Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) are true classics of the science-fiction / horror genre — although they are wildly different movies. They have inspired two direct sequels, two indirect sequels and now two prequels, the second of which is Alien: Covenant. There will […]
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Snatched (2017) ☆ ☆
Give comedienne-actress Amy Schumer some credit for making a buddy comedy involving a woman and her mother, and for casting Goldie Hawn, bringing her back to the big screen after a fifteen-year absence. Goldie looks great and is clearly having […]
Continue reading »The Fate of the Furious (2017) ☆ 1/2
This is another action-oriented blockbuster franchise that relies on identification with its characters to keep viewers interested in between all of the racing sequences and explosions. To some degree it works. Some of the more recent films in this series […]
Continue reading »The Lovers (2017) ☆ ☆
Thirty-five years ago one of our foremost film actresses was Debra Winger. She shined in films like An Officer and a Gentleman, Cannery Row, Urban Cowboy and especially Terms of Endearment before slowly backing away from Hollywood. She continued to act once […]
Continue reading »Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2 (2017) ☆ ☆
I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Guardians adventure, but I certainly enjoyed aspects of it — and the same is true for its sequel. By and large it is a dopey mess that cannot be taken seriously, and that […]
Continue reading »Norman (2017) ☆ ☆
Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is presented as a “fixer,” someone in New York City who can make connections and get things done. He’s a small time political operator who makes a connection with an Israeli politician (Lior Ashkenazi) that elevates […]
Continue reading »The Circle (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆
Strictly speaking, The Circle is science fiction, positing a near future when one technology company (seemingly a mixture of Apple, Google and Facebook, in my view) sets itself up as a global power. The Circle (the corporation) is surprisingly aided by […]
Continue reading »Going in Style (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆
I remember not liking the 1979 original old-guy caper film (with George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg), but I rather enjoyed this new version (with Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin). It is a breezy comedy — with […]
Continue reading »Phoenix Forgotten (2017) ☆ ☆
One of the most famous UFO sightings in American history occurred on March 13, 1997, when thousands of people saw mysterious lights in the skies above Phoenix, Arizona, which seemed to move in formation (and yet, apart). The “Phoenix Lights” […]
Continue reading »Gifted (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Good writing avoids cliché and provides characters with intelligent, interesting things to say. It can lift the mundane to the profound, and the routine to the special. Tom Flynn’s script for Gifted is largely exceptional, avoiding obvious benchmarks in favor of […]
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