Monthly Archives: July 2022

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“Top Gun”) milks another ’80s property for a little extra cash for his dotage in this Showtime (Of course.) series adaptation of the movie. Rosie O’Donnell, Gretchen Moll, Wayne Brady and a 1960s Jaguar E-Type co-star. Sept. … Continue reading →

A dreamy South African parable of a bloody past coming back to haunt the present, “Jewel” never actually takes us into the infamous Sharpeville Massacre of 1960. This Around the World with Netflix story is about the ripples of pain … Continue reading →

 Their voices are high-pitched and giggly, their attention spans short and their uniform skirts shorter. Who would EVER think these dizzy young things are contract killers, petite Powerpuff Girls with itchy trigger fingers and their whole careers in front of … Continue reading →

“Umma” opened for a minute…and a minute only, last spring during its theatrical release. But even under the best of circumstances, with no pandemic, it had a limited ceiling. It’s a quality horror film seriously short of frights, with some … Continue reading →

I’m not positive it’s the definitive version of the Jane Austen novel, but for me, the benchmark adaptation of “Persuasion” was made for British TV and played in US cinemas back in 1995. Casting newcomer Amanda Root as Anne Elliott, … Continue reading →

Snippets of home movies reveal that they’ve been friends since childhood, BFFs forever growing up on a German island in the Baltic. Now pushing 30 and living in Berlin, Paula (Cara Cult) and Jojo (Nina Gummich) still do everything together. Everything. Paula … Continue reading →

This comes to FX Aug. 30, because apparently we or Hollywood can’t get enough of serial killers. Looks intriguing enough.

Whatever the virtues of the popular Delia Owens novel it’s based on, the film adaptation of “Where the Crawdads Sing” makes it “a beach book,” a simple, pulpy page-turner to take on vacation with you and nothing more. A clumsily-plotted … Continue reading →

Turning the rude and shticky “Blazing Saddles” into a samurai Western cartoon starring cats and a hapless dog isn’t the dumbest idea anybody in Hollywood ever had. Mel Brooks’ classic comedy is 50 years old, and while it was racy … Continue reading →

It wouldn’t be summer without an insipid Netflix summer romance set somewhere in scenic, sunny Italia. This year’s entry, “Under the Amalfi Sun” hangs on a couple of youth romances that are pretty hard to invest in, and an adult … Continue reading →