Viola Davis brings heart and ferocity the the historical action-drama “The Woman King”. It’s an exciting stride forward for director Gina Prince-Bythewood whose last film was the 2020 superhero misfire “The Old Guard”. Here she’s working with better material and a considerably larger scale which she utilizes to the fullest in telling this remarkable story … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Confess, Fletch” (2022)
(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) Now here’s an series reboot I never saw coming. In fact, I can’t imagine anyone did. “Fletch” (1985) and “Fletch Lives” (1989) were moderately popular Chevy Chase vehicles, neither of which I would call comedy classics. Yet they did have some memorably funny moments … Continue reading
REVIEW: “See How They Run” (2022)
(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) First time feature film director Tom George teams with screenwriter Mark Chappell for the old-fashioned mystery caper “See How They Run”. With a strong cast and plenty of nostalgic charm, this playful and thoroughly enjoyable whodunit is a full-blown homage that balances suspense with … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Blonde” (2022)
We’ve seen several attempts at bringing at least some portion of Marilyn Monroe‘s complicated and ultimately tragic life to the big screen. The latest comes from writer-director Andrew Dominik who has chosen to go with a fictionalized take on the life of the iconic American actress, somewhat similar to what Pablo Larraín did with Diana, … Continue reading
REVIEW: “I Came By” (2022)
Just a few days ago Netflix stealth dropped a chilling new potboiler called “I Came By”. Co-written and directed by Babak Anvari, this crafty yet overly ambitious thriller has a hard time finding the balance between social politics and straightforward genre filmmaking. Yet it still scratches at some meaty themes, and the genre thriller elements … Continue reading
Movie Poster Spotlight: “The Menu”
The trailer for “The Menu” was a surprising black comedy and horror mash-up that was hard to read. It was tough to tell if it was a genuinely smart satire, a corny genre exercise, or a potential guilty pleasure. Maybe a little of all. But I really did like what I saw, and the early … Continue reading