Movie review: ‘It Chapter Two’ is down to clown with more horror schlock
If you receive a call from area code 207, don’t pick up. Toss your phone, change numbers; or, smarter yet, drop it and RUN! The now-adult members of the Losers Club, the group of rag-tag...
View ArticleMovie review: A twisting, turning aura of gold flits in and out of ‘The...
The main question for me, when a movie is adapted from a book - in this case, Donna Tartt’s massive, Pulitzer Prize-winning 2013 novel “The Goldfinch” - is whether to read the book first. The usual...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Hustlers’ features strong acting but too much sleaze
As sordid, “based-on-fact” movies mixed in with a bit of humor go, “Hustlers” isn’t bad. It’s well written, competently directed, has a touch of a documentary-like feel to it, and the two lead...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘The Goldfinch’ is for the birds
Don’t be fooled, John Crowley’s constipated adaption of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Goldfinch,” might look like one of those highfalutin prestige dramas screaming for awards...
View ArticleMovie review: Style, substance and J-Lo’s command performance in ‘Hustlers’
Four words: True-crime stripper drama. Have I got your attention? Good, because “Hustlers” commands it - and not just because Jennifer Lopez delivers a jaw-dropping, show-stopping pole dancing...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid’ is a poignant mix of fantasy and reality
A certain politician does a lot of carping about “the assault” on our Southern border, but one legitimately wonders if he possesses an iota of knowledge as to why refugees so persistently flock to the...
View ArticleMovie review: Documentary is adoring portrait of Linda Ronstadt
Amid a parade of music documentaries, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” just might be the sweetest, most wrenching of the bunch. Set within the parameters of a traditional cradle -to-grave (for...
View ArticleMovie review: Don’t mess with Molly
While watching “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins” you can’t help regretting that the sharp-tongued political columnist didn’t live long enough to ante up her two cents on life in the age...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Downton Abbey’ makes for some upbeat entertainment
I’d never seen even a moment of the multi-award-winning (Golden Globes, Emmys, Screen Actors Guild) series “Downton Abbey,” and as the screening date for the movie approached, I seriously considered...
View ArticleTIFF: Quality films flowed in Toronto at TIFF 2019
TIFF 2019 has wrapped, and I managed to catch a good chunk of it, seeing 13 feature films, conducting a bunch of interviews, and waiting in long lines - yes, even critics have to wait in lines - to see...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Ad Astra’ features the vastness of space and Brad Pitt’s face
The Latin words of this space travel epic’s title translate as “to the stars.” And even though the story’s journey only covers the 2.7 billion miles between Earth and Neptune - not quite as far as the...
View ArticleYou could earn $1,300 just for watching 13 Stephen King movies this Halloween...
Halloween is just six weeks away, which means it's perfectly reasonable to start queuing up all the spooky movies you can get your hands on.But what if you could make money while...
View ArticleMovie review: Zellweger brings Garland to sad but song-filled life in ‘Judy’
It all comes down to matters of taste, doesn’t it? After adoring her - and everything else about the film - in “The Wizard of Oz,” I was never much of a fan of Judy Garland. I saw a couple of the...
View ArticleLaura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill will return to their 'Jurassic Park'...
If you've watched the "Jurassic World" movies and thought, "Hm, not enough Dr. Sattler/Grant/Malcolm," well, you're in for a treat.Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill will return for their...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Abominable’ proves that a ‘for kids only’ rating would be a...
For a feature animated film that’s aimed directly at a very young audience (there are going to be very few adult viewers that aren’t glancing at their watches), it’s not surprising that so many...
View ArticleWriter-director Todd Phillips digs deep for his ‘Joker’ origin story
A look through the list of films made by Todd Phillips reveals that the writer-director has a penchant for comedy, often outrageous comedy. That list includes “Road Trip,” “Old School” and the...
View ArticleMovie review: Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips make ‘Joker’ a winner
Let’s get some unavoidable Oscar business out of the way, specifically how history will be repeated next February. With his “Joker” performance, Joaquin Phoenix is going to win for Actor in a Leading...
View ArticleMovie review: ‘Joker’ is no laughing matter
Todd Phillips’ “Joker” is no laughing matter. Whether it’s worth seeing depends on your tolerance for glorifying a dangerous mentally ill man breaking bad and becoming a menace to the society that...
View ArticleA man of his time: Ranking the best versions of the Joker, Batman's Enemy No. 1
Depending on which form of media counted, close to 20 actors have provided body or voice to a portrayal of arguably the most popular villain in comic book lore — the Joker.There’s the obvious: film...
View ArticleWhy we can't get enough of the Joker
He’s back (as if he ever left).On Oct. 4, "Joker," starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular lunatic, comes to theaters. Directed by Todd "The Hangover" Phillips, the movie has already stirred up all...
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