Monthly Archives: May 2021

If you’re Muslim and you die in Newark, chances are your body will pass through the caring hands of Hanif, a casket-maker and ritual body washer who lives and works there. Hanif is an accomplished craftsman and a member of … Continue reading →

There are days when horror movie film school must sound like NBA practice. “The key…is ISOLATION.” Just as star players perform best when they get a one-on-one matchup with a foe, horror movies are built on villains invariably splitting up … Continue reading →

They are ordinary people, the elderly EveryGerman you’d meet in the park feeding the birds, gathered for a kaffeeklatsch or simply reminiscing in groups in retirement homes. Their names never made it on the court dockets at Nuremberg, never gained … Continue reading →

Angelina Jolie plays a Montana smoke-jumper turned fire-watcher caught up in protecting a child from profession assassins in “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” a strained and clumsy thriller that stands out as the first misstep from director and co-writer Taylor … Continue reading →

“Finding You,” a romantic comedy about two-mismatched Americans in Ireland, is intended as a dessert dish — light and sweet. But think of this trifling comedy as a not-quite-traditional trifle built on top of stale angel food cake. No matter … Continue reading →

Chris Rock, Samuel L. and the “Saw” brand were able to scare up nearly $9 million on the opening weekend of “Spiral,” somewhat lower that the $10-12 million the venerable franchise might be expected to earn, pandemic be damned. Angelina … Continue reading →

The best film indie icon John Sayles ever made (sorry “Lone Star,” “Secaucus Seven,” “Lianna” fans) was a brilliant period piece about a miner’s strike answered with corporate and state violence — 1987’s “Matewan.” It is a classic on every … Continue reading →

The “lost lottery ticket” comedy has a rich (ahem) history in the cinema. Ask anyone of a film they recall revolving around a lost, stolen or “gave the winner a heart attack” (“Waking Ned Devine”) lotto and you might get … Continue reading →

Michael Keaton is the guy out to…stop her? Aug 20. Reviews are embargoed until 7pm Thursday, so stay tuned.

There isn’t much to “2149: The Aftermath,” another entry in the dreaded, cinema-consuming “YA-sci-fi” genre. What’s here is perfectly, if a tad blandly, realized. It’s just that not enough happens. Editor turned director and co-writer Benjamin Duffield serves up a … Continue reading →