Accomplishing a princely feat
Imagine my delight at learning of a new animated movie based on French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s beloved 1943 novella, The Little Prince, a book I’ve cherished since I was a kid....
View ArticleLocal kicks and twists
Two movies with major Bay Area connections are being released this month, and despite their differences, the gritty narrative Kicks and the provocative documentary Author: The JT Leroy Story are each...
View ArticleTwo for the ballot
As December tumbles in to the sound of jingle bells and cheer, awards season ramps up in Movieland. Holidays mean blockbusters and prestige releases from the major studios. But there are also...
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Big-screen hits and shouldn’t-misses of 2016
Rather than serve up my annual carafe of whine about the burden of compiling yet another best-movies-of-the-year list, I’ve accepted that it’s in-line with my responsibility as a critic of popular...
View ArticleThe message is the medium
The message movie isn’t quite a staple of Hollywood filmmaking, which is an enterprise generally dedicated to crowd-pleasing entertainment for over a century. But that doesn’t mean the industry hasn’t...
View ArticleTicket to ’Toon Town
I remember when 2d cartoons and various sorts of stop-motion animation were considered niche or kiddie fare. Even the word cartoon suggests something frivolous and trivial. Not that I ever let that...
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Ticket to ‘Toon Town
I remember when 2D cartoons and various sorts of stop-motion animation were considered niche or kiddie fare. Even the word “cartoon” suggests something frivolous and trivial. Not that I ever let that...
View ArticleBusting out the big summer movies
Summer is officially upon us june 20, but the summer movie season starts in early May. It’s a time of big-budget franchise films and family oriented crowd-pleasers, despite the occasional unexpected...
View ArticleHistorically cinematic
Some astute fellow from back in the day said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If only I could recall who that was. Just kidding. The quote comes from philosopher and...
View ArticleFrom Cannes with love and prestige
As the holiday season approaches, those of us who cover the movie industry can be thankful the quality of the releases increases. It’s that time when we see the bulk of contenders for the various...
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A Christmas entertainment grab bag
‘Tis the season. Can’t miss it. Can’t avoid it. You can try to secularize it in a generic way (“Happy holidays!”), recalibrate your festive winter solstice focus to Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, but it’s still...
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Assessing the best of 2017
It’s like clockwork when you cover the motion picture business. The beginning of a new year inevitably brings … one or more lists of the previous year’s best movies. So without further ado, here are...
View ArticlePanther power and subversion
It’s been a few weeks since the release of the incredibly enjoyable, wildly kinetic, and unquestionably groundbreaking superhero movie Black Panther, the latest addition to what’s become known as the...
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Just what the doc ordered
The beauty of the documentary is the wide range of subjects and points of view the format can accommodate, whether simply celebrating a life, showcasing a significant moment in time, or serving as a...
View ArticleMeet Shazam and Diane
One of the gratifying things about reviewing movies is the massive variety of styles and genres that filmmakers can explore. For example, a pair of the more noteworthy and watchable releases in April...
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