Ari Kruger’s THE SHAKEDOWN is a bonkers black comedy that celebrates family values with a body count. A heady blend of sibling rivalry, slick salesmanship, and a rabbi with a gambling problem, it takes the buddy film in unpredictable directions as two estranged brothers cope with a simple plan gone very wrong after one of… Read More »
DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE
It is a fine line to walk, loving a pop culture phenomenon with all your being, yet being able to make mad sport of it at the same time. Thus is DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, the ultimate fanboy and fangirl experience of the Marvel Universe that manages to be both wickedly funny and curiously reverent. Deadpool… Read More »
TWISTERS
There is much to admire in TWISTERS, the >not<-sequel to TWISTER. The way the science of tornadoes is woven into the dialogue with a minimum of clunky exposition. The fine performance from Daisy Edgar-Jones as a meteorologist on a mission to stop tornadoes before they can devastate communities. Maura Tierney as her mother who has… Read More »
FLY ME TO THE MOON
It is well worth overlooking the historical inaccuracies to be found in FLY ME TO THE MOON. I’m not talking about the conspiracy theories about how the first moon landing was faked on a soundstage. This bright and breezy look at what may or may not have really happened has dedicated itself to the emotional,… Read More »
LONGLEGS
With LONGLEGS, writer/director Oz Perkins has created an original tale of horror set in the 1990s while staying true to familiar tropes. There’s an unhinged suspect, a series of family slaughters that don’t ring true to a murder/suicide scenario, and a neophyte FBI agent at the center of the case in ways she didn’t see… Read More »
AMERICAN DREAMS (WAS DEMOCRACY JUST A DREAM?) from the San Francisco Mime Troupe
Click here for the interview with Andre Amarotico. The San Francisco Mime Troupe once again comes through with a thought-provoking musical comedy about the state of the nation with AMERICAN DREAMS (WAS DEMOCRACY JUST A DREAM?). The tripartite focus is on what the fallout will be from the 2024 election, and what is happening now… Read More »
MAXXXINE
At one point in MAXXXINE, a character says that it’s all about money. But that’s not true, at least not in this story of Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), born Miller, who has reached the top of the adult film industry, but at 33, knows that the clock is ticking on her career in porn. And… Read More »
DESPICABLE ME 4
Again let us praise the giddy delight that the minions provide. Sure, they have trouble carrying their own films, but as the dada-esque relief, particularly of a middling film, they are a tonic for the soul that gives us the strength to hang on until the final credits, where they provide some of the best… Read More »
DADDIO
Abbas Kiarostami’s goal as a filmmaker was to make a film that took place entirely in a car. He got his wish with the wonderful TEN. Since then, we’ve been treated to other efforts confined to a single space that seem doomed by aren’t. Think Stephen Knight’s excellent drama, LOCKE, Ryan Reynold’s tour de force… Read More »
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE returns us to the day murderous aliens with the supersonic sense of hearing first invaded our planet, but with a different location, New York City, and a new cast of characters. It is a worthy addition to the universe created by John Krasinski, though this time Mr. Kraskinski’s contribution was… Read More »