Recap: The Idol (S1, Ep5) — Deeply Miserable Finale Drags Itself to a Tiring Conclusion
When I first started watching The Idol, I felt as though there was hope for it, that it had things to say and interesting ideas to execute. When I finished […]
Recap: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (S16, Ep6) — The Gang Clings to the Past in Best Episode of the Season
Always Sunny is not a show particularly interested in themes or character progression—any moment of apparent growth is cut off at the knees by just how awful these people are. […]
Review: King on Screen Explores the Good, Bad and Scary Film Adaptations of Prolific Author Stephen King
Actor-turned-director Daphné Baiwir (2021’s The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland) clearly has a great affection for author Stephen King, but her latest documentary, King on Screen—as you might have guessed—is more […]
Review: Gal Gadot Sheds Her Superhero Armor for Action Pic Heart of Stone
Gal Gadot has absolutely proven she can play Wonder Woman across multiple films (including cameos in two other DC films this year), but I’m still not sure she’s proven herself […]
Review: Sir Ben Kingsley Finds the Heart and Emotional High Points of Feel-Good Alien Drama Jules
While filmmaker Marc Turtletaub has had a long and successful career as a producer, his latest work Jules is only his third as a director (following the intriguing Puzzle), and […]
Review: The Collective Makes a Great Case for a Bad Action Movie
As you may have gleaned from my star rating, The Collective is not a good film. But that doesn’t stop it from being fascinating in the ways it is bad. […]
Review: Dreamin’ Wild Brings Music, and Dreams, of Days Gone By Back to the Surface
For reasons I’m very aware of, this one caught me off guard in the best possible way. When I was a much younger man (late teens-early 20s), I was in […]
Review: In Mutant Mayhem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Get a New, Youthful Energy and Impressive Voice Cast
For years, I wasn’t even sure where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated. I was aware of action figures, an animated series, and a few movies over the years, but […]
Review: Actor Ron Perlman Takes Center Stage in The Baker, an Action Thriller That Leans on Its Cast
Ron Perlman is a national treasure, and few people know that better than filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who has placed Perlman in nearly all of his films, including the Hellboy […]
Review: A Podcast Host Solves Mysteries and Gets More Than She Bargained For in Susie Searches
Actor-turned-first-time-filmmaker Sophie Kargman’s Susie Searches had its premiere almost a year ago at the Toronto Film Festival, and it seemed to disappear until recently. The title comes from the name […]
Review: The Beanie Bubble Charts a Toy Phenomenon and Its Founders’ Epic Rise and Fall
You can add Beanie Babies to the growing list of cultural phenomena of a particular era that are getting a film origin story. Or, in the case of The Beanie […]
Review: Disney’s Haunted Mansion Gives the Beloved Theme Park Ride a Welcome New Narrative
When I was a kid, one of the first pieces of vinyl I ever owned was an audio version of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, containing all the music, voices and […]