Monthly Archives: March 2020

In film and fiction, the phrase “narrative thread” is commonly used to describe the way pieces of the plot are woven together. “Human Capital” is a smart, well-cast drama that lets us see its threads as they bend back and … Continue reading →

“The Dog Doc” is a documentary portrait of a Cornell-trained New York veterinarian who pioneered the use of homeopathy, acupuncture, “vitamin C therapy” and other groundbreaking treatments to “hopeless cases” in the animal kingdom. It’s a feel-good film of wags … Continue reading →

“The Third Wife” is a Vietnamese period piece of “Raise the Red Lantern” variety. First-time feature writer-director Ash Mayfair creates a lush, intimate character study in cultural mores centered on a 14 year-old girl, May, who steps into adulthood through … Continue reading →

The economist, social theorist and philosopher Karl Marx took a shot at describing “capital,” the relationship between worker and business owner in capitalism, in “Das Kapital,” a world-altering book first published in 1867. It described the “exploitation of labor” as … Continue reading →

Matt Reeves tweeted some pix. At the link. “Muscle Car” with angular aerodynamic flourishes? #TheBatman https://t.co/qJFNprk1ut https://twitter.com/mattreevesLA/status/1235261421425958912?s=20

The late Polish filmmaker Andrej Wajda was the first exposure many of us outside of the Soviet Bloc had to Eastern European cinema outside of a film class. His movies weren’t Soviet or “state” sanctioned, but gave us a taste … Continue reading →

Craig always promised to lighten up as Bond. Never did. Until now These are good times for Mr. Craig. A “Knives Out” franchise to replace Bond. This is how you move your Bond movie from April to Nov. and make … Continue reading →

No franchise dies these days. It just spins off from it’s spin off. A “Saw” picture with Chris Rock as a cop and Samuel L. Jackson having Jigsaw pretentions. April.

They still take walks together and still goof around a bit when they do. Their bickering is more cute bantering, about “When’re you going to take the (Xmas) decorations down?” “When’re YOU gonna take them down?” “Kid” is his term … Continue reading →

It’s brutishly heavy-handed, with a performance or two so hammy they came straight from the smokehouse. But those quibbles aside,  “Beneath Us” is a torture porn satire that never fails to hold one’s interest, even if it doesn’t quite come … Continue reading →