Ryan Coogler delivered a powerhouse trio of films in “Fruitvale Station”, “Creed” and “Black Panther”. Outside of Angela Bassett’s performance and the opening Marvel intro tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, I wasn’t a huge fan of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. But Coogler is back to form with “Sinners” — an original concept with a […]
Atom Egoyan was Oscar nominated for his powerful 1997 drama “The Sweet Hereafter”. His latest film is “Seven Veils”, an examination of the making of an opera and the woman at the center of it. Amanda Seyfried pulls off a challenging performance as Jeanine, the director of a new version of “Salome” opening soon in […]
I watched the original, Best Picture Oscar-winning “Gladiator” for the first time a few months ago to get ready for director Ridley Scott’s sequel, and I’m so glad I did. Even though it takes place 16 years later, “Gladiator II” is a pretty direct follow-up. The parallels to the first film and the story beats, […]
Academy Award winning actress Faye Dunaway is the star of many iconic movies, including “Network”, “Bonnie and Clyde”, “Chinatown” and “Mommie Dearest”. As we see over the course of 90-minute documentary “Faye”, available on HBO and Max, she’s had a lot of great roles throughout her career. And you can tell in her storytelling, through […]
Cue the music! It’s awesome that some classic tunes and a wild chase sequence kick-off “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” — Eddie Murphy’s highly successful return to one of the roles that made him an ’80s superstar. It’s been 40 years since the original installment (which I recently watched for the first time and really […]
David Dastmalchian provides a refreshing, avant garde take on the late night talk show host role as Jack Delroy, the host of the popular (but not quite as much as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”) program “Night Owls”. It’s Halloween night 1977, and this episode of “Night Owls” changes television forever. That’s what we’re […]
“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is one of my favorite movies of all-time. I like the 2005 Johnny Depp/Tim Burton version as well. (This latest “Wonka” with Timothee Chalamet… not so much.) I think Gene Wilder will always be remembered for playing Willy Wonka, along with many other films, including collaborations with Mel Brooks […]
This documentary is a trip into the mind of “Star Trek”, “T.J. Hooker” and “Boston Legal” star — and the Priceline Negotiator — William Shatner. If you’re a fan of his, and of acting and entertainment icons, you’ll love that “You Can Call Me Bill” opens up Shatner’s vault, with a treasure trove of clips. […]
It’s the revenge thriller that took the TIFF Midnight Madness program by storm last September. Lionsgate, which acquired “Sisu” shortly thereafter, is opening it in theaters nationwide this Friday (the same day the studio is releasing the Judy Blume adaptation, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”. Talk about going after two different audiences!) Sisu […]
“Seriously Red” is the latest Dolly Parton movie that doesn’t star Dolly Parton. And, like 2017’s “Dumplin’”, it’s also not a biopic on the iconic singer. Instead, this is a story of a diehard Australian Dolly fan, who’s inspired to take her fandom to the next level. Aussie writer/actress Krew Boylan stars as Raylene (a.k.a. […]