Monthly Archives: August 2018

James Gunn spends years telling seriously tasteless but some would say “revealing” “jokes” online, on a blog (since deleted) and on Twitter. A conservative activist decides he doesn’t like the anti-Trump politics of the director of the “Guardians of the … Continue reading →

Netflix has rapidly evolved into a safe space for famous actors to dabble in TV — streaming series — and take acting risks without denting either their quote or their marketable screen personas (brands). Think Jason Bateman’s dark “Ozark,” etc. … Continue reading →

The bonds of familial love are strained to the breaking point, tugged in several directions, in the lyrical movie memoir, “We the Animals.” Based on the semi-autobiographical novel, Jeremiah Zagar’s moving indie film takes us into the lives of three … Continue reading →

A teenage girl and her tween sister ride the bus, cross-state, towards the beach. One’s an outgoing city kid, living in a foster home, looking forward a rare trip to the ocean. It’s her older sister’s bithday, and she’ll also … Continue reading →

Basically a Royal Caribbean ad masquerading as a romantic comedy, “Like Father” pairs up Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer as daughter and estranged father paired on what was supposed to be “her” honeymoon cruise to Jamaica. “Eeew,” right? That’s what … Continue reading →

She should be, in this new twist on the “legend” that is based on the infamous “gave her father 40 whacks” with an axe case back in the 19th century. The presence of Stewart takes this exactly where you’d expect. … Continue reading →

“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” is a conventionally unconventional take on “recovery” movie motif — recovery from a paralyzing accident, recovery from the alcoholism that led to it. Not everybody who finds himself confined to a wheelchair, … Continue reading →

Barry Jenkins, writer-director of “Moonlight,” spent the capital that Oscar winner game him on doing something folks in Hollywood just don’t do. He tackled a James Baldwin novel, bringing one of the great American Writers to the big screen. The … Continue reading →

I’ve stumbled past the trailers for this a few times over the weeks, but I was finally forced to sit through it in previews before “Spy Who Dumped Me” last night. You know, in between all the Tiffany Haddish upcoming … Continue reading →

Every movie month of the year is its own particular brand of battleground, but August is, like January, a special case. It’s where movies that couldn’t compete against an “Incredibles 2,” “Mission: Impossible” “Girls’ Trip” or “Avengers LCXVI” traditionally are … Continue reading →