‘AMERICAN ANIMALS’ IS A KNOCKOUT
American Animals is a totally absorbing heist movie that just happens to be true–although director Bart Layton is cagey about just how true. He opens in the present day, interviewing the real-life parents of the main character; then we…
GOING ‘SOLO’ AND STRIKING GOLD
If you’re going to introduce a prequel to the Star Wars saga in a different way than anyone has tried before you’d better deliver the goods. Despite its well-documented production problems, Solo: A Star Wars Story does exactly that.…
DEADPOOL 2: NOT MY IDEA OF FUN
Nearly everything about the original Deadpool was fresh and funny, from the opening credits to the parody of Marvel movie finales. I’m not a fan of self-referential films but this one had so much energy and sheer bravado that…
YOUNG CLARK GABLE, “FATTY” ARBUCKLE, W.C. FIELDS, LOUISE BROOKS, AND MORE
Specialty distributors haven’t given up on DVDs and Blu-rays. In fact, they seem to be busier than ever releasing rare films and archival oddities, faster than I can possibly review them. Here is a sampling of some goodies I’ve…
LOVE & BANANAS: FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Love & Bananas is a modest but captivating documentary about the sorry fate of elephants in Southeast Asia. It dodges the hazard that plagues many cinematic labors of love. Too often the director’s enthusiasm and good intentions don’t translate to…
FROM ‘SAMSON’ TO ‘SHANE’: THE UNSUNG VICTOR YOUNG
It’s a matter of record that Jonny Greenwood earned an Oscar nomination for scoring Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread…but a significant piece of music that sets the tone for this moody character portrait is Victor Young’s “My Foolish Heart,” played…
‘AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR’ OFFERS ONE SURPRISE AFTER ANOTHER
Watching the latest, most ambitious entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an overpowering experience….especially if you have a deep emotional connection to any of the characters. I enjoy most of these films but wouldn’t call myself a fanboy;…
