The Goosebumps book series has been scaring kids (and making them laugh) for the past 23 years. Now R.L. Stine’s monsterful characters come to life in the big screen version of “Goosebumps”. Unlike traditional book to screen adaptations, this film doesn’t specifically focus on one installment of the series, but rather takes elements from practically […]
2008’s Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire” beautifully showcased the incredible French artist Philippe Petit, who, in 1974, defined cultural American history by walking on a wire hung between the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. The story itself is remarkable, and as the Hollywood version of Petit’s feat, “The Walk”, once again […]
Just when the world thought Meryl Streep had done just about everything an actress can do, her latest movie features the 19-time Oscar nominee singing Lady Gaga. As mother turned rocker, Ricki Rendazzo, title character in the musical dramedy “Ricki and the Flash”, Streep teams-up with fellow Academy Award winners Jonathan Demme (director of “The […]
“Southpaw” is about a down-on-his-luck boxer trying to make a comeback. Sound familiar? There are a few unique elements to this story, but ultimately, “Southpaw” relies on its knockout performances to carry you through a solid, but predictable, two-hour melodrama. Jake Gyllenhaal continues his winning streak, following excellent work in “Prisoners” and “Nightcrawler”. Here he […]
Woody Allen continues to prove that he may just be the most prolific director working today. Every year, without fail, we get a new Allen creation. His 2015 offering is “Irrational Man”, and it’s one of the most engrossing movies of the year. About a half-hour into the film, after Allen establishes his standard, complicated […]
On Friday, November 15, 2013, San Francisco was transformed into Gotham City as five-year-old leukemia patient Miles Scott became Batkid for the day. He and Batman saved citizens from danger and defeated their arch-enemies The Riddler and The Penguin. The day, which began as a simple request to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, turned into one of […]
Disney/Pixar’s “Inside Out” is director Pete Docter’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “Up”, which featured the most emotional opening scene in Pixar history. “Inside Out” is all about our emotions, and while I laughed at times, this film also desperately wants you to cry, but falls short in achieving that reaction. It’s good, but far from […]
“Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” director Paul Feig has returned for a third go-around with the Academy Award nominated star of those blockbuster comedies – Melissa McCarthy. “Spy” is a slick, sophisticated, very solid action comedy. McCarthy is CIA analyst Susan Cooper. For years, Cooper has been the voice inside the earpiece of suave secret agent […]
Just as “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” explored the unusual concept of someone aging in reverse, a new cinematic fable, “The Age of Adaline”, centers around another unique variation of the aging process – or more specifically – the non-aging process. Blake Lively, in her first film in nearly three years, delivers a standout […]
“Home” is, for now, DreamWorks Animation’s only 2015 release. Thankfully, based on the early box office, it’s helping bring the studio back from the brink of financial disaster. Adapted from the novel “The True Meaning of Smekday” by Adam Rex, “Home” is a very simple, high-energy adventure that’s filled with color and imagination, and is […]