Daily Archives: December 8, 2023

Ryan O’Neal was ridiculed for being a wooden pretty boy in his early films. But he was very funny opposite Streisand in “What’s Up Doc?” and lowdown amusing in “Paper Moon.” His best role might have been an iconic, largely … Continue reading →

Disney has apparently “right sized” its approach to the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” rights and franchise that it acquired when the studio bought out 20th Century Fox. The early live action films were the best, but how many of … Continue reading →

Maybe the definition of madness is “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.” That doesn’t really explain Netflix’s mania for big budget/”name” cast disaster movies. “Don’t Look Up” was merely the most-hyped. “Bird Box” had … Continue reading →

“Eileen” is a chilly, immersive character study about a young woman drowning in the drudgery and burdens of the trap her life has become. Eileen, played by the wonderful Thomasin McKenzie, has a soul-crushing job at a young men’s prison. … Continue reading →

“The Smell of Money” is a social justice documentary about environmental racism and its role in bringing home the bacon, ham and sausage in the American food chain. Set in the towns and rural counties of Eastern N.C. where Big … Continue reading →

In secular cinematic terms, “The Oath” is a limp, underfinanced Pre-Columbian “Last of the Mohicans,” an “action adventure” about the lone survivor of a tribe hunted down by his hated rivals, but not before he’s fallen in love with an … Continue reading →