Badlands features a more human predator A savage, alien hunter with daddy issues? A sci-fi adventure with shades of Don Quixote? Believe or not, that’s what you get with Predator: Badlands, the seventh entry in the surprisingly resilient franchise that contains one pleasant surprise after another. Credit must be given to writer/director Dan Trachtenberg who […]
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Frankenstein a masterpiece, Nuremberg serves as cautionary tale
Del Toro cobbles together ambitious, magnificent Frankenstein Referred to as “my Everest,” director Guillermo del Toro has longed to put his distinctive stamp on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Stating recently that each movie he’s made has been in preparation for this undertaking, he was able to secure a $120 million budget and a generous six-month shooting […]
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Christy Martin keeps punching
On her way to breaking through barriers and becoming the pre-eminent female boxer of her era, Christy Martin had to possess a specific kind of courage whenever she stepped in the ring. Today, she’s displaying a different kind of moxie in allowing her deeply personal story to be told on the big screen. David Michod’s […]
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Humor lifts Bugonia, Farrell helps Player pay off
Ironic humor buoys Lanthimos’ sly, pointed Bugonia Teddy is convinced he’s right. There’s no question in his mind there’s a race of aliens embedded on our planet, intent on wiping out humanity. The Andromedans aren’t overt in executing their plan; they’re taking a subtle approach which is why only Teddy and few others are aware […]
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House of Dynamite both suspenseful and terrifying, Shelby Oaks disappoints
Plausible Dynamite a terrifying doomsday tale Timely, taut and terrifying, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite is a master class in suspense, times three. Working from a script by former journalist Noah Oppenheim, the director plays out an all-too-real doomsday scenario from a trio of different perspectives, taking the viewer repeatedly on a tumultuous ride […]
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Message of Good Fortune muted, The Perfect Neighbor a gripping cautionary tale
Near perfect Fortune hindered by conclusion There’s a tempered optimism in Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, and for good reason. When his film Being Mortal was canceled in mid-production due to accusations of impropriety leveled towards its star, Bill Murray, the writer/director needed a fresh start. Turning lemons into lemonade, he was able to pivot and […]
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Derek Cianfrance speaks about Roofman and its complex character
“I was looking for something that focused on a person people could relate to and what their hearts and desires were. I heard this story, and it walks the line between comic and tragic, which are two sides of the same coin. So, I was looking for something more palatable for people to see and […]
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Story of Roofman shines through, John Candy: I Like Me a loving tribute
Search for purpose drives Roofman Between 1940 and 1944, writer-director Preston Sturges produced a string of classics that were, and remain, an unprecedented success among Hollywood filmmakers. The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels and Hail the Conquering Hero were among the movies made during this period, each of them featuring a plot conceit the director returned […]
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The Lost Bus carries warning, canine star rescues Good Boy
Bus a gripping, vital cautionary tale On the morning of November 8, 2018, a powerline from a tower owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. broke during a windstorm and fell to the ground in northern Butte County, California. Having gone without rain for 121 days, the area was a tinderbox waiting for the slightest […]
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Battle messy and ambitious, Dead of Winter tells wrong story
Anderson orchestrates ambitious Battle Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another comes fully freighted with great expectations. Proclaimed by critics as the front runner for the Oscar for Best Picture, it seems preordained to deliver the director recognition from the Academy that’s long overdue. Yet, much like Martin Socrsese’s The Departed, this is far from […]
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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey takes detour, Lily James great in Swiped
Enchanting Journey ultimately sidetracked I approached Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey with a healthy amount of skepticism. With one foot in the real world and the other firmly planted in the fantastical, my guard was up for something that labored to be whimsical or a film that revolved solely around its gimmick. Imagine my […]
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The Long Walk delivers message, Baltimorons runs out of charm
Brutal Walk carries powerful, timely message I was angry as I walked out of the theater after having seen Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk. I was angry over the brutality I had witnessed, angry about the vile nature of the story and angry over the graphic way it was rendered. The fact that what I […]
