Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

“Life Upside Down” is a pleasant enough and appropriately downbeat “COVID Lockdown Comedy” of no particular consequence. As there have been so many rom-coms set during the height of the “shelter in place” era, it’s difficult to find something fresh … Continue reading →

A boy of about nine has been bitten by his mad dog, and badly injured. He has a seizure at the hospital and his nurse mother is wracked with worry. She rushes to his side when he he wakes up, … Continue reading →

Love for “Elvis,” less than expected for “Top Gun Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” just my first thought–seat of the pants take on this AM’s Oscar nominations. “Everything Everywhere all at Once” led all nominees, grabbing recognition on … Continue reading →

And all through the land, haters of “Top Gun” put their heads in the sand. Not a “She Said” vote was ventured, nary an “Avatar” was panned. Short Round’s the new Olivier, Poitier too. Yeoh’s a cinch, Jamie Lee will … Continue reading →

Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine and support vs that rascal Hugh Grant villain. The tone seems right, flippant and swashbuckling. March.

At the end of World War II, members of the film unit of the OSS — the Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the CIA — were put to work hunting down every scrap of film footage they could gather … Continue reading →

“In the Heat of the Night” is one of those classics that does not fade in the memory. Yes, it’s a thriller with a murder mystery at the heart of it. But “whodunnit” is immaterial to the film’s thrills, and … Continue reading →

The scores of Anglo-American movies about World War II leave a lot of the history of that global conflict uncovered, especially the episodes that don’t flatter the domestic movie markets of the English speaking Allies. But there are riveting stories … Continue reading →

I had time to kill before catching up with “Skinamarink,” thanks to the inevitable online showtimes not matching up with the teens who operate the theater. So I thought I’d sit through Spielberg’s fictionalized version of how a great filmmaker … Continue reading →

One of the pleasures and indeed responsibilities of movie reviewing is remembering the lesson of a Hans Christian Andersen folk tale. Some folks review films based on their hype, the “director’s statement” of what it’s about, or a careful consideration … Continue reading →