Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

Two movies I’m looking forward to this summer, and not just because of their killer trailers — I’m a history buff — “Dunkirk” and “Detroit.” A WWII epic about a Britain that never tires of hearing about it’s “finest hour.” … Continue reading →

Have you seen the comically horrific “Alien Raiders” — you know, the one about a motley collection of folks trapped in a supermarket when the Aliens Attack? You should. How about “Killers” (Ashton K. and Katherine Heigl) or “The Air … Continue reading →

A great wrong — Ok, a minor wrong — is righted with the belated theatrical release of “47 Meters Down,” a trapped-in-a-shark-cage thriller whose production values suggest it deserves better than a direct-to-video fate. The film’s star, Mandy Moore, has … Continue reading →

Brett Haley has described “The Hero” as “a love letter” not only to Sam Elliott, but to a particular breed of Hollywood icon. Elliott plays an aging Western hero, getting by on voice-over work in commercials, facing mortality and hoping for … Continue reading →

The Holocaust has been so exhaustively covered as a movie subject as to become a Hollywood punch-line. But the Israeli drama “Past Life” finds a new angle, a new corner of collective guilt. Avi Nesher’s “What Dad did during the … Continue reading →

As Mandy Moore grew up in Orlando, learned her acting and musical chops here, and since her mom used to work at the newspaper where I used to work, I have interviewed her many times over the years. She always … Continue reading →

One thing you notice, going out this weekend, is the feminine tenor (soprano?) of the chatter at your neighborhood multiplex. That’s because “Wonder Woman” is playing. That’s because women don’t need no stinking “Women only” screenings to show up the … Continue reading →

Of all the named causes of California’s ongoing water shortages, and the water wars of the state’s agricultural heartland, the Central Valley — here’s one you never thought of. It’s all the fault of naive environmentalists who apparently hate farmers. … Continue reading →

Add another $54 million to Warner Brothers’ coffers for “gambling” on putting the DC Universe’s future in the hands of an Israeli actress playing “Wonder Woman.” This is turning into the blockbuster WB/DC have craved since Bale & Co. finished … Continue reading →

Cute little framing bit, with Martin Freeman chatting up Gollom/Andy Serkis. And an elaborate origin world for the superhero is here. The rest? Standard issue hero-in-tights comic book stuff, with a dollop of humor. Marvel mass production values. Enjoy.