Last year, Beasts of the Southern Wild became a critical favorite, nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress for Quvenzhané Wallis, Best Adapted Screenplay and, most disturbingly for me, a nomination for Best Director for a man three years older than I am. Tonight, New Yorkers can catch a special outdoor screening of […]
Some sequels are logical extensions of other properties. Think of how the X-Men movies led to the Wolverine films. Planes is also an offshoot of another popular property. Billed as “From above the World of Cars,” it does truly concentrate on the aerial citizens of that universe. That doesn’t limit the characters to those of […]
There have been a lot of disappointing movies in the summer of 2013 — especially comedies that ranged from awful to mildly hilarious. The standout comedy for me in recent memory is This Is The End. We’re the Millers entertained me almost as much as that romp. The sign of a great comedy is that you […]
I don’t review or even watch many television movies, but when the hype surrounding such a flick forces its Twitter hashtag to trend worldwide, I take notice. Sharknado debuted on Syfy on July 11, 2013, and immediately gained fans from all over. Its working title was Dark Skies, and I doubt this gem would have […]
A new documentary called Blackfish takes an in-depth look at the world of killer whales in captivity. Most everyone I know has been to SeaWorld at one time or another. It’s nearly impossible for them to come away from it without feeling drawn to the killer whales and other marine animals they encounter. It’s in our nature […]
A group of friends and a local hippie they pick up along the way search for the ultimate high and some meaning in their lives in Crystal Fairy. There are great films. There are lousy films, and then there are films that remind me why I felt I had something to contribute to the glut […]
Passengers and crew consider their options on a potentially doomed flight in the new offbeat comedy from Spanish writer/director Pedro Almodóvar. Imagine taking the antics of 1980’s Airplane! and mixing it with the eroticism of 1986’s 9 1/2 Weeks then have it come from Spain. The result wouldn’t be that dissimilar from what we get with […]
A nerdy high school senior decides to apply her ample scholastic skills to a new project — becoming sexually savvy before heading off to college in The To Do List. Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) is everything most parents dream about. She’s smart, dedicated, problem-free and a virgin. She’s even earned the distinction of class valedictorian. What’s […]
Adaptations from comic books don’t always lead to superhero movies. The comic book industry has enough variety, especially with the independent publishers, to generate gems like The Walking Dead in addition to the latest Spider-Man and Batman titles. The filmmakers behind R.I.P.D. dug deep to unearth this unusual story. Dark Horse Comics released the series […]
A young, troubled father, struggling to finally put his life back together, is tragically killed by transit police in the true story of Fruitvale Station. Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) was returning from a night out with friends, enjoying San Francisco’s New Year’s Eve festivities for 2009. A fight broke out on the train that […]
Kristen Wiig stars as a woman whose entire life comes crashing down, forcing her to move back home and confront the genesis of her problems in Girl Most Likely. Imogene (Wiig) used to be on the path to sure success as a playwright. Now, years later, she’s living in the aftermath of having never actually […]
Great horror films are rare these days, and ghost stories are even rarer. The most memorable ghost story in recent years is The Orphanage by director J.A. Bayona and writer Sergio G. Sánchez, who were also the director and writer of last year’s The Impossible. It’s hard to get chills just right in a movie, […]