Movie Reviews

In Brief: Twenty years after they first milked the old MGM cow with That's Entertainment! (1974) and 18 years after they drained ol' Bossy dry with That's Entertainment, Part II, somebody got the idea that the old gal might have another quart in her. The result was That's Entertainment! III. Like its predecessors, it's worthless…

In Brief: A double dose of 1940s trash horror at its most virulent, William Nigh's Black Dragons (1942) and Christy Cabanne's Scared to Death (1947) both star the great Bela Lugosi. They also occupy a special niche in the hearts of Lugosiphiles, who understand that to love Bela is to love bad Bela. And in…

The Story: Norse god of thunder and superhero Thor must stop some evil elves from destroying the universe. The Lowdown: An intensely straight-faced, flatly directed, run-of-the-mill fantasy yarn with no originality and little to add to the world of cinema besides providing an advertisement for another Avengers movie.

In Brief: Bing Crosby stars as the idea man for an Hawaiian pineapple company who finds himself forced to romance the winner of his "Pineapple Queen" contest in order to save his job. This delightfully silly, often very funny Crosby vehicle makes the most of its star's effortless charm and affords him several new Ralph…

The Story: A romantic comedy fantasy more or less grounded in the idea that our main character can travel back in time. The Lowdown: Utterly charming, funny and touching, the film finds writer-director Richard Curtis at the peak of his game — and with just the cast to bring it to life. Unless you're a…

In Brief: The film charts the last days of 21-year-old Sophie Scholl's life, when she and her brother (Fabian Hinrichs)—members of the anti-Nazi student organization, the White Rose—were arrested, interrogated, “tried” and executed by the Nazi government for high treason. An uneven and imperfect film that rises above its shortcomings on the power of its…

In Brief: Though it often feels like a high-end TV movie -- and its message "twist" is pretty obvious early on -- Quentin Lawrence's Cash on Demand is one of the most successful of all Hammer Films' forays into something other than horror. First rate performances from Peter Cushing and, especially, Andre Morell help. Thoroughly…

The Story: Story of a romance between two young French women. The Lowdown: Yes, the sex and nudity is unflinchingly, uncoyly presented, but bear in mind this is a long, slowly paced, seriously-intended film. It's well-crafted and large chunks of it work. Worthwhile, but not the masterpiece some are claiming.

In Brief: Frakenstein is a title that needs no introduction. Everyone knows it's "the story of a man who made a monster," and most of us have seen it at one time or another (and if you haven't, there's really no excuse). It's the movie that made Boris Karloff a star and James Whale a…

The Story: Charles Dickens' classic tale of a poor orphan who comes into "great expectations" through an unknown benefactor. The Lowdown: Solid, imaginative — yet reasonably traditional — film of the novel. It's atmospheric, beautifully designed and wonderfully well-cast, especially in the supporting players. Helena Bonham Carter is a brilliant Miss Havisham — with Ralph…

The Story: In the midst of an unidentified and unexplained war, four children struggle for survival in the English countryside. The Lowdown: An odd, but generally effective movie that benefits from strong performances and gets extra points for not explaining too much.

The Story: The story of Solomon Northup, a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery. The Lowdown: Powerful, brilliantly — and beautifully — made. It boasts a gallery of fine performances and should finally propel Chiwetel Ejiofor to the stardom he's deserved for 10 years. It's a fine film, but maybe not quite a…

In Brief: Guillermo del Toro's frequently brilliant ghost story The Devil's Backbone (2001) — set at an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War — is one of the filmmaker's best works. It blends supernatural and human horror in such a way that the dividing line is not entirely clear. Even though del Toro has gone…

In Brief: This is a makeup screening of The Sect (1991) that was originally scheduled a while back. It's a visually stunning, narratively unhinged (to the point of incoherence) Italian horror from Michele Soavi, who went on to make the splendid Cemetry Man (1994). While this bizarre Rosemary's Baby reimagining is nowhere near that horror…

The Story: A young Saudi girl, struggling against the customs and restrictions of her homeland, enters a Koran recitation contest to win enough money to buy a bicycle. The Lowdown: A movie that’s full of ideas and thoughts on Saudi Arabian culture, but is far too quiet and meandering to carry any power.

In Brief: Well, it does boast two of the greatest — possibly the greatest — actresses of 1960s and 70s British film in Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson, but let's be honest, this is a thoroughly respectable British prestige picture from the folks who brought you the even more respectable Anne of a Thousand Days…

In Brief: Being There is a remarkable film that seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent years. How this could have happened with a film that — among other things — houses Peter Sellers' greatest acting performance is a mystery of some note. It's a brilliant film about a simple-minded gardener (Sellers) who…

The Story: Time-traveling turkeys go back to pilgrim times to prevent turkey from becoming the standard Thanksgiving fare. The Lowdown: It isn't clever. It isn't funny. It isn't very well made. It seems a lot longer than 90 minutes.

The Story: Sci-Fi yarn about the creation of a military boy-genius to lead an attack on an alien world. The Lowdown: Bombastic, self-important, lacking in wit and charm and just plain not very exciting, Ender's Game is definitely a long-shot for the next big franchise movie.

The Story: A senior citizen and his three buddies reunite for a bachelor party in Las Vegas. The Lowdown: A pleasant enough comedy thanks to its cast, though it’s rarely amusing and far too one-note.

The Story: A man fights for survival on a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean. The Lowdown: While it doesn't live up to the critical hype — at least not for me — this solo turn from Robert Redford is unusual fare and certainly worth a look. Bear in mind that it is…