Alec Baldwin has been getting plenty of attention lately for his stint as President Trump on “SNL”, as host of the revival of “Match Game” and as the voice of “The Boss Baby” for DreamWorks – three comedy-oriented gigs. But Baldwin can be just as effective, at times even more so, as a serious, dramatic […]
I admit it. I went into “The House” with very low expectations. Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler comedies have been hit-and-miss lately. And the film’s director, Andrew Jay Cohen, has a mixed bag of writing credits, including the “Neighbors” movies (first one was so-so, the sequel was a disaster) and the decent (thanks to the […]
Two years after the satisfying but lengthy N.W.A. origin story “Straight Outta Compton” comes this biopic of a solo rap artist who changed the music industry and popular culture forever. “All Eyez on Me”, released on what would’ve been Tupac Shakur’s 46th birthday, is a cradle-to-grave look at the iconic performer, who lived his 25 […]
Roger Michell may not be a familiar name, but he’s directed several movies you’ve likely heard of, including the Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts rom-com “Notting Hill”, the charming TV news comedy “Morning Glory” and the underwhelming “Hyde Park on Hudson”, starring Bill Murray as FDR. Michell’s latest film is the picturesque romance mystery “My Cousin Rachel”. […]
Since when did “The Fast and the Furious” turn into “Mission: Impossible”? This 8th installment in the long-running car racing franchise – “The Fate of the Furious” – veers too far from its lane, making it difficult to qualify as a legit “F & F” film. Sure, there are plenty of insane races and chases […]
Last year Scarlett Johansson became the highest-grossing North American box office actress of all-time, thanks, in large part, to her supporting role as Black Widow in the Marvel superhero movies. But she’s starred in plenty of films as well, including 2014’s so-so “Lucy”. Now, ScarJo is back to headline the first live-action English language adaptation […]
What if someone proved there is an Afterlife – and it’s better than the life you have now? How would you react? That’s the premise of the new Netflix sci-fi drama “The Discovery”. Overall, this is an intriguing film, though one that goes so far “out-there” that, ultimately, it leaves you with more questions than answers […]
“Table 19” starts-out as a subtle satire on weddings and the extravagant receptions that often accompany them. In the opening scene, Eloise (played by Anna Kendrick) struggles to decide whether to check “Accepts with Pleasure” or “Declines with Regret” on a wedding invitation. She changes her mind multiple times – and we’ll eventually learn why. We then meet […]
Each of this year’s five Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films stands-out in its own way, though not necessarily for good reasons. “Blind Vaysha” (Canada, 8 min.) – This is a fable, based on a short story, about a girl who sees the past out of one eye and the future out of the other – so she’s blind […]
The story of how “Rules Don’t Apply” got made is worthy of its own movie. Writer, director, producer and star Warren Beatty (now 79) had wanted to portray Howard Hughes’s life on the big screen for 40 years, ever since he encountered Hughes at a Beverly Hills hotel in 1973. Beatty signed a contract with Warner Bros. […]