort of movie Netflix should be making. No box office stars, an unconventional story, it’s a “film festival” movie — one with little chance of finding its niche in the theatrical marketplace. But a tale with … Continue reading →

No, the reviews weren’t good. They were mediocre to be generous, bad to be more accurate. Look at the Wikipedia page for the movie if you want to see fans spinning a  29% 27% Rottentomatoes rating and low 40s Metacritic tally into “mixed.” … Continue reading →