This is going to sound horribly trite, but we should all be more like Forrest Gump. It’s a sweet thought, sure, but one that most would say is overly simplistic and, ultimately, little more than a nice sentiment. In fact, if we’re being honest, that kind of schmaltzy talk is actually pretty damn naïve. Except [...]
** out of **** Rated R (for disturbing ritualistic violence and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and strong language) Released: July 3, 2019 Runtime: 140 minutes Directed by: Ari Aster Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, Gunnel Fred If ever a filmmaker produced movies [...]
**1/2 out of **** Rated PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence, some language, and brief suggestive comments) Released: July 2, 2019 Runtime: 130 minutes Directed by: Jon Watts Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders, Tony Revolori, JB Smoove On the heels of the two-part Infinity / Endgame epic finale, with [...]
Thirty years on, Do The Right Thing still wields the power to up your wake. Set on the hottest day of the year in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, Spike Lee’s third feature film incited a cultural riot. Major newspapers warned that the new, inflammatory movie about racial tensions – which debuted on June 30, 1989, in [...]
A quarter-century ago, The Lion King cemented Walt Disney Studio's comeback and, along with it, animation's place as an enduring blockbuster genre. But now, with the strategically timed live-action remake looming so largely on the horizon, it’s virtually impossible to reflect on The Lion King’s 25th Anniversary without drawing direct comparisons to the forthcoming remake. Walt [...]
Batman debuted 30 years ago on June 23, 1989, and no film has had a bigger, more indelible impact on movies since. When you look at the superhero dominated landscape of movies today, sure, it’s Marvel that you can thank (or blame). But what Marvel’s been able to achieve never would’ve been possible without Tim Burton’s [...]
**1/2 out of **** Rated G (for general audiences) Released: June 21, 2019 Runtime: 100 minutes Directed by: Josh Cooley Starring (the voices of): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, Kristen Schaal, Madeleine McGraw, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Hunt, Jeff [...]
***1/2 out of **** Rated R (for strong language throughout and some sexual references) Released: June 7, 2019 limited; July 14 wide Runtime: 102 minutes Directed by: Nisha Ganatra Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scot, Denis O’Hara, Max Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, John Early, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Ryan, John Lithgow For anyone [...]
** out of **** Rated PG (for some action, peril, and mysticism) Released: May 24, 2019 Runtime: 128 minutes Directed by: Guy Ritchie Starring: Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad, Navid Negahban, Billy Magnussen, Numan Acar This is a corporate-approved abomination. It’d be a disservice to the original animated Aladdin to [...]
*1/2 out of **** TV-MA (for strong language, crude sexual content, brief nudity, and some drug material) Released: May 10, 2019, on Netflix Runtime: 103 minutes Directed by: Amy Poehler Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey, Tina Fey, Jason Schwartzman, Cherry Jones My review of Wine Country, for The Tulsa Voice. [...]