Daily Archives: August 28, 2021

Ruth Platt’s “Martyr’s Lane” is horror at a low simmer, a triumph of tone over content, performances over frights. This beautifully Gothic ghost story rests on the shoulders of two angelic moppets, a film that makes its myopic simplicity a … Continue reading →

This opened in the UK during the pandemic (Streamed?) and finally gets a US release Sept. 17.

Melissa McCarthy is in mourning, and a damned starling is ruining her garden and her life. Chris O’Dowd raises the bar, playing the spouse of this broken relationship. And Oscar winner Kevin Kline lends grand seriocomic support. This looks like … Continue reading →

A “Chinatown on the Cheap” tale of a missing teen, gangland shenanigans, water rights, the works, all uncovered by a “special ops” (the hoariest trope in action cinema) veteran. Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Sloan, Taryn Manning, Jake Webber and … Continue reading →

The plot has been around since Shakespeare sold out to Netflix. Guy courts woman, or vice versa, based on a dare, a bet or some other “arrangement.” It’s a “Taming of the Shrew” variation, whether it’s “Cruel Intentions” or “Ten … Continue reading →