Yearly Archives: 2023

I don’t know about you, but “jaunty” can cover a lot of sins and do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to movies based on flimsy, or should we say “less traditional” narratives — games, for instance. “Dungeons … Continue reading →

Comic actor, TV director and “Robot Chicken” co-creator Seth Green’s feature writing and directing debut ventures into Zach Braff “sensitive” territory, and never quite comes off. “Changeland” is a mashup of Thai travelogue, morose man on a soul-searching quest and … Continue reading →

The current king of understated Big Theme dramas, “Beyond the Hills” “Four Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” were his. This is now scheduled for April 28.

For years, the gold standard for savage physical beat-downs depicted on screen was Chan-wook Park’s “Oldboy,” whose most visceral scene is a long-held-hostage “hero’s” furious claw-hammer takedown of an entire gang standing between him and his enraged revenge upon his … Continue reading →

The stakes that characters are struggling for in a story matter, even in kid’s literature. And you can’t wholly appreciate what the children and adults are battling over in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world until you read or see a knockoff … Continue reading →

Mermaids are Mean Girls, evil, the krakens are the real cool undersea kids. Got it? June.

“Chantilly Lace” was an all-star, largely-improvised 1993 “friends through the years” dramedy memorable mainly for its cast. This Sundance indie — that was its filming location and the place it premiered — featured Talia Shire from the “Godfather” and “Rocky” … Continue reading →

Taryn Manning, Frank Grillo and Virginia Madsen also star in this dark –“I think I shot the cook” — action comedy. Looks violently amusing. Caan goes all in. Tidy whiteys, the works. April 4.

Here’s another variation on the shlub whose only shot at a beautiful woman is if he’s “The Last Man on Earth,” this one a movie and not a Fox TV series. This wan Colombian comedy — “El Último Hombre Sobre … Continue reading →

A tale of the “little white lies” that people tell to stay married. Ahem.