Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

Preview, So many pre #MeToo James Franco movies, at least Netflix has a Use for “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

The news here isn’t that the shamed James Franco, who had so much work in the can before revelations about his predations on young to under-age women became public, has another movie coming out. Or that he made a Western, … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Preview, So many pre #MeToo James Franco movies, at least Netflix has a Use for “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

Netflixable? Eastwood the Younger cannot funny his way onto the “Walk of Fame”

Scott Eastwood’s career guidance appears to be “Try everything my Dad did,” and that’s why we’re getting dramas, romances and now an actual comedy from the chip off the old block. But is there a “movie star” today who’s more … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Netflixable? Eastwood the Younger cannot funny his way onto the “Walk of Fame”

Netflixable? Get “Ripped,” lose 30 Years of Your Life

Got to love it when a bad comedy sums itself up and all but saves you the trouble of writing an entire review. As in, “Guys, is this supposed to be funny, or not?” That’s what Debbie (Alex Meneses) blurts … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Netflixable? Get “Ripped,” lose 30 Years of Your Life

Netflixable? Israelis celebrate an Egyptian spy/turncoat, “The Angel”

Spy recruiters tell us that there are four prime reasons why people betray their country, summed up by the too-cute acronym “MICE — Money, Ideology, Coercion or Ego.” And a couple of those can certainly be applied to the Egyptian turncoat Ashraf … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | 3 Comments

Movie Review: Kendrick ponders a Mysterious Blake Lively in “A Simple Favor”

“A Simple Favor” is a thriller that ticks likes a Timex, a precision exercise in button-pushing manipulation and a laugh out loud mystery that mocks its own manipulations, giggles at its own far-fetched twists. Paul Feig of “Bridesmaids,” working from … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Movie Review: Kendrick ponders a Mysterious Blake Lively in “A Simple Favor”

Documentary Review: “The Public Image is Rotten” shows us Lydon in Winter

In his youth, John Lydon, who went by Johnny Rotten back then, was always good for an quote. Point a TV camera at him, as more than one British TV provocateur was given to do, ask him to say something … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Documentary Review: “The Public Image is Rotten” shows us Lydon in Winter

Preview, Elle Fanning shows us she’s got “Teen Spirit”

Nothing to do with Nirvana, so let’s avoid any “Smells like” wisecracks. This Max Minghella film is about an aspiring pop starlet (Elle), her mentor (Rebecca Hall) and a BIG CONTEST that can make or break her. They’re premiering “Teen … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | 1 Comment

Netflixable? The downside of going Greek hits this “Frat Star”

Regarding the college sex comedy “Frat Star,” it doesn’t really let co-directors Grant Johnson and Ippsie Jones off the hook by saying “They MEANT” to make something appalling. They succeeded, exposing the elitist, sexist and degrading “Greek” system as it … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Netflixable? The downside of going Greek hits this “Frat Star”

Movie Review — “Unbroken: Path to Redemption”

The evangelist Billy Graham long had a film production company that produced movies with the same aim as his televised “Crusades” — to win converts, or at least reaffirmations of faith from believers. These were simple, modest-budget films with varying … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Movie Review — “Unbroken: Path to Redemption”

Movie Review: “The Predator” “Picks Up” Where He Left Off

Shane Black writes the chewiest, funniest tough-guy dialogue in the movies. So having the writer-director of “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “The Nice Guys” in charge of “The Predator” reboot was sure to pay dividends. He’s a born smart-ass, and … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Comments Off on Movie Review: “The Predator” “Picks Up” Where He Left Off