Monthly Archives: November 2019

One way to get past that seasonal “holiday movie phobia” thing more than a few of us suffer from is to throw in some Italian-Americans, as writer-director Robert Tinnell does with “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” Make it a period … Continue reading →

It takes forever to get going. “Doctor Sleep” has to give us all this backstory, remind us who Danny Torrance, the kid with “The Shining,” was. It has to recast the kid from that movie, and more famously, his “Here’s … Continue reading →

The most shocking thing about “Midway” is how much this Roland “Independence Day/Stargate” Emmerch epic about one of history’s greatest naval battles is how much it gets right. After seeing Emmerich’s botched history of the “Stonewall” gay rights riot and … Continue reading →

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 →

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.