“War Dogs” Offers Mostly Great Satire of Our Military/Industrial Complex

War Dogs (Todd Phillips, 2016) Todd Phillips is the man responsible for giving us all three Hangover films. I loved the … More

“Ben-Hur” Fails to Champion Its Raison d’Etre

Ben-Hur (Timur Bekmambetov, 2016) American Civil War Hero Lewis Wallace – or General Lew Wallace, as he is most often known – … More

“Sausage Party” Offers an Orgy of Jokes Crude, Rude, Lewd … and Sometimes Funny, Too!

Sausage Party (Greg Tiernan/Conrad Vernon, 2016) If the thought of your food having sex (note: not you having sex with … More

In “Florence Foster Jenkins,” La Diva Streep Warbles Through a Too-Often Flat Aria

Florence Foster Jenkins (Stephen Frears, 2016) I miss the Meryl Streep of yore, before she was an institution, accorded diva … More

Disney’s Remade “Pete’s Dragon” Offers CGI Delights and Flesh-and-Bone Disappointments

Pete’s Dragon (David Lowery, 2016) If you are a fan of the original Pete’s Dragon, released in 1977, eager to see … More

Criterion’s “Night and Fog” + “Neither Heaven Nor Earth” + Gillian Armstrong x2 at “Hammer to Nail”

In the past two weeks, Hammer to Nail published three reviews of mine – of two movies just released and one … More

In “Don’t Think Twice,” Funny People Try Too Hard to Be Sad

Don’t Think Twice (Mike Birbiglia, 2016) Comedian Mike Birbiglia has developed a loyal fanbase over the past 10 years or so with … More

“Jason Bourne” Thrills as It Kills, but Kills Far Too Much

Jason Bourne (Paul Greengrass, 2016) The last time we saw Matt Damon in an existential crisis was just over 10 months … More

The Coffee and Pastries Are Ever So Stale in “Café Society”

Café Society (Woody Allen, 2016) With almost fifty feature films to his name, writer/director Woody Allen is nothing if not extremely … More

These “Bad Moms” Revel in the Anarchy of Laughter

Bad Moms (Jon Lucas/Scott Moore, 2016) As those who read my reviews will know, I did not much like what, until … More