Yearly Archives: 2023

Guy Ritchie may have — at long last — lost his fastball when it comes to action ensemble pieces with his muse, Jason Statham. But their fifth collaboration, a “Mission: Somewhat Improbable” caper (action) comedy, has Aubrey Plaza, Hugh Grant, … Continue reading →

Sam Worthington plays an Aussie sniper roped into some violently sketchy business in “Transfusion,” a thriller about a father, a son, a comrade-in-arms and a late wife who keeps lecturing her husband, post mortem, about how he’s “failing” their boy. … Continue reading →

God, I miss “Drunk History.” But Hulu talked Mel Brooks into bringing “History of the World” back, which has a similar sketch-comedy spin on history format — without, alas, the hilarious application of alcohol. So I guess this’ll have to … Continue reading →

Nobody should watch the latest from Indian filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery without at least glancing over a review. The director of “Churuli” and “Angamaly Diaries” has a reputation for not playing by the rules, for not overexplaining or even explaining … Continue reading →

If you’ve ever bought a pass to an entire film festival just to see the restored Fritz Lang masterpiece “Metropolis” or Abel Gance’s “Napoleon,” ever driven across state lines just to catch the post-restoration re-release of “Lawrence of Arabia,” or … Continue reading →

The Advertising has a Disney World after the apocalypse vibe. Not seeing a lot of that in the trailer. Sure looks as if it was filmed in Florida or its equally swampy sisterlands, Louisiana or Georgia. “Coming soon?”

So the Finns fought Russian invaders early in World War II, and sided with the Germans in besieging Leningrad during their invasion of the USSR. And this avenging, John Wick-ish Finnish gold miner is killing Germans? Only Germans? Yes, it … Continue reading →

You’d think even Stephen King would be tired of “Children of the Corn” remakes by now. But as he’s having another “moment,” in which everything he ever wrote is potential fodder for a new franchise reboot, here we are with … Continue reading →

A Bond Lite/Not Quite Impossible Mission action comedy might be in Mr. Ritchie’s wheelhouse. Love that cast. Hugh as a cockney villain with posh pretentions? This bugger opens Friday.

“Call Me Chihiro” is a soapy, static Japanese melodrama that drifts through the months after a sex worker has given up “the life.” It’s true to its source material as it captures the brooding, interior world quality of some of … Continue reading →