I was never a fan of The Matrix franchise. The very concept of these films bothered me since I saw the first one (I'll go into this below). I saw the first two movies when they were relatively new, with no desire to see more. I skipped the third movie when it came out. But … Continue reading Matrixes: Kung Fu, digital effects, and ridiculous stories
Parallel Mothers: What you heard at the maternity hospital
A- drama Written & directed by Pedro Almodóvar Some movies are easy to review, but not this one. If I'm not careful, I can ruin the movie for you - and not just in the last act. Pedro Almodóvar's latest film, Parallel Mothers, contains some important surprises over its two-hour runtime, and each new revelation … Continue reading Parallel Mothers: What you heard at the maternity hospital
Movies I’ve recently seen: From Here to Eternity ֍ Tick, Tick… Boom! ֍ Terror in a Texas Town ֍ One Hour with You & ֍ No Way Out
I haven't been going to theaters recently, but here are a few, mostly old movies that I've watched at home. The fact that four of the five movies are in black-and-white tells you that that most of these pictures are vintage. And if you want to find out how to stream any of these, click … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: From Here to Eternity ֍ Tick, Tick… Boom! ֍ Terror in a Texas Town ֍ One Hour with You & ֍ No Way Out
The best new films I saw at home
Like all of us, I saw a lot of new films at home this year. Along with Netflix, Vudu, and other services, I also streamed films in the job of a reviewer - especially near the major film festivals. These were the best: A Skies of Lebanon: directed by Franka Potente The movie begins like … Continue reading The best new films I saw at home
My best moviegoing experiences of 2021
I don't write a list of the year's best ten movies. Instead, I list the best ten moviegoing experiences (sometimes I list more than ten). I couldn't do that last year, but this time I could. What do I mean by moviegoing experiences? The movies can be old or new. The experience must happen in … Continue reading My best moviegoing experiences of 2021
What’s Screening: Dec 31 – Jan 6
A lot of really good, new movies in theaters right now, even if I haven't seen many of them. But you can see some good classics on the big screen this week. And as usual around the new year, there are no festivals. Theatrical revivals A+ Fargo (1996), New Parkway, Thursday, 9:00pm I'm not sure … Continue reading What’s Screening: Dec 31 – Jan 6
What’s Screening: December 24 – December 30
I'm using a different format for the newsletter this week. Instead of going by sections, I'm listing a few films worth watching in theaters this week. If I don't list dates and times, check the theaters. A+ Die Hard (1988), New Parkway, Saturday, 8:20pm; Sunday, 6:20pm, Wednesday, 8:35pm The original Die Hard is easily one of the … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 24 – December 30
Noir City Oaktown
It was 3:00am. The streets were deserted. The fog was as thick as the plot of a Raymond Chandler novel. I was missing something important. I hadn't attended Noir City since 2019. A bad case of the flu kept me at home that year. At least I thought it was the flu. Within weeks, a … Continue reading Noir City Oaktown
Movies I’ve recently seen: West Side Story ֍ Don’t Look Up ֍ The Power of the Dog ֍ The Last Emperor ֍ & The Edge of the World
I've been trying to see as much Oscar bait as I can lately. That means that I've seen some very good, new movies. And that's why the new films on this list are better than the vintage movies. A West Side Story (2021) I've seen the 1961 version maybe seven times, but I never cried … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: West Side Story ֍ Don’t Look Up ֍ The Power of the Dog ֍ The Last Emperor ֍ & The Edge of the World
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of the year
When the ball drops and 2021 turns into 2022, some very good films will disappear from The Criterion Channel (but not forever; many of them will return after a few months). If you don't subscribe to Criterion, you can start a 14-day free trial. Here are some of the movies that you might want to … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of the year
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