‘THE ACCOUNTANT’ DOESN’T ADD UP
For sheer novelty value The Accountant scores points: not only is the action hero a Certified Public Accountant–he’s also autistic. It’s an intriguing idea at first. The boy’s military father practices “tough love” bullying—and how to fight back. Affleck grows up…
‘CHRISTINE’ IS SPINE-TINGLINGLY GOOD
Rebecca Hall is one of the best actresses working today, a woman of great versatility and command of the screen. Like any great performer she makes what she does look easy, unfortunately she hasn’t received the attention or acclaim…
‘CERTAIN WOMEN’ STAYS WITH YOU
It requires patience to watch Kelly Reichardt’s deliberately slow-moving films but when they are as good as Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff I feel amply rewarded. Certain Women is an anthology of vignettes about women who…
A HORROR MOVIE MECCA IS ABOUT TO CLOSE
The day before I left Fantastic Fest in Austin some friends asked me if I knew about the SFANTHOR! House of Wax. I was embarrassed to admit that I didn’t. It’s a castle-like structure with wax-museum replicas of great…
‘TOWER’ IS A MUST-SEE DOCUMENTARY
Tower is one of the most original and effective documentaries I have ever seen. It even takes the now-familiar ingredient of animation as a storytelling tool and gives it an unexpected twist. Texas-raised filmmaker Keith Maitland wanted to commemorate…
DERAILING ‘THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN’
I wish the girl on this train was Miss Froy who writes her name on the frosted window in Alfred Hitchcock’s timeless classic The Lady Vanishes. That film delivers on its promise of suspense and offers a gallery of mysterious,…
SILENT FILM ACTRESS STARS IN A FUND-RAISING VIDEO
That headline is not inaccurate, nor is it an example of hyperbole. 96-year-old Lassie Lou Ahearn is supporting a crowdfunding campaign to restore a 1927 film called Little Mickey Grogan in which she starred with Frankie Darro. As film…
