RETRO REVIEW: “Predator” (1987)
I grew up in the heyday of the beefcake action genre and I’m not going to lie – I loved it. Throughout the 1980’s to the mid 1990’s names like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Norris, Van Damme, and Seagal...
View ArticleRETRO REVIEW: “Panic Room” (2002)
By the time David Fincher made “Panic Room” he had already earned a name for himself as an audacious filmmaker. He had “Se7en” and “Fight Club” under his belt, both bucking the mainstream in their own...
View ArticleREVIEW: “The Painted Bird” (2020)
In a key scene from “The Painted Bird” a young boy, not even 10-years-old, holds a small blackbird while a grizzled old man brushes white paint across its feathers. The man then releases it to a flock...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Palm Springs” (2020)
For the sake of honesty I have to admit that I’ve never quite connected with Andy Samberg’s brand of comedy. To be fair I’ve only seen glimpses of his television work (none of it stuck with me), but...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Project Power” (2020)
In a crazy year that has been essentially devoid of big action-packed tentpole movies, it’s kinda nice to see something like “Project Power” come along. This stylish Netflix banger from the directing...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Promising Young Woman” (2020)
While Carey Mulligan has received her share of accolades and most consider her a good actress, in some sense she remains underappreciated and is rarely considered among the best of her craft. She’s...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Pieces of a Woman” (2020)
Grief has proven to be one of cinema’s favorite themes to explore. And regardless of how many films have tackled the subject, we’re always finding potent new stories that plow this deeply human ground....
View ArticleSUNDANCE REVIEW: “Passing” (2021)
Actress Rebecca Hall makes her directorial debut at Sundance with “Passing”, a movie based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel. Set predominantly in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, “Passing” is an...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Penguin Bloom” (2021)
A seemingly perfect family life is upended follow a harrowing accident in “Penguin Bloom”, the new Netflix family drama from Australian director Glendyn Ivin. The film is based on the acclaimed book...
View ArticleRETRO REVIEW: “The Prestige” (2006)
It has been nearly 15 years since Christopher Nolan blew our minds with his period psychological thriller “The Prestige”. For those who haven’t seen it, a quick glance at the synopsis won’t really do...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Percy vs Goliath” (2021)
It’s sad to say but there aren’t enough meaty roles out there for actors and actresses past a certain age. And unfortunately that means there are certain kinds of stories that simply aren’t being told....
View ArticleREVIEW: “Pig” (2021)
Neon and Nicolas Cage. There’s a match I would watch any day of the week. Neon has earned its reputation as one of the industry’s top distributors of independent films. The 57-year-old Cage churns out...
View ArticleREVIEW: “The Protégé” (2021)
When gazing over the cinema landscape it’s hard to find anything more en vogue right now than assassins. Movies featuring assassins are nothing new, but they got a boost with the immensely popular John...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Prisoners of the Ghostland” (2021)
This is no “Pig”! Admittedly that’s a strange way to start a review. But those of you who have had the pleasure of watching Nicolas Cage’s poignant and remarkably restrained performance in the movie...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin” (2021)
Confession time: I have no real attachment to the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. I haven’t seen any of the films past the first two. I couldn’t tell you anything about the timeline or how any of the...
View ArticleREVIEW: “The Power of the Dog” (2021)
(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) Based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name, Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” is a crafty anti-Western with all the...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Petite Maman” (2021)
French filmmaker Céline Sciamma’s follow-up to her highly acclaimed “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” isn’t the big audacious next film you might expect after a big success. In fact the beautifully intimate...
View ArticleREVIEW: “Parallel Mothers” (2021)
Even at 72, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is still churning out his unique brand of movies at a strong and steady rate. It’s clear the two-time Oscar winner still relishes the opportunity to tell...
View ArticleREVIEW: “The Phantom of the Open” (2022)
Mark Rylance finds another custom-fit role in “The Phantom of the Open”, a biographical dramedy that you can file in the “so crazy that it must be true” category. Directed by Craig Roberts, this...
View ArticleREVIEW: “The Princess” (2022)
Don’t let its name fool you. The new Hulu Original “The Princess” is no bubbly family-friendly Disney fairytale. Nope, this proudly bloody and brutal medieval action-thriller goes out of its way to...
View Article