Following his premature departure from “Bond 25” early last year (at this point, a wise move), director Danny Boyle quickly teamed-up with screenwriter Richard Curtis on a secret project. Universal kept the plot under wraps until the title and first trailer were released back in February. “Yesterday” has one of the most intriguing concepts of […]
Richard Roundtree made his film acting debut in 1971’s “Shaft”, which became a blaxploitation classic. Samuel L. Jackson continued the legacy of the character 29 years later in the part remake, part sequel, “Shaft”. Now, Jessie T. Usher makes it three generations in the new follow-up — also simply called “Shaft”. All three eventually join […]
2012’s “Men in Black 3” was a highly satisfying conclusion to the sci-fi action comedy series. But we’re in an era in which studios just can’t leave things be. Now, 7 years later, Sony has dug up the “MIB” brand and spun it on its axis to give us “Men in Black International”. Marvel Cinematic […]
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 […]
“X-Men” kicked-off the cinematic superhero phenomenon in 2000. Marvel has created multiple franchises from this group of characters — from the core trilogy to the solo “Wolverine” films and the two “Deadpool” installments. The prequel saga, which began with 2011’s “X-Men: First Class”, hasn’t been a favorite of mine. “First Class”, “Days of Future Past” […]
In 2016, Ron Howard directed an insightful look at one of the most iconic bands in history with “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years”. Now Howard returns to the music doc genre, this time focusing on world-renowned opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. At just under two hours, “Pavarotti” is one of the […]
If a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, should they be told? Or, should that secret be kept so the person can enjoy their final few months without the burden of the truth? What if that person is the beloved matriarch of a proud but fractured Chinese family? That’s the foundation of “The Farewell”, […]
It’s been five long years since the reboot of “Godzilla”. And two years ago, Warner Bros. gave us a new take on the famous giant ape with “Kong: Skull Island”. Most people know, going into “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, that these two titans will be facing-off in next year’s “Godzilla v. Kong”. And if […]
I’m proud to have some first-hand, late night network talk show experience. I’ll never forget my two appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, including getting to learn a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes at these shows. I got to watch Jay rehearse his monologue (in his trademark denim on […]
“The Secret Life of Pets 2” is Illumination Entertainment’s sequel to their 2016 mega hit. Director Chris Renaud is back, along with most of the principal cast. But the vibe, as a whole, is much different from the original – and for the better. Patton Oswalt (who broke through as a voice actor as Remy […]