Author Archives: Roger Moore

Vietnam War literature is where we first heard the combat infantry expression “thousand yard stare.” It’s entered the war lit/war film lexicon as shorthand for the soldier whose eyes reflect the exhausted wariness of anybody too long “in country.” But … Continue reading →

My stars and garters, I lost COUNT of the number of times I muttered “They did NOT just go THERE” while watching “Cocaine Bear.” I haven’t seen this many cocaine jokes since “Saturday Night Live” in the ’80s. And the … Continue reading →

It’s worth applying the Hippocratic Oath when considering the quality, veracity and messaging of any “faith based film.” “First, do no harm,” Hippocrates preached. The angry, divisive tone of “God’s Not Dead,” “Left Behind” and too many films that ride … Continue reading →

Steve Martin’s “Number One is Walking: My Life in Movies and Other Diversions,” is the sort of book that airports should buy in bulk and sell at a discount, so that passengers can give them a quick read and leave … Continue reading →

Neve wants to believe it when she says it. She especially wants the person she’s talking with to buy in. “I’m a proud Black woman,” she says, not even convincing herself. “PROUD.” But we’ve already seen her immersion in white … Continue reading →

The job of “High Commissioner” of a set of islands in French Polynesia has to be any bureaucrat’s dream posting. Wear lots of white linen suits, make the occasional speech, sit down with local politicians and opinion leaders over fresh … Continue reading →

This is a Knoxville TV station’s account of the story that is the basis for “Cocaine Bear,” a little archival footage homework before my next screening, Ms. Banks’ stoned bear horror comedy.

Movies filmed in close-up used to be a hallmark of television, then a medium with budgetary and screen-size restraints that begged for what actors came to term “neck up performances.” In the movies, the full-frame face can create an almost … Continue reading →

Well, thank heaven “Linoleum” isn’t about Jim Gaffigan, as a frustrated kids’ TV science show host, building a rocket in his garage and launching himself into space. We’ve all seen “The Astronaut Farmer,” after all. And Wallace & Gromit’s “A … Continue reading →