CHAPLIN AND ORSON WELLES’ ONE-HIT WONDER
Few actresses have had a mentor as notable as Charlie Chaplin or a launch-pad as prominent as Citizen Kane, yet the name Dorothy Comingore is as little-known today as it was when that milestone movie was released. I was…
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: PLEASANT BUT POINTLESS
First, the good news: Beauty and the Beast is better than I expected it to be. I still don’t understand why Disney insists on recycling its most popular and beloved movies, but when the public repeatedly responds with box-office…
KONG: SKULL ISLAND
This is the best monster movie I’ve seen in years. I was not optimistic, having been burned before; what’s more, I still hold a special place in my heart for the original 1933 King Kong. But this movie adds…
MOVIES WORTH SAVING—AND SHOWING
My Dad always loved my definition of a film buff: someone who will intentionally watch a bad movie. My wife and I put that to the test Monday night when we attended the UCLA Film and Television Archives’ Festival…
ROBERT OSBORNE: ONE OF A KIND
If ever a man got to live out his dream, it was Robert Osborne. Twenty-three years ago he was hired to be the on-camera host for Turner Classic Movies. He was the perfect man for the job because his…
HUGH JACKMAN RETURNS AS ‘LOGAN’
Fans of Marvel, X-Men, and the Wolverine character should be pleased with Logan–it’s a strong finale and arguably the best in this highly uneven spin-off series. With three prominent names credited for the screenplay (director James Mangold, eminent screenwriter Scott…
SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ‘HIS GIRL FRIDAY’ AND ‘MILDRED PIERCE’
There are few films I know as well—or love as much—as Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday (1940), the director’s fast and furious remake of The Front Page. I’m also well acquainted with the great Mildred Pierce (1945 ) starring…
