Tag Archives: Reviews

Classic Film Review: Pinter, Losey and Bogarde wind up the Clockwork Creepiness of “The Servant”(1963)

It’s been so long since I reviewed anything scripted by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter that I had to refresh my memory about the traits associated with the phrase “Pinteresque.” Let’s see, an “atmosphere of menace,” suspense and tension heightened by … Continue reading

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Netflixable? A Brazilian pop-star biopic — “Latin Blood: The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso”

From the moment little Ney de Souza Pereira spied cabaret and carnival icon Elvira Pagã on the stage, the die was cast and his young life had purpose. All those beatings he stubbornly endured from his military officer dad because … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “The Life of Chuck” Dances for the Reason to Live at the End of the World

Speaking as a critic who’s been “blurbed” a few times over the decades, you’ve got to recognize the double-edged sword such “recognition” in the advertising on a poster for a movie is. That’s you, out there, effusive in your praise, … Continue reading

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Movie Review: An Indian Woman stands up to a “Pinch,” and Faces the Consequences

Uttera Singh’s “Pinch” is a picture that runs on outrage. It shows us a sex crime and demonstrates how hard it is to get anyone — including women, her own mother and even herself — to take it seriously in … Continue reading

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BOX OFFICE: “Dragon” Flies High, “Materialists” cash in, “Stitch” clears the $800 million mark

Kids’ entertainment has been king of the box office this summer, as animated franchises turned into CGI assisted “live action” remakes have become the latest “sure thing” in that corner of the marketplace. First it was cell-animated fare of the … Continue reading

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Movie Review: To be Pretty, Young and Italian, Figuring It Out at “Diciannove”

Giovanni Tortorici’s “Diciannove” is a dreamy, drifting odyssey into a time in youth when one discovers the meaning of “the world’s your oyster.” It’s about a young Italian with choices at an age when you know it all and you … Continue reading

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Documentary Review: Guitars, Reverb and a History of “Sound of the Surf”

Here’s a fun-fun-fun little documentary about the history of surf music, a movie that remembers the surfing “fad” and enduring appeal of surf culture and the “dripping damp sound” of Fender (usually) guitars pumped through amps that had to grow … Continue reading

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Movie Review: A Twee Parable for the Age of the Oligarch — “The Phoenician Scheme”

When he’s “on,” Wes Anderson’s films are giddy, deadpan delights, sparkling with wit and touching in the vulnerable and comically absurd human foibles they celebrate. But when he’s “off,” brace yourself for 100 minutes of production-designed preciousness, airless laughs that … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “Bring Her Back” — Horror One Suffers Through rather than Relishes

It’s not a blanket condemnation to say I could not wait for “Bring Her Back,” the excruciating new film from the co-directors of “Talk to Me,” to come to an end. One can recognize its unflinching, grisly details and unsparing … Continue reading

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Movie Review — “Karate Kid: Legends,” down for the Count

Let’s call the standing — or flat on its back — ten count on the “Karate Kid” movies after “Karate Kid: Legends.” Sentimental father figure martial arts revenge dramas frosted with the honor and code of the Asian fighting arts … Continue reading

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