Monthly Archives: December 2023

There have always been movie remakes, as long before the words “intellectual property” became common currency, studios were remaking scripts or books they had the rights to. Hemingway’s “To Have and Have Not” was not just a 1944 classic with … Continue reading →

It’s about time filmmakers turned their attention away from English-language young adult fantasy fiction and returned to the land where the Western tradition in literary fantasy began, in the land of the Brothers Grimm. But the Amazon/MGM production of Kerstin … Continue reading →

Don’t tell his momma, or his wife. But there’s something just right about casting Dermot Mulroney as an ex-con. He’s got the look. Hell, he’s had it all along. But damned if that rough-hewn, more-rugged-than-handsome-mug wasn’t in “My Best Friend’s … Continue reading →

A body builder — Katy M. O’Brian — draws the attention of lonely K-Stew, who comes to find out just what Ms. Muscles is into and all about — Murder for hire? — with Ed Harris and assorted other bad … Continue reading →

“Merry Good Enough” is an indifferent, listless and generally lifeless holiday comedy built around the admission, “It’s the holidays. We’re all a little suicidal.” It’s about three unhappy 30ish children coming home to their long-divorced mom in Massachusetts suburbia wondering … Continue reading →

Let it be said that the new musical “The Color Purple” in no way replaces the sometimes-wrenching 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s acclaimed novel. The film version of Marsha Norman’s 2005 stage musical is best appreciated with a word … Continue reading →

This has the feel of other Kidman work — the film “Rabbit Hole” for starters. Mournful, bereft, this time in an exotic locale, living far from where she was born. Amazon Prime has this series, premiering Jan. 26.

Alfred Hitchcock’s fame and reputation for crackling, stylish and expressionistic thrillers was pretty well established by the time he got around to “Secret Agent” in 1936. “The Lodger” has made his name, and “The 39 Steps” and “The Man Who … Continue reading →

The Colombian filmmaker Rodrigo García’s new Netflix movie is a big, inclusive family gathering for a family meal and a little family drama in rural Mexico. “Familia” isn’t a tale of any cosequence, and a bit of a letdown considering … Continue reading →

If we’ve learned anything from historical books and films such as “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” it’s that there is rarely an avenging angel, a righteous man or woman who comes and saves … Continue reading →