Movie Reviews
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man
I am very glad this documentary got made, but I wish it had been made with a bit more care. As it is, it sprawls all over the place and strays way off its titular subject. It could have been trimmed by twenty minutes and not have lost anything.
Beaumont was one of the masters of the short story in the ‘50s, along with Robert Sheckley and Frederick Brown and several others. I grew ... Read more »
Roman Holiday
This movie is all about Audrey Hepburn, and I guess a little bit about Rome. It was her first starring role, she won the Oscar for it, and if ever a debut film simply glowed with incipient star power, it’s this one. Her waif-like beauty is damn near perfect. It’s a great tragedy that she was taken from us at the relatively young age of 64, without a chance to perform some of the elder ... Read more »
Foxcatcher
One of those stories where I wonder why anyone wanted to make it. And why Steve Carrell, noted funnyman, wanted this as his debut into serious drama. He’s quite good, but still, this John du Pont character was such a clueless asshole …
I’ve long felt sorry for wrestlers. It’s a noble sport, unlike boxing, where your goal is to hurt your opponent until he ... Read more »
Exodus: Gods and Kings
There is a law of diminished expectations. The reviews of this Ridley Scott film were pretty awful, but since it was a big SFX movie with no costumed idiot “superhero,” I just had to give it a try. And I had a good time.
The main reason to see it is to compare and contrast with the greatest special effect of all time, that is, the parting of the Red Sea in ... Read more »
The Babadook
Here’s a rare thing: a scary movie that is not drenched in blood. It’s labeled as a psychological horror film, and that sounds about right. It’s a throwback to the sort of thriller like The Haunting, or some of Hitchcock’s best work, where the tension builds, and there are no scenes of dismemberment or other grossness. Partly that might be because the budget was ... Read more »
Mr. and Mrs. Murder
The best way to think of this is as Nick and Nora Charles for the 21st century. But where Nick was a boozing ex-P.I. and Nora was a wealthy socialite, Charlie and Nicola Buchanan are sole proprietors of a Melbourne toxic cleaning service, ToxiClean. Where N&N are full of sophisticated banter, C&N are more than a bit goofy. In a very endearing way.
While I assume they would ... Read more »
Edward Scissorhands
Coming off the success of Beetlejuice and the blockbuster original Batman, Tim Burton apparently could convince studios to fund just about anything he wanted to make. Which explains how one of the weirder Hollywood movies got the green light. It is a fable with its roots in Frankenstein, with the exception that when Ed first comes down ... Read more »
Maps to the Stars
It seems to me that Julianne Moore has dared to play a lot of basically unlikable characters in her career. I applaud that; most actors really want to be liked. I mean, even Hannibal Lecter has his good side. But Ms. Moore has really outdone herself with this one. She is by far the worst of a cast of characters with only one person I could like, even a little. And that person eventually ... Read more »
Eight Below
SPOILER WARNING. “Inspired” by a true story. Here’s what happens: Eight sled dogs are left behind when a research station is evacuated with an injured man ahead of bad weather. They fully intend to go back for the dogs. But the weather gets worse and stays impossible, until the long Antarctic winter sets in. No flights in or out. The late Paul Walker is almost insane with worry, and ... Read more »
Married Life
Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Cooper, and Rachel McAdams in a black comedy of matrimonial errors and betrayal that is really all rather routine. It is based on a 1953 novel that was also the source for a one-hour episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and probably should have stayed there. I won’t say it’s a total waste of your time, I like all the ... Read more »