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 [...]
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 [...]
***1/2 out of **** Rated PG-13 (for brief violent/bloody images and some language) Released: February 28, 2020 limited; March 13 wide Runtime: 112 minutes Directed by: Benh Zeitlin Starring: Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin, Ahmad Cage, Krzysztof Meyn, Romyri Ross, Shay Walker Time will inevitably age the body, but it need not the [...]
***1/2 out of **** Rated PG (for brief partial rear nudity) Released: February 21, 2020 limited; March 6 wide Runtime: 125 minutes Directed by: Autumn de Wilde Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Bill Nighy, Callum Turner, Miranda Hart, Josh O’Connor, Tanya Reynolds, Rupert Graves, Gemma Whelan, Amber Anderson Sight unseen, it would be [...]
*** 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 [...]
** out of **** Rated R (for some strong bloody violence, and language) Released: February 28, 2020 Runtime: 124 minutes Directed by: Leigh Whannell Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Harriet Dyer, Storm Reid, Michael Dorman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen Despite an intriguing, relevant hook, the remake of The Invisible Man lacks vision. Putting a #MeToo twist on a [...]
(Watch on Amazon Prime) We've reached that point in movie history where, in the 2020s, we're about to hit the first consistent string of major 100th Anniversaries. That starts with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which was released in Germany on February 26, 1920. Prior to that year, Silent Film was largely driven by short [...]
*** out of **** Rated PG (for some violence, peril, thematic elements, and mild language) Released: February 21, 2020 Runtime: 100 minutes Directed by: Chris Sanders Starring: Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Dan Stevens, Cara Gee, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford, Terry Notary The latest adaptation of Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is, ostensibly, a chance [...]
When it comes to Oscar pools, the make-or-break categories are the three for short films: Animated, Documentary, and Live Action. Below are links to my reviews for those three separate categories. These short film packages are playing in theaters nationwide in two different ways: As three separate feature length collections, one for each category (you're [...]
Yes, I'm a Top 10 straggler, but I'd rather be sure about my choices than second-guess them down the road. Rushing out a list during the onslaught of screening season, simply to meet the obligatory date of December 31st, doesn't allow for proper consideration, especially with so many contenders dumped out en masse at year's [...]