Monthly Archives: April 2023

In the small town where I grew up, in the BFE borderlands of Virginia and N.C., I lived within walking distance of a downtown cinema that opened and closed a few times in my childhood, giving up the ghost completely … Continue reading →

“Devil’s Hollow” is a downbeat, torpid thriller of the Appalachian Gothic persuasion. A few solid performances and a strong sense of place never quite lift this formulaic melodrama out of the funk it wallows in. Shuler Hensley stars as Bobby … Continue reading →

It should go without saying that you don’t settle into the two-hours+ of a drama set within the world of haute cuisine with an empty stomach. That’s doubly true for the Thai tale “Hunger,” whose title is the last warning … Continue reading →

Eden REALLY wants to go to college, and not just any college, but tony Pembroke. As widowed Dad runs a septic tank service, she’s going to need help. That’s why the “scholarship girl” hits up her rich private school classmate … Continue reading →

“Chupa” is a harmless Spanglish trifle for kids, an “E.T.” riff about Mexico’s flying (!?) vampire bobcat of myth, El Chucacabra. It’s built on a simple formula — kid discovers a supernatural (or extraterrestrial) playmate, must save it from those … Continue reading →

“I don’t know much about art,” the old joke goes. “But I know what I like.” That settles in for a pleasant, gloriously inconsequential run around the cinematic block with the latest from Kelly Reichardt. In “Showing Up,” the “First … Continue reading →

French filmmaker François Ozon’s “Everything Went Fine” is a fact-based drama that details the moral quandary and legal and logistical obstacles family members face in France when a failing relative asks them the ultimate favor. “I want you to help … Continue reading →

I’ve told friends, who ask questions about people I’ve interviewed, that the only time I’ve ever gotten up from an interview, and stopped at the hotel suite or restaurant entryway and turned around, considering the question, “Wanna grab a beer?” … Continue reading →

There’s a lot more editing in the stunts — jumps, tumbles, fights, mounting and dismounting a horse. For the first time in his movies, we can guess where we’re seeing the stunt man and when we’re seeing the “star.” Yes, … Continue reading →

“Praise This” is a cheerful Gospel music “praise team” variation on every singing and/or dancing competition movie, from “Bring it On” to “Pitch Perfect.” It’s a star vehicle built around Georgia singer, composer and actress Chlöe, aka Chloe Bailey, and … Continue reading →