Cinemascoping

There’s definitely some merit to W.C. Fields famous warning about the dangers of working with children and animals. They’re unpredictable, at time amateurish and guaranteed to upstage you just by being in the same scene.  That’s the danger films like Marc Webb’s Gifted run, what with its main character being a cute-as-can-be seven year-old who […]

If ever there was a movie that captured the Zeitgiest of the time in which it was made, it was Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. An indie sensation when it was released in 1996, the film was not simply a shot of much needed adrenaline for the British film industry, but a spot on portrayal of the […]

Each big screen adaptation of a television show gives credence to the notion that Hollywood is out of ideas.  And while some do wind up being worthwhile (the post-modern 21 Jump Street, the Oscar-nominated The Fugitive), more times than not, these reboots fall flat (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle or Bewitched anyone?), bland retreads that rely […]

Maureen Cartwright is haunted.  Whether it be by the spirit of her dead twin brother, something troubling from her past or mental illness is open to debate.  The fact that she’s aware that something’s amiss may help her come to terms with her belief that she’s a medium. That her former sister-in-law and a couple […]

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, filmmaker Hunter Adams knows what makes small town living unique and how tight-knit communities behave. With that in mind, he knew Marion, Illinois was the perfect place to shoot his new thriller Dig Two Graves, which premieres on I-Tunes March 24th.  “To tell you the truth, we came to Illinois […]

It was with a sense of giddiness that I entered a local theater to see Eran Creevy’s Collide.  I love it when great actors go slumming and this low-concept chase film has two of them – Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley.  I anticipated a great deal of ham to be sliced between these two […]

The most expensive film ever made in China, “The Great Wall” is meant to serve as a bridge between American and Asian audiences, a co-production between Universal Pictures and the China Film Group as well as other international corporations. Hollywood knows the secret to success where big budget epics are concerned lie in foreign markets, […]

Not having been a fan of The Ring (2002) or its sequel, I had no great hope when Paramount Pictures announced a third entry/reboot was in the works. Surprisingly, Rings proves to be superior to the two previous movies what with its streamlined story and eerie atmosphere courtesy of Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez.  Taking […]

Groucho Marx’s third wife once stated, “If he’d only said ‘I love you’ once, I would have stayed.”  No doubt, it must be difficult living with someone who makes their living cracking wise, especially those whose humor has a mean-spirited edge to it.  Certainly, the boundaries between the performer’s personal and professional life must blur […]

I’m glad that M. Night Shyamalan has wandered out of the wilderness of big budget mistakes and has returned to the world of modest thrillers. His distinct voice has been sorely missed in the genre, something I didn’t realize until the arrival last year of The Visit, an entertaining piece of business that followed the […]

Stephen Gaghan’s Gold certainly doesn’t tell a new story but at least it does so in an entertaining manner.  Based on the Bre-X Minerals scandal from the 1990’s, the film is propelled by a compelling, manic performance from Matthew McConaughey; his good looks may be suffused by 40 extra pounds, a dental appliance and his […]

Only three years removed from the event itself, Peter Berg’s Patriot’s Day runs the risk of reopening fresh wounds and perhaps offending victims of the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013, the event at the core of this tribute to American – particularly Bean Town – fortitude and patriotism.  While none but those personally connected to […]