*** out of **** Rated PG (for action/peril and some mild thematic elements) Released: March 6, 2020 Runtime: 102 minutes Directed by: Dan Scanlon Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong Suburbia set in a fantasy world. Genre archetypes playfully deconstructed. Well-worn themes about identity, taking risks, and [...]
Duel (1971) Rated PG (for sequences of action, some terror, a suggestive reference, and some language) Released: November 13, 1971 Runtime: 90 minutes Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott (voice of), Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell Available to rent through Amazon Video, iTunes, and other VOD platforms. Day 2 of “30-Plus Days of Spielberg” Steven Spielberg was [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px2n0KWZBWE There's no place like home. As our nation braces for at least one full month of quarantined lockdowns, the American Film Institute wants to bring the country together with their new at-home AFI Movie Club. Each day in April (and possibly beyond), a movie will be chosen for "members" -- i.e. anyone with a [...]
In the attempt to flatten the Coronavirus curve, our nation is now shifting from a two-week phase of #StayAtHome precautions to a full month marathon of doing them all throughout April. Having something to pace yourself while being bunkered down for that length of time can be really helpful. A recommendation: experiencing a filmmaker's entire [...]
Even before the societal shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Criterion Channel streaming service was a godsend for cinephiles. Filling the gap that the loss of FilmStruck left, The Criterion Channel is the Netflix for art house movie lovers. It streams a deep catalog of Hollywood classics, foreign film landmarks, and art house essentials [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnG4ag3Nkes Sending parents on a trip while the kids behind to do whatever they want is NOT what we should be doing right now -- but it sure works as a vicarious adventure for these #StayAtHome self-isolating times. Based on the popular children's book series by Louis Lowry, The Willoughbys is Netflix's latest offering from [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LMJzMie-wg Need an infusion of joy into your soul? Then "Just Sing." That's the message of the new, all-cast anthem video from Trolls World Tour, the upcoming animated sequel that is headed straight-to-VOD. The DreamWorks film debuts on its now-canceled theatrical release date of April 10. Justin Timberlake corrals co-stars Anna Kendrick, Mary J. Blige, [...]
Gal Gadot's tone deaf all-star "Imagine" video may have backfired, but she's back in her element with six new photos from Wonder Woman 1984. Each one focuses on the key characters -- Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) -- while also highlighting the 1980s [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKQKMreBKQ8&feature=emb_logo The end of the end is almost near. Yes, the final episode of the Skywalker saga -- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker -- has come and gone in theaters. But now, its eternal home in our video archives is finally about to land on 4K UltraHD, blu-ray, DVD and digital (and, eventually, Disney+). [...]
Now this is game changer. Or is it? In the wake of the national shutdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, a.k.a. the Coronavirus, Universal Studios announced that they will forego an exclusive theatrical release for their new animated sequel Trolls World Tour on April 10 and, in addition, make it available for Video-On-Demand rental [...]
Mambo! In this exclusive preview from Vanity Fair by writer Anthony Breznican, we are given seven new images from Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of West Side Story. To hear him talk about it, filming the beloved American musical isn't merely a passion project but a lifelong dream that, in Spielberg's words, he finally gave into. [...]
As we all quarantine and socially distance ourselves during this time of Coronavirus uncertainty, here’s the one at-home movie recommendation I have for literally everyone: Fly Away Home, from 1996. This amazing story (based on an autobiography!) is the kind that rips your heart open and then heals it -- both in its overall arc [...]