Monthly Archives: February 2020

Here’s a documentary about the “brave new world” of brain research that points a day when we we “fundamentally change what it means to be human.” In “I Am Human,” filmmakers Elena Gaby and Taryn Southern talk to futurists, neuroscientists, … Continue reading →

Think of “Farmageddon” as a child’s introduction to science fiction cinema. It’s a non-verbal giggle — a bit slow to be a romp — through decades of sci-fi on the big screen (and on the small) packaged in a preschool … Continue reading →

  Joan Didion’s cluttered, convoluted pot-boiler of a thriller “The Last Thing He Wanted” becomes a cluttered, convoluted mess of a movie for Netflix. Who knew? Certainly not director and co-screenwriter Dee Rees, who brought the hilariously over-rated “Mudbound” to … Continue reading →

Hey Jude, what’s with the doll? You’re a big boy, turn out that night-light. Remember, the voices are just in your head. Just stick to your bed. And never forget the doll’s rules. Or you know, he’ll kill you… It’s … Continue reading →

“Rag Doll” is a boxing-my-way-out-of-a-jam drama that flirts with being interesting, in between passages of middling melodrama and wilder, illogical “Nobody’ll see THAT coming” surprises. It’s a fight picture of slo-motion bouts (for the most part, hides the skill levels … Continue reading →

The messaging in “Rich Kid$” might be heavy-handed, preachy even. The plot twists can be melodramatic and predictable. It’s still a fine indie calling card for all involved — in front of and behind the camera. It’s “The Breakfast Club” … Continue reading →

Not previewed for critics, Katie Homes is the big name in the cast. But it could be great, right?

This murder mystery — Or was it an accident? — set around an IPO that could make a lot of people rich has a sparkling cast and is based on a best seller. “Human Capital” will have limited release on … Continue reading →

There’s a warm emotional payoff at the very end — the VERY end — of Pixar’s latest, “Onward.” It’s about fathers and sons, father figures and brotherly love. And it’s about 90 minutes too late to save the movie. We’ve … Continue reading →

The newly-reissued “Come and See” is a crash course in Soviet cinema history. Here it is, from Eisenstein until the Iron Curtain parted (briefly), a 1985 summary of Soviet acting, directing, technique and the obsessions of the culture, all in … Continue reading →