Actor Angus Macfadyen has done something rare in movie history. 25-years ago, Macfadyen played historical Scottish figure Robert the Bruce in Mel Gibson’s 1995 epic “Braveheart”. Now — a quarter-century later — Macfadyen has reprised that same role in a new film he also produced and co-wrote. So in a sense, “Robert the Bruce” (available […]
The trolley car continues to move along the track with “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. This is not a standard biopic on Fred Rogers. Nor is it an overview of his life (as with last year’s Focus Features and PBS documentaries). Instead, this is an “inspired by actual events” story of a relationship between […]
“Doctor Sleep” is based on the 2013 Stephen King sequel to his iconic novel, “The Shining”. Thankfully, I watched the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, shortly before screening “DS”, to learn the backstory and appreciate all the connections and references. If you haven’t seen “The Shining” in a long time […]
“I Lost My Body” is the year’s most abstract animated feature. And at just 80 minutes, it packs-in as much as depth and emotion as the longer, much more commercial “Toy Story 4”. This story, based on a 2006 book by Guillaume Laurant, is told from the POV of a human hand that’s been separated […]
Get used to hearing the name Kelvin Harrison, Jr. He stars alongside Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Octavia Spencer in the new NEON drama “Luce”. Harrison, Jr. had roles in 2017’s “Mudbound” and “It Comes At Night”, but his performance as the title character in “Luce” will skyrocket him to stardom. Luce is a black, […]
When Pixar officially announced, back in 2014, that they were developing “Toy Story 4”, just four years after “TS3”, the general reaction was not enthusiastic. “Toy Story 3” was the perfect ending to this beloved series (which was then followed by a few sweet holiday specials). “TS4” is Pixar’s biggest risk to date. And the […]
Zac Efron has built his movie career on musicals and comedies. But after witnessing his performance as infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, serious dramas may be where he belongs. Efron is captivating and transformative in Netflix’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. The film is based on Elizabeth Kloepfer’s 1981 memoir, The Phantom Prince: My […]
In January 1972, Aretha Franklin, already a multi-Grammy, #1 hits pop superstar, decided, with her next album, she would go back to her roots. She joined forces with longtime friend/mentor/producer, Reverend James Cleveland, and the Southern California Community Choir on the gospel album “Amazing Grace”. The songs were recorded, over two nights, at the New […]
“Storm Boy” is based on a beloved 1963 Australian children’s novella. That story, set in the 1950s, was actually made into a movie in 1976. This version takes the original and wraps it inside a modern tale with similar themes. The combination makes for a moving and memorable film. Geoffrey Rush stars as Michael Kingley, […]
“Destroyer” director Karyn Kusama recently told Entertainment Weekly that she thinks actress Nicole Kidman just keeps getting better. It seems like Kidman’s been around for a long time (she did win an Oscar 15 years ago for “The Hours”). But the past two years have been a defining point in her career: another Oscar nomination […]