Republican senator John McCain is dead at the age of 81, and for this movies and TV blog it is easy to be reminded of what a prolific role in American politics and culture he has played for decades now. In 2002, years before his presidential run together with Sarah Palin (which became unforgettable partly … Continue reading The Complex Maverick
LIVE IN THE MOMENT. 50-year-old linguistics professor Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) begins to notice disturbing little things about herself; after getting lost while out jogging, her doctor diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer’s. A straightforward drama portraying a relatively young woman and her family’s attempts to get used to an aggressive, debilitating disease that can’t … Continue reading Still Alice
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. In 1959, an African-American family moves into a white neighborhood at the same time as two men break into another family’s home, a crime that ends in a death. The Coen brothers were inspired by a real-life story when they came up with the idea for this movie. A huge problem … Continue reading Suburbicon
REPORTS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED. After a deadly attack on the Kingsman organization, Eggsy and Merlin (Taron Egerton, Mark Strong) are the only survivors, but when they contact the American branch they learn that a dearly departed associate is actually alive… The sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) shows Matthew Vaughn … Continue reading Kingsman: The Golden Circle
A MURDERED WIFE. A ONE-ARMED MAN. AN OBSESSED DETECTIVE. THE CHASE BEGINS. If you ever come to Sylva, North Carolina, there is at least one must-see tourist attraction – the train wreck from The Fugitive (1993). After shooting this expensive action scene that had a bus colliding with a train, the crew left the wrecks … Continue reading The Fugitive: Doc on the Run
THINGS FALL DOWN. PEOPLE LOOK UP. AND WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS. After the success of Boogie Nights (1997), director Paul Thomas Anderson found himself in a very fortunate position and thought hard about how to take advantage. He started writing what was supposed to be a small and intimate movie, but it blossomed and … Continue reading Magnolia: Meet the Miserables
THE REVOLUTION IS ABOUT ALL OF US. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her allies prepare to liberate the people of Panem and defeat President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and his troops once and for all. The fourth and final chapter in this franchise is largely an overblown war movie, with scenes that might remind audiences of … Continue reading The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
FIRE BURNS BRIGHTER IN THE DARKNESS. After surviving another Hunger Game, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is in District 13 where the rebel leader, President Coin (Julianne Moore), wants to turn her into the Mockingjay, a symbol of the resistance. The third and fourth films in the franchise cut the last novel into two. A pointless … Continue reading The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
THEY FIGURED HE WAS A LAZY TIME WASTING SLACKER. THEY WERE RIGHT. L.A. slacker Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) goes to see a millionaire who has the same name as him to get compensation after an unfortunate encounter with two thugs, but is drawn into a kidnapping case… The Coen Brothers’ attempt to have a little … Continue reading The Big Lebowski
EVERYONE LOVES A HAPPY ENDING. Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has no problem meeting women, and Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) is one of the sexiest he has ever hooked up with… but his addiction to Internet porn becomes a problem. The star’s directing debut is all the more impressive because he manages to make a romantic comedy … Continue reading Don Jon
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS, THE SON WILL RISE. Aging knight Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) finds a new apprentice (Ben Barnes) whom he will train to fight Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), an evil witch who can take on the shape of a dragon. This adaptation of a fantasy novel will look very familiar to fans of the … Continue reading Seventh Son
A deeply cynical, satirical look at Hollywood as we follow a fortysomething movie star (Julianne Moore) who’s desperate for a comeback; a bratty teen star (Evan Bird); and a peculiar young woman (Mia Wasikowska) with burnt arms who may or may not be looking for revenge. The cast is the whole show here, with Moore … Continue reading Maps to the Stars
YOU WILL KNOW HER NAME. Bullied teenage girl Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) discovers that she has telekinetic powers, but her mother (Julianne Moore) believes it is the work of the devil. This remake of the 1976 classic was made by a director who usually doesn’t engage in anonymous projects like this. The script remains … Continue reading Carrie
