Author Archives: Roger Moore

World War II, for those a little rusty on their history, wasn’t won by Brad Pitt or General Patton or Captain America. It was won by a bunch of nerds led by a socially inept, puzzle-obsessed mathematical genius who also … Continue reading →

There’s no pretense of magic and majesty to this “Jurassic Park,” no notion that this is a reboot. No, the story has progressed, the theme park has opened, safety concerns be damned. No, science has learned nothing about genetic tinkering … Continue reading →

Writer-director-star Shawn Christensen’s “Curfew” was a minor miracle of a short film. This 2012 Oscar nominee was cynical and bitter, sad and uplifting — and deeply, darkly hilarious — a lot to manage in 19 magical minutes. “Curfew” earns a … Continue reading →

Blame it on lowered expectations for the umpteenth cartoon starring those commando penguins from “Madagascar,” over-exposed little darlings who stole all those movies and went on to star in their own spin off TV series. Or lay it at the … Continue reading →

Your enjoyment of “Horrible Bosses 2” is almost wholly dependent on your tolerance for clusters of funny actors, babbling, riffing — and in the case of Charlie Day, screeching — all at once. That’s how they communicate. And if we … Continue reading →

“The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness” is a great name for a documentary about Hayao Miyazaki and his animation house, Japan’s Studio Ghibli. His Oscar winning “Spirited Away” and fantasies such as “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Ponyo” established him as … Continue reading →

Mike Leigh’s bio-pic of Britain’s “greatest artist,” J.M. W. Turner, gives his muse, Timothy Spall, a great star vehicle. A lovely looking period piece performed in almost indecipherable Cockney, or so we’ve been told. Dying to see it, maybe a … Continue reading →

Looking forward to this documentary about Hiyao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli and the magical hand-drawn animated empire that was born there. Anime fairytales, Japanese folk tales, Japanese history and Steam Punk, all came off the pens of this animation innovator. “The … Continue reading →

Lily James has the title role. But Cate Blanchett as the wicked stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother? Digging that. It’s lovely to look at — period costumes, lust forests, over-saturated Technicolor palette. In 3D? I wonder. … Continue reading →