“Ghost Stories” is an Ambitious Tale of That Which Haunts
Are ghosts real? That question seems to be the central premise of the new movie “GHOST STORIES” as it starts. Written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, and available in the US on VOD, it tees up its premise with a character named Professor Phillip Goodman (Nyman, yet again) who does not believe […]
“The Terror” chills to the bone in setting and style
On paper, the adaptation of Dan Simmons’ 2007 novel “The Terror” would seem to be a tough sell. It is a period piece that takes place in the mid-nineteenth century. Its setting is the brutal Arctic. And its stoic British naval characters are a hard lot to like. Yet, even with all those barriers, the […]
Pacino Renders a Devastating Portrait of “Paterno” for HBO
Despite the name “Paterno” on the new HBO TV-movie, it’s not a biopic focusing on the 45-year career of Joe Paterno, head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Rather, it deals with the 11 days after his record-setting 409th career victory, when his part in the cover-up of a child sex scandal brought an […]
“Blockers” Runs Interference on its Comedy with Maudlin Moves
There is a moment in the new film “Blockers” where you can visualize what the comedy could have been if it wanted to be smarter. Spying mother Lisa (Leslie Mann) finds herself stuck under the hotel bed where her daughter Julie (Kathryn Newton) is about to loses her virginity to her boyfriend Austin (Graham Phillips). […]
Wes Anderson’s Whimsical “Isle of Dogs” Has Plenty of Bite
Wes Anderson has earned quite a reputation over the last 24 years for making films packed with whimsy, eccentricity, and gentle humor. He is a very funny filmmaker indeed, and yet if you look closer at his past eight films you will see that they are often tinged with melancholy and malice. Gene Hackman’s ne’er-do-well […]
