A Monster Calls Fights Grief with Art
Grief and bereavement are inescapable conditions. Those of us who have not felt them yet soon enough will. We all find various ways to cope […]
Reviews
The Bye Bye Man Is an Intellectually Bankrupt Horror Film
As I walked out of a screening of “The Bye Bye Man,” I wasn’t filled with a sense of dread, or even relief that the […]
‘Fences’ Transcends Its Stage Origins—Barely
Bringing a play to the screen is always a tricky proposition. Plays have different limitations compared to film: the scenes usually have to occur in […]
‘The Founder’ Suffers from a Lack of Nerve
“The Founder,” directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel, attempts to demystify the creation of one of our most important and influential […]
‘Always Shine’ Is an Inventive and Off-Kilter Horror Film
Movies about the film industry usually don’t work. They often amount to a series of inside jokes that make little sense to audiences who aren’t part […]
Humanity and Grief in ‘Manchester by the Sea’
After Kenneth Lonergan‘s last film, “Margaret,” it wasn’t certain if he’d be back with a follow-up. That masterpiece, an interpretation of America’s reaction to 9/11, was […]
Now See This, Ep. 2: ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1978)
Welcome to Now See This, a source for film recommendations around Los Angeles. Following the recent presidential election, it’s a great time to see Philip […]
Lars Von Trier’s Repulsive and Astounding Antichrist
Sometimes movies seek to deceive us, to divert our attention so they can surprise us. Sometimes the surprises are fun and exciting—but they can also […]
‘Loving’ is a Quiet and Effective Portrait of Civil Rights Pioneers
It was only last year that the Supreme Court of the United States decided in favor of the plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision […]
The Tentative Enlightenment of ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’
Tom Cruise‘s “Jack Reacher” films are strange beasts. First of all, the diminutive Cruise is playing a character who is almost a foot taller than […]