For a few gossamer years in the 2010s, movie fans ate well perhaps a little too well. That was, of course, courtesy of a little red debit card called MoviePass, the product of an ambitious startup that promised nirvana for any red-blooded cinephile with too much time on their hands: Pay a monthly fee, then […]
MoviePass, MovieCrash (2024) Read More »
Do you remember the viral ice bucket challenge in the summer of 2014? The challenge videos of people getting ice water dumped on their heads were viewed 10 billion times and raised over $100 million. Here’s a harder question: Do you remember what the money was for? Most people do not. But, like this movie,
For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign (2024) Read More »
It takes either a staggering lead performance or a great plot twist to truly prove that there’s something special to a new miniseries. Netflix’s “Eric” is thankfully one that has both of these aspects tethered to it, for better and sometimes for worse. The series begins with Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch), a mad genius-like puppeteer,
“Hustlers,” rom-coms “Marry Me” and “Shotgun Wedding” (2022), the intimate action-thriller “The Mother” (2023), a self-funded project about her life journey titled “This is Me … Now” (2024) and a Superbowl halftime show appearance in 2020, among others. It’s almost as if Lopez boldly declares at every turn that she’s the whole package, while the
There’s something so appropriately disheartening about a movie about The Beach Boys being too superficial. For generations, people accused the band behind hits like “God Only Knows” and “California Girls” of being too disposable, a pop candy confection compared to the denser work of bands like The Beatles or the many artists that followed them
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In Andrew Hyatt’s “Sight,” what you see is what you get. The movie is a straightforward inspirational narrative based on a true story. There are very few surprises in store or moments that stand out beyond the predictable plot points and emotional scenes that play their hand a little too heavily. Without looking up its
Under the glare of fuschia neon lights Simon (Théodore Pellerin) is twirling. ABBA’s “Voulez-Vous” is blaring, and a perfectly placed fan is blowing his blonde wig around in all the right ways. He is the center of the universe, and no one can convince him, or us, otherwise. “Solo,” the third directorial effort from Sophie
Stax was founded in 1957 by siblings who bonded over their love of music: country fiddle player Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton, who took out a second mortgage on her house to finance the construction of a music store and a recording studio. The music store was wide-ranging: it is described in the
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I cannot think of a single reason for another Garfield movie, and apparently, the people who made this couldn’t, either. It reminds me of the legendary comment about “Nancy,” which, like “Garfield,” was originally a comic strip known for the spareness of its design and the helium-weight lightness of its humor. When asked to explain
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“Babes” explores that gulf with exuberant joy, endearingly vulnerable characters, and performances filled with heart and charisma. Also with every possible bodily function and fluid. This is a smart and loving movie about female friendship. But before I get to the women, I want to say a word about what a pleasure and relief it
