Oh, the once-great Robert Zemeckis. The man who gave us Back to the Future has gotten into a bit of a rut by putting technological advancements in front of good storytelling and…
Category: Movies
Pure nostalgia: Disney+’s ‘Beatles ’64’ is a delightful look at the band’s first U.S. trip
Another year, another really good Beatles documentary—this time chronicling their first foray into that little thing we call the United States. Beatles ’64, on Disney+, covers well-worn territory, but this Martin Scorsese-produced…
Wicked-ly curious: The first movie has Bob looking forward to ‘Wicked: Part 2’ next year
As somebody who knows very little of Wicked, other than a couple of scenes from the Broadway play in which Idina Menzel blew out eardrums, I found myself struggling a bit with…
A silly, slow sequel: ‘Gladiator II’ is simply unnecessary
Almost a quarter-century after Ridley Scott went full Roman for Gladiator, he returns to the well for a second round—and instead of offering up a new take on the subject, it’s basically…
An Oscar contender: Kieran Culkin gives a performance for the ages in ‘A Real Pain’
Kieran Culkin goes next-level brilliant in A Real Pain, the sophomore directorial effort from Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote the amazing script. This is, in essence, a road movie, but it doesn’t…
Addiction and hope: Saoirse Ronan amazes as an addict trying to get clean in ‘The Outrun’
Amy Liptrot’s memoir gets a stunning adaptation with The Outrun, another showcase for the astonishing acting talents of Saoirse Ronan. Ronan plays Rona, a 29-year-old who recently returned to her home in…
Frightening and intellectual: Hugh Grant delivers career-best work in intense horror film ‘Heretic’
Hugh Grant delivers a career-best performance—against type—in Heretic, a thought-provoking and beautifully intense horror film from the writing/directing pair of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Two young women (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe…
A super man, indeed: This new Christopher Reeve documentary offers a sad but heartwarming tribute
I still remember my dad saying, “Who the heck is this gangly guy?” when the casting of Superman was announced in the mid-1970s. “He’s too skinny!” It wasn’t my dad who took…
Killer confirmed? Netflix doc ‘This Is the Zodiac Speaking’ reveals info that seemingly solves the infamous case
It’s already been seventeen years since David Fincher released his supremely well-done Zodiac, starring Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal as a combination of detectives and reporters trying to track…
Honorable horror: Surprising cleverness and good performances put Netflix’s ‘Don’t Move’ over the top
Add Don’t Move to the ongoing list of decent 2024 horror offerings; this one is from producer Sam Raimi and currently streaming on Netflix. There’s really no way to discuss the film…