Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

A chance encounter, a crime committed by a relative and well-ordered lives, in a country famous for them, fall to pieces in the Japanese drama “A Girl Missing.” It’s another intimate portrait of a mannered, particularly Japanese way of unraveling … Continue reading →

Casper Von Diem is der villain in this action pic from Voltage pictures. Samaire Armstrong and William Katt, the onetime “Greatest American Hero,” also star in this one, which might be slated for Dec. Or might have moved up, since … Continue reading →

The kids are facing a grim school year, no matter which way  the COVID turns. They could use a little end-of-summer escape. And with most cinemas still closed, it’s up to the Kings of Teen Romance, Netflix, to provide it. … Continue reading →

Regarding “Amulet,” the words of Abraham Lincoln, the First Movie Critic, come to mind. “Those who like this sort of thing might find it the sort of thing they like.” I see this horror tale from actress (“Suffragette” and TV’s … Continue reading →

What qualities makes a children’s book or cartoon series translate across languages and cultures? Why would anime like “Gigantor” and “Speed Racer,” books and animated TV and films about “Babar” and “The Smurfs” become universal, while “Asterix” and “Arthur and … Continue reading →

“I just have this feeling…” What WILL she do? Dark and darkly humorous, and full of Neon goodness, “She Dies Tomorrow” streams Aug. 7

Some big themes and social issues are wrapped up in the stylish Indian period piece “Bulbbul,” a thriller that leans far too heavily on “Hound of the Baskervilles” for its own good. I mean, when you’ve got the law-school bound … Continue reading →

Sure, “Little Shop of Horrors” was fun. But Howard Ashman didn’t truly hit his stride until Disney realized animated musicals were the studio’s ticket back to relevance. I can remember the line where it happened for me, in Disney’s legendary … Continue reading →

The new trailer? Yes. It is. Funny, too. Adorably nostalgic. Movie’s been pushed back once or twice, Sept. 1 now. We’ll see.

A young Nigerian travels to Brazil in search of his missing older brother in “Shine Your Eyes,” a lyrical São Paulo mystery-travelogue that takes us through math, music and into madness. The search-for-a-missing person story is one of the most … Continue reading →