It’s been twenty years since aliens attacked Earth in the first Independence Day, a movie I felt was rather dopey at the time. I’ve seen it several times since then, and I have developed a respect for it. It’s still dopey, […]
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The Nice Guys (2016) ☆ ☆
I have to admit I was sort of looking forward to this; I like both of its stars, and Shane Black, despite his penchant for excess, still holds a place in my heart for Predator. Since then he has turned into […]
Continue reading »The Lobster (2015) ☆ 1/2
I’m all for originality in new movies because it is usually in short supply. And yet, some premises are just so odd that they don’t transfer into good cinema — and this year seems ripe for mainstream films trying to […]
Continue reading »Double Indemnity (1944)
by Barb Lentz. The five movies Bob provided me from which to choose are these: Double Indemnity (1944) The Hill (1965) Kind Lady (1951) The Old Dark House (1932) The Temptress (1926) I chose Double Indemnity because it was […]
Continue reading »Love and Friendship (2016) ☆ ☆ ☆
Love and Friendship is based upon a Jane Austen novella with which I am unfamiliar, “Lady Susan.” Evidently an early work, it has been adapted into plays before, and now an amusing feature film. Its primary asset is the character […]
Continue reading »X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) ☆ ☆
More superheroes, more fighting among themselves, more mayhem. Surely American filmmaking has more to offer than this. Not that this is all bad; Bryan Singer’s film, the eighth, I believe, in Marvel’s X-Men universe, offers a great deal of action […]
Continue reading »Sing Street (2016) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
John Carney has done it again. The writer-director of Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013) has delivered another enthralling movie about the creation and joy of music. I gave both of those other films four stars — I think Begin Again was the […]
Continue reading »The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) ☆ ☆ ☆
Unusual historical biographies constitute a wonderful tidal pool of sorts off of mainstream filmmaking because they introduce people who might otherwise remain unknown to multitudes, and they illustrate how different — and similar — people are in different places and […]
Continue reading »My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding back in 2002, and the same is true for this long-delayed sequel. The Portokalos family returns, older and slightly wiser, represented by a new generation (a daughter) who finds the whole ethnic extended family […]
Continue reading »Money Monster (2016) ☆ ☆ ☆
Movies about big money maneuvering are tricky to make — and sell — because, I think, the gray areas surrounding wealth and greed obfuscate their human stories. Think about how many films you’ve seen that chart how someone honestly becomes […]
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