Monthly Archives: September 2019

It’s become common knowledge, largely thanks to a cartoon that generations of children have seen — “Balto.” If you walk through Central Park in New York, you can see the well-rubbed (for luck) bronze statue of “Balto” in tribute to … Continue reading →

The pithiest review possible for many a movie is a single word — “forgettable.” Add “instantly” in front of that and you get an idea of the virtues of “Little Boxes.”  It’s soooooo familiar that I know I’ve seen it … Continue reading →

There are moments, scenes and sequences in the documentary “Out of Omaha” that will make your heart hurt. The seven-years-long portrait of African American twins from the roughest neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska allows you to put yourself in these kids’ … Continue reading →

It’s a gambler-on-a-bender thriller with the Sand-man entangling his family and the family business in his “problem.” This Safdie Brothers tale co-stars Idina Menzel and The Wkend and…Kevin Garnett? It made a splash at Toronto and opens Dec. 25. I’m … Continue reading →

We remember Caligula and Nero for their Roman depravity. But the two most notorious emperors of ancient Rome seem more timeless when you consider what fed their appetites. The emptiness of oligarchy and a ruling kleptocracy feels both distinctly Italian … Continue reading →

The chatty bellhop doesn’t know. All that chatter is what keeps him from figuring it out, reading the signs. Because heaven knows we have. It was in the evasive conversation Holly (Claire Forlani) had with “Russell” on her way to … Continue reading →

Dreamworks’ “Abominable,” not to be confused with Sony’s “Smallfoot” or Laika’s “Missing Link,” is an animated Chinese travelogue that tugs at the heartstrings. That’s pretty much in lieu of laughs in this fluffy twist on a fantastic beasts and the … Continue reading →

The drawl, the shock of unruly white hair and scraggly beard can lead to the wrong first impression of Jim Allison. Learning that this Texan, a lifelong blues harp player and committed Willie Nelson fan, has been known to close … Continue reading →

I laid out a couple of ideas for places to take the high toned soap opera in my review of “Downton Abbey: The Movie.” Now the production team is saying they hope they get another shot at this story, these … Continue reading →

It’s always been an act of revenge, this “Between Two Ferns” mock chat show that Zach Galfianakis brought to Funny or Die.com He has his revenge on a universe of folks who can’t pronounce his damned name. He gets even … Continue reading →