Before getting into the new film “Spiral: From the Book of Saw” I have a confession: I’ve never really connected with the “Saw” series. I haven’t seen all of the movies. I don’t fully understand the allure. The franchise’s success is a puzzle I just can’t solve. I say all of that to stress that … Continue reading
First Glance: “Stillwater”
Matt Damon teams up with director Tom McCarthy in the new film “Stillwater”, a crime thriller about a father trying to prove his estranged daughter’s innocence after she is accused of murder. This is McCarthy’s first dramatic feature since “Spotlight”, a movie that earned him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The premise is … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Here Today” (2021)
When it comes to entertainment careers few have had one better and more diverse than Billy Crystal. He’s found success at nearly every stop whether on Broadway or in Hollywood. He’s done television, movies, stand-up comedy, voice acting, he’s won six Emmys, he’s won a Tony award, and he’s hosted the Academy Awards a whopping … Continue reading
First Glance: “The Green Knight”
This morning the loooong awaited full trailer for A24’s upcoming film “The Green Knight” finally dropped. It was around a year ago that a well made teaser gave us our first look at this medieval fantasy from writer-director David Lowery (“Pete’s Dragon”, “A Ghost Story”). Now we have an even better taste of what Lowery … Continue reading
REVIEW: “The Man in the Hat” (2021)
It’s hard to watch “The Man in the Hat” and not think of the great Jacques Tati. The late French mime, actor, and filmmaker conceived some of my very favorite comedies, several of them centering around his bumbling yet good-natured Monsieur Hulot character. Tati’s films were known for their meticulously choreographed visual gags and their … Continue reading
First Glance: “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”
Several months ago we got an incredible cool teaser for “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”, the follow-up to 2018’s critically panned but big box office success “Venom”. The film is part of the strange symbiotic (see what I did there) relationship between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios. The Venom movies are not part of the … Continue reading