Author Archives: Roger Moore

The neglected and abused elderly become avenging zombies in the German thriller “Old People,” a film with a clever hook, grisly details and a motivated, some would say justifiably so, “villain” class. Writer-director Andy Fetscher’s depiction of the horrors of … Continue reading →

One way to get past that seasonal “holiday movie phobia” thing more than a few of us suffer from is to throw in some Italian-Americans, as writer-director Robert Tinnell does with “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” Make it a period … Continue reading →

“Luckiest Girl Alive” might be the best “Lifetime Original Movie” ever, certainly the best one of those Netflix has made. Yes, that label is both descriptive — a film that has a female protagonist overcoming obstacles or some horrific event … Continue reading →

You think you’ve gotten around to most every Western worth its spurs, the ones directed by the Four Masters of the genre; John Ford, Howard Hawks, Henry Hathaway and Henry King. You figure saddling up for the Anthony Mann/Jimmy Stewart … Continue reading →

The promo photos and plot description make “Seoul Vibe” out to be a Korean “Fast and Furious” film. At the very least, we have a right to expect lots of action and wild car stunts performed by characters played by … Continue reading →

“Mr. Harrington’s Phone” is a Stephen King adaptation that’s more fun for King fans to deconstruct and psychoanalyze than to experience as a movie. The tale is in expert filmmaking hands, and “Blind Side” and “Saving Mr. Banks” writer-director John … Continue reading →

I remember seeing “Putney Swope” with an audience once, and I remember it landing laughs. As that audience was at a whiter-than-white midwestern university film society, and this was some years ago, perhaps that’s telling. Robert Downey Sr.’s silly, broad … Continue reading →

A hormonal kid sees his parents and baby brother hauled off by the police and relies on his equally clueless peers and a phone sex operator for guidance in the unlikely one-night odyssey “1-800-Hot-Nite.” It’s not exactly a breakout film … Continue reading →

Mike Hodges, a British filmmaker of some repute who made key films in the careers of Michael Caine (“Get Carter”) and Clive Owen (“Croupier”) has died at the ripe old age of 90. He did “The Terminal Man” and “Flash … Continue reading →

As the author of this New York Mag piece and its accompanying genealogy chart acknowledges, show business isn’t the only place nepotism exists in the American “meritocracy.” An early direct encounter I had with that was lightly mocking, when in … Continue reading →