Movie Reviews

In Brief: Steven Spielberg's return to the type of film for which he is most prized by the public -- following two less popular, more adventurous films -- is an agreeable, if somewhat overlong and not particularly memorable "true" story about a high schooler who managed to pass himself off as an airline pilot, a…

The Story: A dishonest insurance salesman sees a chance to correct some losses with a spot of larceny -- only to find himself embroiled ever deeper in trouble as a result. The Lowdown: A convoluted, entertaining dark comedy involving varying levels of duplicity. Ultimately, it's on the shallow side and mostly scores points for clever…

In Brief: A giant, winged Aztec serpent god (living in the top of the Chrysler Building) terrorizes New York -- and the only hope seems to be a bottom-rung hood who knows where the monster is lurking. Cheeky horror fun -- with the usual dose of social commentary -- from exploitation filmmaker Larry Cohen.

In Brief: The title kind of says it all -- the famous Chinese detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) solves a murder at the race track. (OK, the murder actually took place on ship.) Fast-paced, clever mystery with solid production values and the inimtable pairing of Oland and Keye Luke.

The Story: Time-spanning love story of two Cuban jazz performers from 1948 onward. The Lowdown: Colorful, jazz-filled and very adult animated film that captures the 1940s and '50s jazz scene, and deserved its Oscar nomination.

The Story: Undercover cops pose improbably as high school students to break up a drug ring. The Lowdown: Pretty funny and surprisingly agreeable spoof of the old TV show, but also raucous and raunchy.

In Brief: Extremely long (seven-plus hours), often highly-praised film from Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr about the lives in a rundown village, and the promise of something better from a man whose primary interest seems to be the money they've received from the government. Very much a matter of taste -- and the ability to sit…

The Story: An inside look behind-the-scenes at Paris’ Le Crazy Horse. The Lowdown: A detached, vague, overlong and uneven film that’s ultimately a love-it-or-hate-it affair.

In Brief: Classic British wartime romance from Noël Coward and David Lean, detailing a chance encounter between a slightly bored married woman and a doctor who is more exciting than her husband -- and with who she seems to have more in common. It may not have the punch it once did, but it remains…

The Story: An adopted girl goes searching for her birth mother. The Lowdown: Better looking (at least some of the time) than most faith-based movies and with a standout small turn from Jasmine Guy, but strictly of interest to a very specific demographic.

The Story: A fast-talking literary agent becomes magically linked to a tree that loses a leaf for every word he speaks -- and when the leaves run out, he dies. The Lowdown: Occasionally awful, sometimes far too ambitious for its own good, but mostly just forgettable.

In Brief: The killer doll is brought back to life once again -- this time by his murderous old girlfriend with an eye toward matrimony, something her diminutive swain is less keen on. Before you know it, we end up with two homicidal dolls, a bizarre road trip and an ever-escalating body count. A twisted,…

In Brief: Luchino Visconti's 1960 film about a poor family coming to Milan to escape the dead-end poverty they found in the south is certainly entertaining. It's also overlong, messy, and an unwieldy mix of neo-realism and the new direction that Visconti was heading towards. It hasn't held up as well as has been generally…

In Brief: A bumbling Indian actor (Peter Sellers) -- who has just ruined a big-budget movie -- is mistakenly invited to a high-power Hollywood party, which he predictably turns into a shambles. Largely improvised from an outline, The Party is strictly a matter of taste for very broad slapstick antics.

The Story: A Civil War veteran is transported to Mars where he becomes embroiled in the warring factions of the planet. The Lowdown: Surprisingly good and thoughtful sci-fi action based on Edgar Rice Buroughs' century-old novel. Definitely worth a look.

The Story: A young girl spends 80-odd minutes being terrorized in a dark and spooky house. The Lowdown: Incredibly dull and exceedingly murky gimmick horror picture that supposedly unfolds in real time and in one long take (neither is true). The logistics of choreographing the shots are sort of impressive.

In Brief: William Friedkin's landmark film version of Mart Crowley's landmark play that addressed homosexuality and the gay world in ways that had previously been considered strictly taboo. It all unfolds at a birthday party with an all-gay guest list that gets invaded by an unexpected -- presumably straight -- outsider. Yes, it's very much…

The Story: Two talentless bozos make a movie about two talentless bozos making a movie, losing a fortune and trying to recoup that money by reviving a rundown mall before the gangsterish producers of their movie catch up with them. The Lowdown: Quite possibly the worst movie ever made, which, I suspect, will be taken…

In Brief: Regardless of how you feel about John Cassavetes' first film, Shadows (1959), this not-as-improvised-as-it-would-have-you-believe work, which loosely examines racism and beatnick culture, is important for its influence and as a fascinating document of its time.

In Brief: A genre-defying outburst of a movie from Spain that manages to be absurd, horrific and weirdly haunting at the same time. It's almost impossible to synopsize, but it all stems from a clown being forced to fight against Franco's soldiers in 1937, so that it's ultimately an indictment of the Franco regime and…

The Story: A teen and his friends throw an outrageous party that soon gets out of hand. The Lowdown: A contemptible mish-mash of ugly filmmaking and obnoxious characters that’s more boring than shocking.