‘Goodfellas’ director calls out superhero movies as ‘not cinema’
Director Martin Scorsese has long been established as a cinematic genius, serving as the mind behind masterpieces such as “Goodfellas,” and “Taxi Driver.” Recently, the 76-year-old filmmaker has made headlines, not only for the promotion of his upcoming film “The…
‘Joker’ transcends comic book genre, redefining iconic villain
Following an abundance of pre-release controversy and potential Oscar buzz, “Joker” is finally here. Directed by Todd Phillips (“War Dogs”) and starring Joaquin Phoenix (“The Sisters Brothers”) as the Clown Prince of Crime, “Joker” is Warner Brothers first DC film…
Stephen’s Spiteful Sentiments (9/27/19): ‘I hate ‘Life Itself”
That is both accurate and inaccurate. “Oh, that movie? You’ll be in there by yourself,” the usher told me. How does that happen? This was opening weekend. You do not need me to tell you that this movie is bad….
‘Undone’ combines time travel with surreal visual effects
Who does not love a good time-travel story? Well, calling “Undone” a time-travel story may be oversimplifying it a bit. After all, it was co-created by Raphael Waksberg (“Bojack Horseman”), so viewers can be assured that the issue will be…
Bill Burr not afraid of pissing people off in new stand-up
In a world that increasingly holds its comedians to higher standards than its elected officials, one man has the courage to make fun of everything and everyone while somehow not stirring up controversy. That man is Bill Burr. For audiences…
‘Hustlers’ proves to be fun warm-up for upcoming Oscar films
“Hustlers,” a new film from director Lorene Scafraia (“The Meddler”), presents itself as a moderately unique look inside the infamous stripping industry. Instead of solely focusing on the business’ sexual aspects and the objectification of the women who work within…
Even Brad Pitt looks bored in ‘Ad Astra’ despite its great visuals
In space, nobody can hear you scream, because the audience has fallen asleep. “Ad Astra” is the newest film by James Gray (“The Lost City of Z”) and follows Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) as Roy McBride,…
‘The Goldfinch’ shines, exploring loss, trauma through art
“The Goldfinch” is a film adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Donna Tartt, which is incredibly beautiful and woefully long. A unique coming-of-age tale that chronicles the life of a boy named Theodore Decker (Oakes Fegley,…
‘The Farewell’ combines humor, tragedy while retaining personality
“The Farewell,” an independent film from director Lulu Wang (“Posthumous”), is a truly special viewing occasion because of how it confronts its viewers with a subject as dark as the impending death of a family member, and yet still gives…
‘Tigers are Not Afraid’ tackles devastation of Mexican drug wars on families
Recently released for English language audiences on Shudder, only the second most inconvenient streaming service after DC Universe, “Tigers are Not Afraid,” originally titled “Vuelven,” directed by Issa López, is a sort-of horror, sort-of realist drama film that tackles both…
