Daily Archives: August 17, 2021

In my mind, at least, Tom Everett Scott went straight from “Shades,” the cool, turtle-necked drummer in “That Thing You Do” to middle aged man “dad” roles, with barely a “boyfriend of the leading lady” in between. So it’s a … Continue reading →

One of the great character actors, the definitive “Frankenstein’s monster,” the one and only narrator of the only “Grinch” that matters, Boris Karloff gets a documentary tribute on Sept. 17.

“Confetti” is a pleasantly syrupy “a mother’s love” wish fulfillment fantasy, a story of how far one Chinese mom will travel to get her child the educational help she needs. Writer-director Ann Hu’s film may play as far-fetched, sometimes extremely … Continue reading →

A testy teen goes to stay with her Thai granny in this Sept 1 release. Looks cute.

“Overrun” is 109 minutes of every action pic cliche under the sun, and a heist set in a mausoleum, which I have to admit I’ve never seen before. There’s a safe in the mausoleum. It’s guarded by inattentive Russian mobsters, … Continue reading →

The trick that television plays on viewers hit me one day in the ’90s after wrapping up an interview with “Family Ties” star Michael J. Fox. He was touring in support of his aging-well romantic comedy “Doc Hollywood,” and was … Continue reading →

Austere and positively chilling in its austerity, “The Night House” is a haunted house tale with a tasty twist or two to go along with the usual thumps, bumps, disembodied voices and words written on a steamed-over window or mirror. … Continue reading →