Author Archives: Roger Moore

“The Idea of You” is a swoony screen romance that skates on the edge of a lot of “almosts.” A female wish fulfillment fantasy, it almost gets by on a little charm and a lot of acting effort by Oscar-winning … Continue reading →

“Down the Rabbit Hole” is probably the strangest feature film on Netflix at the moment, a twisted parable of an indulged, myopic childhood based on the acclaimed debut novella of Mexican author Juan Pablo Villalobos. “Fiesta en la Madriguera,” as … Continue reading →

“Checkmate” is an Argentine action that is una pelicula caseosa. Cheesy? It’s a picture that wouldn’t last past its opening credits without a never-ending parade of cliches, tired genre tropes and banal, over-familiar plot elements. It begins with the “retired” … Continue reading →

It might be based on a weathered, folksy and cheesy TV series of the ’80s, but every minute of the big screen version of “The Fall Guy” reminds us it’s a MOVIE movie, a spectacle. Break out the popcorn. An … Continue reading →

Few live action comedies mimic the lurid comic book style of Japanese manga as accurately or amusingly as “City Hunter,” a gonzo beat-em-up/shoot-em-up knife-fight riot based on the comic by Tsukasa Hôjô. “Kasane” director Yûichi Satô, action choreographer Takashi Tanimoto … Continue reading →

There isn’t much that would recommend “Scandal” to a cinephile who isn’t trying to finish off The Complete Works of Akira Kurosawa. It’s a sentimental, maudlin melodrama with comical flourishes, not as ambitious or epic as the director’s best work. … Continue reading →

All in one promo/preview.

Those “prisoners” supernaturally imprisoned in human bodies, bouncing between the distant past and the Korean present as “Alienoids” are back. “Alienoid: Return to the Future” is, if anything, even harder to follow than “Alienoid.” But plainly “following” whatever the hell … Continue reading →

A new “Lion King,” a prequel, with new tunes by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Kelvin Harrison and Donald Glover and Beyonce and her child and Aaron Pierre and and Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner. All voicing digital critters of the Serengeti! … Continue reading →

“I Am Gitmo” is an earnest attempt at bringing the Guantanamo Bay inmates’ story — foreign nationals accused of terrorism, held and tortured for years, with no trials or hope of release — back to the headlines. It’s a downbeat, … Continue reading →