Monthly Archives: November 2019

Danny doesn’t live here…anymore.. Mrs. Torrance. Hoo boy.

It’s a little game movie critics play when we’re watching self-distributed or under-distributed indie films. Guess which scene, which moment, which element prevented this picture from winning a better studio distribution deal? “The Bygone” is a moody, mournful Modern West … Continue reading →

Italian filmmaker Beniamino Barrese confesses to having dedicated his life to “filming and photographing my mother.” He won’t use the phrase “Oedipus Complex,” that is for the viewer to infer in watching his film about Mama, Benedetta Barzini. “The Disappearance … Continue reading →

Martin Scorsese has clarified his criticism of the Franchise that Ate Film in a New York Times op-ed, no less. “Market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, revetted and remodified until they’re ready for consumption” Why yes, they are. And formulaic and forgettable. … Continue reading →

If you’ve never watched a sporting event that you weren’t sure was “fixed,” you’re probably not much of a sports fan. Things happen on the field, in the ring and on the court that go beyond head-scratching and have you … Continue reading →

Let us hope the digital tech for recreating WWII Naval/airborne combat has progressed beyond “Pearl Harbor.” Cannot tell from the trailers, which have that “U.S.S. Indianapolis” video game graphics look. Without Nicolas Cage.

Every documentary is a gamble, a non-fiction film whose “story” is not scripted, but discovered right in front of the camera, created in real life in real time. And real life is full of surprises and disappointments, foiled plans and … Continue reading →

Some of us in the reviewing trade have beaten the put-down “Lifetime Original Movie” to death. To which I shout “GUILTY!” But it’s a hard descriptor to shake when it so vividly captures a female-centered romance or woman-under-threat melodrama, once … Continue reading →

A period piece starring Samuel L., Nia Long and Anthony Mackie and opens Dec. 6.

Steven Amell from “Green Arrow” stars in this Dec. 13 release. Kind of X-Men ish, no?