I was in the mood for a rip-roaring period adventure, particularly one starring Ralph Fiennes, so I accepted the offer of a free digital copy of The King’s Man. Unfortunately, the movie wound up being deadly dull. (I’d seen the first Kingsman in a sneak preview, when theaters did that, or I knew how to find them. I tried the second, but I couldn’t cope with the level of violence.) The Kingsman concept was never the strongest, but this one […]

Paramount has made a semi-animated movie of Clifford the Big Red Dog, based on the character created by Norman Bridwell. It’s the story of a girl, Emily (Darby Camp), who adopts a startlingly colored puppy. Since she loves it so much, it grows to humongous size. I was interested in watching it mostly because the male lead is played by Jack Whitehall. When I was in London, I saw him on Graham Norton talking about making the movie, which is […]

One of the cool-but-frustrating things about doing this is that I sometimes get to see really neat things that you won’t be able to. I don’t mean that as a taunt, but as recognition that this animated film/documentary (a fascinating blend) is currently playing film festivals, so the ability to see it is limited. (The filmmaker provided a copy of this for me to check out.) Hopefully, that doesn’t remain the case, as Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen […]

I was interested in this pandemic picture, available on HBO Max, because it was promoted as a heist flick with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor that took unique advantage of the real-life lockdown to film in a deserted Harrod’s. The plot is that the two are an estranged couple who are splitting up but are trapped together in the same house in London. They hatch a plan to take advantage of the circumstances to steal luxury goods from Harrod’s when […]

Out next week on home video is a new documentary on Audrey Hepburn. Audrey: More Than an Icon is available on DVD or Blu-ray December 15, and on VOD on January 5. I requested and was provided a DVD review copy, because some of her films are some of my favorites, and I was curious to learn more about hoer life. I must have already picked up more than I realized, because I don’t felt as though I learned much […]

Scotch: A Golden Dream is an hour-and-a-half documentary about the making of Scotch whisky and its many traditions. With views of green pastures, amber liquid, and Scottish activities and outfits, it opens in a relaxing mood and continues in the same style, building layers of knowledge revolving around one particular master of the drink. Finished a couple of years ago, the movie will be available on demand on May 7. (Since I previously watched Neat: The Story of Bourbon, I’m […]

I went to see the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie release, Captain Marvel, this morning. While there was a lot about the movie I intellectually appreciated — such as its focus on female friendship — emotionally, I was left cold. And quite often, bored, waiting to get to the next set piece. Typical of current blockbusters, there’s too much focus on action scenes that can be hard to follow, since they’re set in dark spaces. I’m rarely interested in Marvel’s […]

I saw Aquaman last night, and as expected, it was big dumb action fun. The best thing about the movie, I thought, was the immersive visuals of the seascapes, from immense glowing underwater cities to abandoned gathering places with giant decaying statues. That’s why I was glad I saw it in the theater, even if it is too long (2 1/2 hours, almost) and could have been more tightly edited. Putting in both Ocean Master (Orm, Arthur’s half-brother, played by […]