Tag Archives: fiction

Documentary Review: “Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation,” a Writer, a Book, a Legend and a Legacy

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Roger Moore

Natalie Merchant, the singer and songwriter of “Hey Jack Kerouac” among other hits, thinks that one reads and is swept up by his novel “On the Road” when young because “You’re kid of wired for it in adolescence.” The actor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Documentary Review: “Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation,” a Writer, a Book, a Legend and a Legacy

Movie Review: Damn Right “She Rides Shotgun”

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Roger Moore

“She Rides Shotgun” is a gripping A-list B-movie, a morally ambigious and illogically logical thriller for our amoral, illogical times. Based on a novel by Ben Harper, Nick Rowland’s film grabs a solid, time-proven scenario — a child, on the … Continue reading →

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

Movie Review: Broadbent “walks 500 miles” in “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Roger Moore

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent earns a fine showcase in “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” a sweet story of grief, regret, obligations and the kindness of strangers. It’s based on a novel by Rachel Joyce that seems inspired by any … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: Broadbent “walks 500 miles” in “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”

Classic Film Review: A Brit Baby Boomer lost in His Own World — “Billy Liar” (1963)

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Roger Moore

Falling into “Billy Liar” is no easy feat, even for a film buff, over sixty years after it was released. It’s been included in more than one list of “the 100 Best British Films Ever Made,” albeit in the bottom … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Classic Film Review: A Brit Baby Boomer lost in His Own World — “Billy Liar” (1963)

Movie Review: A writer, her mentor and “The Friend” Great Dane who takes over her life

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Roger Moore

You might have to be a dog lover to truly engage and “get” “The Friend,” a melancholy meditation on suicide, loss, character and our obligations to someone who has killed himself. And if you’re unsure about the depth of your … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: A writer, her mentor and “The Friend” Great Dane who takes over her life

Series Review: Tom Wolfe’s “A Man in Full” becomes an Oversexed Cracker Cartoon for Netflix

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Roger Moore

Tom Wolfe’s darkly comic 1998 novel “A Man in Full” comes to the screen, courtesy of another king of ’80s and ’90s entertainment, TV writer/producer David E. Kelley. The book, uneven but page-turning trash encompassing Wolfe’s favorite themes — class, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Series Review: Tom Wolfe’s “A Man in Full” becomes an Oversexed Cracker Cartoon for Netflix

Netflixable? Troubled Swedish Family has to “Let Go” to break-up

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Roger Moore

Swedish actress, screenwriter and director Josephine Bornebusch conjures up a downbeat star vehicle for herself with “Let Go,” about a dysfunctional family’s trip to support their sixteen year-old in a pole-dancing competition. Sweden, right? There’s a catatonic grandfather to visit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Netflixable? Troubled Swedish Family has to “Let Go” to break-up

Movie Review: Glenn Close stars in a “Beach Read” that might cure insomnia — “The Summer Book”

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Roger Moore

“The Summer Book” is a picturesque period piece based on a novel Tove Jannson wrote, inspired by her own experiences living on an island in the Gulf of Finland. It aims for “lyrical” and “meditative” as it tells the story … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: Glenn Close stars in a “Beach Read” that might cure insomnia — “The Summer Book”

Movie Review: Belgium’s hope for an Oscar nomination? “Julie Keeps Quiet”

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Roger Moore

She wants to become a professional tennis player, so Julie stays focused. She’s a teen, and if wants to continue to train Julie knows she has to keep her eye on the ball, on and off the court. Julie has … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: Belgium’s hope for an Oscar nomination? “Julie Keeps Quiet”

Movie Review: “White Bird” ties a bullying tale to The Holocaust

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Roger Moore

Novelist R.L. Palacio’s attempt to turn out a sequel to her best-seller “Wonder,” which became a Julia Roberts weeper on the big screen, seems well-intentioned enough. But tying that story about a precocious child bullied simply because he looks :different” … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: “White Bird” ties a bullying tale to The Holocaust