Monthly Archives: August 2021

“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 →

John Malkovich, Lori Petty, Ruby Modine (you know who’s daughter) and Julian Sand star in this post apocalyptic thriller, due out Oct 1

We toss that phrase around horror films a tad cavalierly — “skin-crawling.” But here’s a feature that earns that label. If you aren’t squirming — or a least itchy — watching “Mosquito State,” you must have never encountered a mosquito … Continue reading →

Ida is traumatized, wracked by guilt over the accident that just killed her mother. She’s all alone, and her social worker has told the 15 year-old with “addiction” issues that her aunt will take her in. Ida’s protests that “I … Continue reading →

Gloomy, sad and a tad hard to follow, “The Last Thing Mary Saw” is a period piece that equates persecution of same sex attraction with the war on “witchcraft,” this time in a pre-Civil War religious sect in rural New … Continue reading →

The producers are premiering it in LA on Aug. 28. Any takers?