My Favorite Movies: The Original Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983)
It is nearly impossible to see this as [...]
Tag: 3 stars
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
No one would really blame you if you approached Avengers: Age of Ultron with a bit of weariness. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now in its seventh year, and each release is a massive tentpole event, the size of which is usually reserved for The Super Bowl or The World Series. Yet, if you’re the […]
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6, the latest animated adventure from Disney, illustrates one of the greatest assets and also one of the greatest set-backs of the studio’s recent animated product. It is created with perfect, loving details, but falters when it gets to the main story. Disney has historically been good at both, but recently the greatness […]
In Defense of Empty Spaces: ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ at 35
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre creates an atmosphere that is comparable to rotten meat. Believe it or not, I mean that as a compliment. There’s a lot of death and decay in this movie, a lot of rotten, messy decomposition. What is unsettling is that this atmosphere hangs heavy over long silences in which nothing […]
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Andy Serkis gets top billing in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and not without good reason. It’s possible that without his performance the movie might have been just another forgettable, big-budget Hollywood special effects prequel, but he makes the movie come alive in a way that from now on, he should no longer […]
Maleficent (2014)
The first thing you notice are the horns. They’re impressive. They rise at least a foot off of Angelina Jolie’s head, twisting and turning like a country road and then arriving at two fine tapered points that face east and west. You can’t stop staring at them, and the fact that they tower above one […]
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men: Days of Future Past is like the world’s most dazzling wedding cake. It’s so pretty, and even breathtaking, that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that what’s on the inside is not nearly as impressive as what’s on the outside. It colorful, it’s fun, but don’t look too deeply or you’ll […]
Losing LeBron (2013)
The most quietly telling image in the documentary “Losing LeBron” is a Nike ad featuring LeBron James with his arms outstretched and his eyes cast upwards to Heaven. Over his head is written the slogan “We Are All Witnesses.” It is a Christ-like pose that speaks volumes to his importance to the town Cleveland, Ohio […]
Too Sane for This World (2014)
I am sort of ashamed to admit that my mental image of autism runs immediately to Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. I have, for many years, assumed that most or all autistic people talk and act like Raymond Babbit. I have a feeling, I’m not alone. What I’ve been able to learn in the 25 […]
