Monthly Archives: July 2022

“The Stunt Man” was the first cult film I remember seeing. Its storied pre-production history, years in the making, no studio wanting to distribute it until it won festival acclaim and played in Seattle (if I’m remembering the legend correctly) … Continue reading →

Salons and barber shops, with their bitchy gossip, rotating cast of customer-characters and general jokey atmosphere are one of the most popular settings for comedies, no matter what culture you’re in. The Brazilian “A Cut Above” centers around a Rio … Continue reading →

Looks lovely, maybe CG assisted stop motion animation puppets? Netflix this holiday season.

If a tidal wave of Christmas romances and parade of second-chance-at-love pictures were no giveaway, “Purple Hearts” should be the Netflix warning shot that makes its point. “We’re COMING for you, Hallmark Channel!” A marriage-of-convenience dramedy about a Marine who … Continue reading →

A decent Thursday followed by a just-brisk-enough Friday ($9.3 million Thursday night/Friday) points to “DC League of Super-Pets” opening on the soft side of expectations — $23 million or so, per Deadline.com. Box Office Pro is still saying $25, and … Continue reading →

Sept. 9, a piece “inspired by true events” from Czech history hits screens. Helluva cast. That Michael Caine just keeps going. No retirement for him. Treasure him while you can.

Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” is dressed up as a modern day graffiti artist in the income-inequality London of today in “Twist,” a contemporary take on the tale which — our narrator/hero promises — “won’t ‘ave no singin’” or dancing. And … Continue reading →

A simple coming-of-age tale built on the novelty that this story is about a teenage Black fly girl in Brooklyn, 1994’s “Alma’s Rainbow” earns a 4K restoration and re-release Writer-director Ayoka Chenzira launched her career with this debut feature. Almost … Continue reading →

“Slight” can be a great virtue in an intimate indie film, especially when it’s paired with “twee.” That’s the potential we’re looking for when we sit down to “Shalom Taiwan,” an Argentinian comedy/travelogue about a Buenos Aires rabbi who goes … Continue reading →

A little shouting at the screen when watching a movie can be a good thing — liberating, underscoring hw involved you’ve gotten in the story. And then there’s the shouting one must simply must do at “Pipa,” retitled “Recurrence” for … Continue reading →