Monthly Archives: December 2020

Netflixable? A Romeo out of Water comedy — “A California Christmas”

Netflix’s efforts to steal Hallmark Channel’s “Christmas wish-fulfillment romance” thunder get a boost from “A California Christmas,” a pleasant little nothing that would be right at home among Hallmark’s holiday flirtations-over-fruitcake romances. It’s the seriously good-looking stars of “Roped,” now … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “Skylines” goes all “Starship Troopers” in its third outing

There are outtakes at the end of “Skylines,” aka “Skylin3s,” cast members crack up at all the silly, pithy, cliche one-liners common to the sci-fi action genre. That’s fitting, because there’s no sterner test than keeping a straight face while … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Holocaust Survivor Asner teaches a punk to find her “Tiger Within”

In “Tiger Within” Edward Asner plays a Holocaust survivor who takes an interest in and eventually takes in a runaway, a Midwestern teen punk who drew a swastika on her leather jacket for shock effect. The product of a broken … Continue reading

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Netflixable? House flipping Hispano-horror — “Don’t Listen (Voces)”

They’ve sunk everything they have into their latest “fixer upper.” It’s a big, remote manor house in Spain, and it’s their biggest project, if not their first. But their angel-faced son Eric (Lucas Blas) is spooked. His toys are switching … Continue reading

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Movie Preview: Michael Dorn and Kayla Ewell star in “Agent Revelation”

A supernatural thriller also starring writer/director Derek Ting, it’s about ancient “dust” conferring superpowers. And we’ll see exactly what that leads to in January when “Agent Revelation” (formerly titled “Agent II”) comes our way.

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Movie Preview: Disney’s “Encanto,” with tunes by Lin Manuel Miranda

The teaser trailer only gives away a little — Nov. 21, a Caribbean/South American setting, a seriously salsa-flavored beat.

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Movie Review — “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master”

Wait, didn’t “Ip Man: The Finale” come out just last year? Ip Man, that martial artist who never fails, the movie hero with more farewell tours than Cher, is back for “Ip Man : Kung Fu Master,” a solid set … Continue reading

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Movie Review: An unhappy Silverstone is “Sister of the Groom”

Alicia Silverstone has her best big screen role in ages in “Sister of the Groom,” a “big fat Jewish wedding” comedy in which she has the title role, but which she apparently had to soldier through in the last stages … Continue reading

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Documentary Review — Slushed, sauced and sarcastic — “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan”

The voice is one long never-sobered-up slur, and the appearance — wheelchair-bound, face in need of spittle, spilled-booze or what-have-you removal — frighteningly like another modern icon. Can it be that Irish singer singer, songwriter Shane MacGowan come has come … Continue reading

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The Ten Best Films of a Year from Hell — 2020

Every year a Top Ten film list is an exercise in memory, judgement calls and hair-splitting. A critic wanders the wilderness of four cinematic seasons like Diogones with his ancient Greek lantern, searching for “an honest man,” or in our … Continue reading

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