Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

The first “Saw” movie had a minimalist sophistication — strangers, waking up together, presented with life-or-death choices as an unseen tormentor sat in judgement of whether they were fit to live. Everything that followed, sequels and the whole “torture porn” … Continue reading →

Now that Halloween has passed, it’s not too early for Hollywood to unleash its first Christmas comedy. But there’s never a good time to release a bad one. Nothing like celebrating the holidays with a puerile, sentimental and foul-mouthed slapstick … Continue reading →

Lyndon Johnson was a tall man, 6’4.” He had a habit of leaning into colleagues and subordinates, towering over them, intimidating even in the friendliest of circumstances. And as he had a temper and a mania for hard work, wheeling … Continue reading →

So Louis wants to do a Woody Allen homage, playing a movie director in a black and white comedy about a somewhat pretentious, arty movie director. Ick. So the guy’s got a nubile, bikini clad (often as not) teen daughter … Continue reading →

“Lifetime Original Movie” is glib, pejorative criticspeak that no movie with a female protagonist and women-centric subject matter wants as a label. And I might add, that no critic wants to use when the movie’s subject is rape and its … Continue reading →

Actor turned writer-director Jason Hall (he scripted “American Sniper”) returns to Iraq War veteran subject matter with “Thank You for Your Service,” an oddly unaffecting portrait of damaged soldiers trying to break back into civilian life. He goes for veracity … Continue reading →

The ever-so-English charms of “Goodbye, Christopher Robin” aren’t spoiled by its abrupt shifts in tone and occasional sentimental cheats. But those failings do tend to render this Simon Curtis film about the little boy and his toys who inspired “Winnie … Continue reading →

The conceit or gimmick behind “Loving Vincent,” a new Anglo-Polish film about the last days of Vincent Van Gogh, was to cast it and film it with live actors on real sets, and then paint-over those images in the Van … Continue reading →

With “Suburbicon,” George Clooney at long last achieves one of his bucket-list goals as director, making a satirical misfire every bit as tone-deaf as the worst works of his movie-making mentors, the Coen Brothers. It’s a darkly humorous murder farce set … Continue reading →

The “Thor” movies have always been the lightest, silliest installments in the Marvel money-minting machine. They’re more about the fun than the fights, and in “Thor: Ragnarok,” you know even the big fight — the God of Thunder vs. The … Continue reading →