I found lots of pain and not much glory in this semi-autobiographical film from Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director of films dating back to the 1970s. This one seems very connected to the director, though I do not know enough […]
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Abominable (2019) ☆ ☆
As a big fan of the Abominable Snowman, I have tried to see every movie associated with Yeti, not to mention his American cousin, Bigfoot. Most are not very good, and don’t get me started on the absurdities of Harry […]
Continue reading »Downton Abbey (2019) ☆ ☆ ☆
Prior to this motion picture I had not watched one minute of the acclaimed television series upon which it is based — but that will change. The movie has persuaded me that the series is worth investigating, something millions of […]
Continue reading »Ad Astra (2019) ☆ ☆ 1/2
“Ad Astra” is latin for “To the Stars,” which is exactly where this movie tries to go. As a lifetime space enthusiast, I am thrilled to see a movie that tries, and largely succeeds, depicting space travel as a viable […]
Continue reading »A Star is Found (2006)
A Star is Found 2006, Harcourt Inc. 307 pages. $25.00 Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins, with Rachel Kranz Many different aspects of filmmaking have been documented in books but this is the first one I’ve seen that focuses primarily on […]
Continue reading »Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood (2019) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Another film I was trepidatious about is Quentin Tarantino’s newest opus. Tarantino is an acquired taste, one which I have never fully accepted. I know he is revered but his style-first melodramatics are hit or miss with me. Tackling one […]
Continue reading »The Lion King (2019) ☆ ☆
When the animated version of this story became, in 1994, one of the most successful animated films of the Disney studio, I was surprised. I enjoyed it, yet I never felt the love so many people have for it, and […]
Continue reading »Angel Has Fallen (2019) ☆ ☆
While I have enjoyed Secret Service Agent Mike Banning’s previous two action-adventures (Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen), I think it is safe to say that they have finally run their course. The geo-political stakes are still very high — […]
Continue reading »After the Wedding (2019) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I was intrigued to see this drama, which is being advertised as more of a suspense film, almost a thriller. But such marketing makes this movie a sheep in wolf’s clothing, for it is not suspenseful at all, except for […]
Continue reading »The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) ☆ ☆ ☆
After a review hiatus to recover from knee surgery, I am back with a look at a sentimental dog-centric drama. Based on a Garth Stein novel that I have not read, this rather unusual story follows a Golden Retriever named […]
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