Movie Recommendations, Rants and Ruminations
The excellent crime drama Black Mass tells the true life story of how gangster James “Whitey” Bulger built his Boston Irish gang into a major crime empire under the protection of the FBI. As if we needed an illustrative example, Bulger is proof that psychopathy and ambition is a really nasty combination. And, as Black … Read more
The German psychological drama Phoenix is taut, intense and has a superb ending – surprising and satisfying. Phoenix may only be in theaters for another week or so. Going Clear: The Prison of Belief, documentarian Alex Gibney’s devastating expose of Scientology, originally shown on HBO in April, is now in theaters. Other possibilities: The End … Read more
Summer is winding down, and we’ll soon see some good September releases (I’ll soon be writing about Meet the Patels and 99 Homes). The prestige releases will start rolling out in October, but in the meantime, I suggest that you make a special effort to see The End of the Tour, which may only be … Read more
In the movie theaters, we are still in the dreaded Mid August Doldrums, but there are some good choices: The End of the Tour is the smartest road trip movie ever, starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. Be sure to see it. Joel Edgerton’s The Gift is a satisfying thriller – and much more. In … Read more
In director Noah Baumbach’s failed comedy Mistress America, an insecure young college student meets her step-sister-to-be (Greta Gerwig), who turns out to be a human whirlwind, dancing on the razor’s edge between frantic excitement and chaos. The premise of an unsure young person becoming captivated by a high energy and charismatic personality is an interesting … Read more
Yesterday I wrote about the actor Warren Oates and the biodoc Warren Oates Across the Border. On Monday, August 24, Turner Classic Movies will show seven, count ’em, SEVEN Warren Oates films: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, The Wild Ones, Chandler, Badlands, There Was a Crooked Man, The Thief Who Came to Dinner … Read more
The End of the Tour is the smartest road trip movie ever, starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. It opens today more widely, so be sure to see it. Other top recommendations: The chilling and powerful documentary The Look of Silence is not for everyone, but it’s on my Best Movies of 2015 – So … Read more
The actor Eli Wallach has died at age 98. He was a star of the New York stage and of NYC-based TV series and live television dramas of the 1950s. Wallach was a great movie character actor who had the gift of packing maximum entertainment value into any role. Movie fans will probably best remember … Read more
The powerful drama Short Term 12 is now available streaming on Netflix Instant. It ranked as number 7 on my Best Movies of 2013. The compelling and affecting Short Term 12 is set in a foster care facility unit named Short Term 12; since the kids can live there for years, it seems pretty long-term … Read more
What kind of douchebag would fake his own death to see who shows up to his funeral? Indeed, in the comedy Friended to Death, there’s a reason why everyone calls Michael Harris a douchebag. He is a colossal jerk who revels in the misfortunes of others. In his job as a parking enforcement officer, he’s … Read more