Monthly Archives: December 2023

This Christmas will host “The Color Purple” musical, George Clooney’s take on “The Boys in the Boat” and a pre “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Willie Wonka origin story. The trailers to “Wonka” have a lovely Dickensian winter sheen sheen … Continue reading →

A wasting death, a trip to celebrate a life, and to recover from “Good Grief.” Levy tries something sensitive and not at all funny for his writing and directing and starring debut. Jan. 5 on Netflix.

“Cuarancena” may not be the most bourgeois comedy ever to come out of the Dominican Republic. But I’ve seen a few, and I’m guessing it is, and I mean that in the most flattering way. A high-toned dark comedy that … Continue reading →

There’s something to the notion that bomb-battered and nearly bled-out Britain had more to celebrate than most after the end of World War II. That explains the time-delayed explosion of wry, giddy comedies that poured out before they’d ended rationing … Continue reading →

There was something familiar in the tropes, tricks, twists and gimmicks in 2014’s Korean thriller “A Hard Day.” A cop, in trouble and dashing about trying to cover his tracks in a corruption scandal, running over a pedestrian in his … Continue reading →

A Taiwanese/American gangland thriller/action shoot’em up, this one looks jokey and bloody and kind of fun. Jan. 4. Netflix

Hiyao Miyazaki’s latest “final film” (he’s retired a few times, most recently in 2013) is doing bang-up business at the U.S. box office as “The Boy and the Heron” looks to win a weak, no-real-competition early Dec. opening weekend. Deadline.com … Continue reading →

A refugee smuggling tragedy tears at the fabric of a Greek family in “Behind the Haystacks,” a touching and deeply involving drama that is the Greek submission for consideration as Best International Feature for the next Academy Awards. The Middle … Continue reading →

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 →