Monthly Archives: July 2024

Back in 2010, a couple of children’s animated films came out with roughly the same message — that evil geniuses and criminal masterminds are misunderstood, sweet and salvageable as human beings. “Megamind,” starring Will Ferrell, was a big hit. “Despicable … Continue reading →

Cinemas that showed movies continuously, often around the clock, were called “grindhouses,” and back in the ’70s, these were the cinematic epitome of urban decay, moral drift and “alternative” movies. It’s an American term most often associated with New York … Continue reading →

A feel-good story first brought to light by Oprah and People Magazine, “The Story of Possum Trot” tells of a poor black town in East Texas where one small church’s congregation took it on itself to adopt as many unwanted … Continue reading →

Everybody on camera looks delighted to be here in the first “Beverly Hills Cop” movie in a dozen years, the first “classic cast” sequel since 1994. And that’s a lot different from the “relieved to be here” financially-strapped folks who … Continue reading →

Don’t let the multiple anti-climaxes that parade across the screen in the finale of “Escape,” a new thriller from actor turned director Lee Jong-pil (“Born to Sing,” “Samjin Company English Class”) throw you off. Up to then, it’s a crackling … Continue reading →

It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, deciphering one’s scribbled notes in the dark taken while watching a film. But the words “DO NOT WANT” cover a page in the middle of what I noted about the … Continue reading →

The collective star power and screen charisma of Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates, Zac Efron and Joey King can’t pull the dull, unromantic and utterly predictible romanntic comedy “A Family Affair” out of the doldrums. Scripted and directed by the usually … Continue reading →

In an earlier life, I used to produce and engineer (record and edit) radio programs at the University of North Dakota public radio stations. A great favorite was the weekly taping with historian and history teacher Robert Wilkins, host of … Continue reading →