Author Archives: Roger Moore

Ethiopian-American filmmaker Haile Gerima’s 1993 gem “Sankofa” is both a landmark of indie cinema and a benchmark on the storytelling road between TV’s “Roots” and the Oscar winning drama, “12 Years a Slave.” It’s a poetic, mystical and meandering immersion … Continue reading →

Whatever sway the police may have on the streets of Marseilles, in the high rise projects on its northern edges, the gangs run the show. The cops, even the elite “BAC” special squads, avoid them. Merely driving up earns a … Continue reading →

Bathed in small town and newspaper life nostalgia, “Storm Lake” preserves, under glass, a moment in time. We see what might be the last burst of glory for a Pulitzer Prize-winning small town Iowa newspaper as it doggedly carries on, … Continue reading →

A24 has this one, a Nov. 24 release.

The pitch? Twinkly Michael Caine‘s a boozy crank of a writer, with sulky Aubrey Plaza the hapless, put-out “silver spoon” publisher trapped escorting the old drunk on a wintry book tour through, not bookstores, but accommodating bars. Yes, “Best Sellers” … Continue reading →

Today’s trek on Around the World with Netflix is a Romanian drama about power, obsession, guilt and regret. “The Father Who Moves Mountains (Tata mută munții)” takes us into the Romanian winter where a politically-connected father (Adrian Titieni) frantically tries … Continue reading →

The perilous state of our fisheries and endangered status of American commercial fisherman are explored, in depth, in “Fish & Men,” a new documentary centered on the dying commercial fishing industry of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Filmmakers Darby Duffin and Adam J. … Continue reading →

This is something to see. A circus sideshow tale of “Man or beast?” starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchette, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins…I It’s based on the William Lindsay Gresham novel that was the basis for a Tyrone Power/Joan … Continue reading →

Excellent effects and production values and casting Krysten Ritter as a witch (Why knew?) pays off in “Nightbooks,” a Goosebumped take on Hansel & Gretel. It’s a kid-friendly horror tale — terror with training wheels on — about children lured … Continue reading →

Another “coming out” tale, another dive into drag? Another relentlessly upbeat and empowering pop anthem-packed musical? Another hero who craves fame, the spotlight, who answers the call to perform only he can hear? “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” can seem dated … Continue reading →