Chuck Koplinski

And so it finally comes to an end, as Francis Lawrence’s Mockingjay-Part 2 brings the curtain down on the big-screen adaptations of Suzanne Collins’ cash cow The Hunger Games. Those who have read and re-read the author’s books can attest to whether these films have been true to their source; as for me I’ve been hooked […]

Within the first ten minutes of Steve Martino’s The Peanuts Movie, we are re-introduced to all of the key characters in Charles Schulz’s universe, Charlie Brown has been upended on the pitcher’s mound – his clothes scattered to the four winds- after his best fastball has been rocketed back to him, Snoopy has stolen Linus’ […]

Angelo Pizzo’s My All-American is a movie with the best of intentions, most of them presented in a manner that would be better suited to a film from the 1950’s. All of the characters here have the depth of a shallow puddle, all conflicts are surmountable through hard work and determination and America is a […]

Much like its main character, John Wells’ Burnt dares you to like it.  Composed of familiar plot points and revolving around a truly unsympathetic character, this briskly paced film initially keeps the viewer off balance as it plunges into its examination of self-destructive behavior without a handshake or a “how do you do?” This is […]

We’re attracted to biographies because we’re fascinated with what makes the famous and infamous tick.  Problem is, due to limitations of both the literary and film mediums, we’re destined never to get the full story.  Autobiographies have to be taken with a grain of salt, biographies, no matter how well-researched can never truly get under […]

You can’t help but be humbled while watching Davis Guggenheim’s He Named Me Malala, his new documentary that focuses on the experiences of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani woman was thrust into the international spotlight in the aftermath of events that occurred on October 9th, 2012. Having protested against the Taliban’s closing of schools and […]