Here's a holiday double feature to be thankful for! The first is a sci-fi adventure franchise that neatly wraps itself up, and the second is a truly artful, old-fashioned romance that may generate a BEST ACTRESS OSCAR nomination! THE HUNGER GAMES:MOCKINGJAY-Part 2 finds Jennifer Lawrence, older and wiser as Katniss Everdeen, the leader of the rebellion in Panem against the cruel President Snow (Donald Sutherland) [...]
Here's the bottom line on some of what I've seen lately onstage and onscreen: THEATER *This is the last week to see Katori Hall's SATURDAY NIGHT/ SUNDAY MORNING at the Lyric Stage. It's an entertaining slice of life set in Memphis during WWII at Miss Mary's Press n' Curl, [...]
THE MARTIAN or (How a Geeked-out Gardener Saved His Own Life) stars our most down to earth actor in an out of this world saga that grabs us in its first few minutes, takes us on a wild ride, and features a signature performance in one of the best films of the year to date. MATT DAMON-- yeah, I love him, you love him-- [...]
A few more good ones left to see this summer and one circling the drain... See MISTRESS AMERICA! Co-writer/director Noah Baumbach's and his muse/co-writer/star Greta Gerwig's hilarious ode to finding your path through and post college. Freshman Tracy (Lola Kirke) is floundering in her first semester and connects with her soon to be older "stepsister by marriage" Brooke [...]
Impossible as it sounds, Tom Cruise has done it again with THE best action/adventure blockbuster mainstream movie of the summer: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION. I would not steer you wrong--this thing works on every level, from its trademark opening action sequence, a ridiculously over the top piece of derring-do which finds Tom hanging off the [...]
Did I mention I can't wait to see MAGIC MIKE XXL? (See my Summer Movie Preview Part I) It opens July 1 and kicks the second half of the summer movie season into high gear! Here are the rest of the movies I can't wait to see as the summer movie season heats up! July 1: TERMINATOR: [...]
Here are two movies to lighten up a summer day-- ALOHA boasts a first rate cast BRADLEY COOPER, EMMA STONE, and RACHEL McADAMS in an offbeat Hawaiian love triangle written/directed by the quirky Cameron Crowe. At his best he gave us JERRY MAGUIRE and ALMOST FAMOUS and at his worst gave us ZOO. ALOHA falls somewhere [...]
I've had women on the brain at the movies lately, and we are out there in significant numbers this season along with the boys of summer. I happened to see two sequels MAD MAX: FURY ROAD and PITCH PERFECT 2 on the same day and fully expected to tolerate the former and enjoy the latter. Not even close. PITCH "imperfect" began with a crude joke, meandered [...]
The summer blockbuster season is upon us-- superhero sequels, animated adventures, and crazy comedies. My tastes are somewhat different from your average 14 year old boy, so keep that in mind as you peruse the list below. Here's what I can't wait to see as the summer kicks off in PART I of my Summer Movie Preview: MAY 1: [...]
Yes it's been a long cold winter -- but let's not focus on that-- how about a movie to pull our focus so that we don't even notice! Which brings me to FOCUS starring one of the world's biggest box office stars WILL SMITH and gorgeous Aussie MARGOT ROBBIE, who left the wolves howling on Wall Street [...]
