Tag Archives: film

Classic Film Review: A Holiday Favorite finds Renewed Relevance — “Trading Places”(1983)

The “greed is good” ’80s and the vast wealth gap of today created by the “trickle down economics” of the Reagan administration was just kicking in when“Trading Places,” an anarchic comedy about the greedy getting their just deserts, hit theaters. … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Classic Film Review: A Holiday Favorite finds Renewed Relevance — “Trading Places”(1983)

Netflixable? “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”

Ordinarily when I review a film in theaters, I label that as “movie review.” Even when that film is heading to Netflix after a short theatrical run, Search Engine Optimization demands that you call it such. But for most Netflix … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Netflixable? “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”

Classic Film Review: McDowell, Warner and Steenburgen Travel with H.G. Wells — “Time After Time” (1979)

The acid test for any beloved film from the past is “How does it hold up?” In the case of the sentimental crowd-pleasing “Time After Time” from 1979, the answer is “pretty well.” I remember being almost giddy leaving the … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Classic Film Review: McDowell, Warner and Steenburgen Travel with H.G. Wells — “Time After Time” (1979)

Documentary Review: A Horror Icon revisits His Many Touchstones — “Sangre del Toro”

Guillermo del Toro is not just the fanboy’s fanboy, a comic book collector (“Horror comics, mostly.”) turned Oscar winning horror director. He rivals his idol David Cronenberg as the reigning intellectual of his genre, a thoughtful, philosophical Mexican who knows … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Documentary Review: A Horror Icon revisits His Many Touchstones — “Sangre del Toro”

Movie Review: An Actor finds the Meaning of His Calling working as “Rental Family”

Just when you think Japanese culture could not seem more strange and exotic, along comes another movie reminder that the “problems” have a different gravitas over there, and the solutions to them can be downright ingenius. Little shrines decorate the … Continue reading

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

Movie Review: A New Yorker widowed by a Police Shooting seeks Justice in “Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story”

An infamous police shooting leads to trials and a search for justice that doesn’t end in a courtroom in “Aftershock” The Nicole P. Bell Story.” It’s a sturdy, often moving fil built aroud Rayven Symone Ferrell’s affecting performance in the … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: A New Yorker widowed by a Police Shooting seeks Justice in “Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story”

Documentary Review: Australia’s Oscar hopes rely on Mongolians who know “The Wolves Always Come at Night”

“The Wolves Always Come at Night” is an evocative immersion in a dying way of life, that of nomadic Mongolian goat, horse and cattle herders. Gabrielle Brady’s documentary captures the stark beauty of the treeless brownscape of the Mongolian steppes, … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Documentary Review: Australia’s Oscar hopes rely on Mongolians who know “The Wolves Always Come at Night”

Movie Review: A Mother’s Past and Present Blur “When Fall is Coming”

François Ozon has to be the French cinema’s premier poker player. With his genre-bending/expectations-upending dramas (“Everything Went Fine”), dramedies (“In the House”), feminist comedies (“Potiche”) and musical drama mysteries (“8 Women”), you’d hate to be seated at the same table … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: A Mother’s Past and Present Blur “When Fall is Coming”

Classic Film Review: A Reporter digs into government scandals real and staged — “Defence of the Realm” (1985)

It’s odd to think of the ’80s as a movie decade in which we can bandy the phrase “They don’t make’em like that any more” about. Hollywood’s blockbuster obsession almost wholly took over, and the roman numeralization of cinema “franchises” … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Classic Film Review: A Reporter digs into government scandals real and staged — “Defence of the Realm” (1985)

Netflixable? “Being Eddie” is how Murphy wants you to See Him

Eddie Murphy has a lot to be satisfied with. A gifted mimic turned overnight stand-up star, famous since his teen years on “Saturday Night Live,” a ground-breaking African American superstar of the screen, for decades one of the biggest box … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Netflixable? “Being Eddie” is how Murphy wants you to See Him