Monthly Archives: February 2019

It always looks so neat, clean — pristine even — in combat movies or in TV news coverage. The grainy video shows the guided bomb or missile hurtling straight into its target — a direct hit. The commandos charge into … Continue reading →

The production design is impressive and the animation manages to put clearly visible peach fuzz on the hero’s CGI face. And director and screenwriter De DeBlois aims for the heartstrings with a finale that ties up the whole “How to … Continue reading →

Joseph Heller’s cynical/comical anti-war war novel was one of my favorite books as a teen. Another was “Papillon,” just so’s you know where I’m going with this. This trailer to the Hulu mini-series by George Clooney gets the darkness right, … Continue reading →

Showtime slick and boxing picture predictable, “Cradle of Champions” is about the New York epicenter of Golden Gloves boxing. Journalist/director Bartle Bull picked three veterans of the annual Daily News charity event and followed them on their march towards amateur … Continue reading →

    There’s a rigid formula for coming-of-age documentaries. Pick a group of disadvantaged schoolkids — dancers or mathematicians, athletes or children just desperate to be selected for the top magnet school in the region, ensuring that college is in … Continue reading →

An official Marine Corps videographer shot “Combat Obscura,” a documentary of training, combat and down time footage so raw it’s “The Movie The Marine Corps doesn’t want you to see.” It’s due out in March from the reliably edgy Oscilloscope … Continue reading →

The greatest monsters are the ones grounded in reality. Long before his character reveals anything supernatural in his makeup, the mysterious antiques dealer played by Timothy Spall has given us a vibe. Pervert. The sort who lures children into cars … Continue reading →

If I see one more BS “garbage” assault on Peter Farrelly and “Green Book” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” or any other contender — from Jezebel, Salon, et al — I am going to hurl. It’s reached insane levels this year. Where … Continue reading →

Atmospheric and creepy, with characters and a setting far more interesting than the due the movie gives them, “Smaller and Smaller Circles” is a serial killer thriller set in the Philippines. It’s about two Jesuit priests, amateur sleuths, hunting a … Continue reading →

  The ancient thespian advice about “Never act with small children or dogs” is borne out with a vengeance in “Patrick,” a romantic comedy with no romance and virtually no comedy — save for the dog. A cute pug, a … Continue reading →