Monthly Archives: August 2024

The news that the movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes was making yet another attempt to dumb down its “ratings” and pander to the movies that filmgoers today are flocking to — quality, merit and artistic ambition be damned — … Continue reading →

Mekhi Phifer and Josh Hutcherson are on the extraction “team,” Garcia is the bad guy in Venezuela holding the daughter (Brolin, daughter of you know who) of a senator (Oscar winner Melissa Leo) hostage. Sept. 20 from Lionsgate. Solid looking … Continue reading →

If you see but one semi-musical Welsh lesbian romance this year, make it “Chuck Chuck Baby.” An adorable, uplifting ache of a movie, writer-director Janis Pugh’s modest marvel floats by on the glories of a well-crafted pop song and summons … Continue reading →

This trailer, coming after film festival reviews that weren’t flattering, emphasizes the misguided criticism that has often greeted the films of Francis Ford Coppola. Interesting angle, with narration by Laurence Fishburne (“Apocalypse Now”). It looks spectacular enough to give one … Continue reading →

“The Long Night” (1947) is a film noir era police stand-off thriller built around flashbacks that show us how the killer landed in this predicament. Melodramatic to a fault, it stars Henry Fonda, with Barbara Bel Geddes and Ann Dvorak … Continue reading →

“SNL” alum Kyle Mooney conceived this teen rom-com/disaster comedy. Jonah Hill produced it to ensure it’d be rude and filthy enough. Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martel, Julian Dennison, Mason Gooding and Lachlan Watson are the young folks caught up in what … Continue reading →

Another movie with Mommy issues from Pedro Almodóvar, this one in English and based on a Sigrid Nunez novel. Alessandro Nivola and John Turturro also star. Dec. 20.

Apple TV’s “Bad Monkey” ticks off so many personal boxes that there was no way I’d be missing this new series. It’s a sordid and silly Florida tale, and I put in my 25 years in the Banana Republic, so … Continue reading →

“The Other Laurens” is a slow, drifting mystery thriller that takes a while to decide what it’s about, takes another while to add on complications and adds a third while to attempt to get to some sort ofint. The Belgian … Continue reading →

A couple of Oscar winners, some splendid stuntwork — some by the stars themselves — and lovely London, Slovenia and (allegedly) Jersey locations recommend “The Union,” an “I Spy/My Spy” action comedy where the money is on the screen, not … Continue reading →