Finding Dory (Angus MacLane/Andrew Stanton, 2016) Last year, Pixar gave us two new films, both original scripts: Inside Out and The … More
Category: movie reviews
In “The Conjuring 2,” the Power of Christ Doesn’t Quite Compel Us
The Conjuring 2 (James Wan, 2016) Three years ago, Australian director James Wan (Saw) served up The Conjuring, a somewhat tasty – if … More
Dan Rodricks’ Roughly Speaking Podcast on the Films of Spring and Summer 2016
Today, Linda DeLibero – Director, Film and Media Studies, Johns Hopkins University – and Christopher Llewellyn Reed (that’s me) – Chair and Professor, Department … More
4 Film Reviews on Hammer to Nail: “Holy Hell,” “The Ones Below,” “The Other Side” and “Weiner”
Over the past two weeks, on top of my remaining coverage of the 2106 Maryland Film Festival, I have written … More
“Me Before You” – Better Luck Next Cry
Me Before You (Thea Sharrock, 2016) Thirtysomething Will Traynor has everything going for him: he’s handsome, athletic, insanely rich and … More
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster” Offers an Intriguing Parable on Love and Dating
The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2015) The Lobster is Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s fifth theatrical feature. Prior to this, perhaps his … More
Post-2016 Maryland Film Festival Coverage, Part 2, for Hammer to Nail
I still have some movie reviews and filmmaker interviews from the recent 2016 Maryland Film Festival popping up on Hammer to Nail. Here’s what’s … More
Destructo Mundo, Magneto! “X-Men: Apocalypse” Does That End-of-the-World Marvel Thing.
X-Men: Apocalypse (Bryan Singer, 2016) As the film begins, we hear a familiar, English-accented voice (James McAvoy, aka the younger … More
Come Back, Shane! The Engaging Mess (and Missed Opportunities) of “The Nice Guys”
The Nice Guys (Shane Black, 2016) Writer/director Shane Black – known for penning the 1980s blockbuster Lethal Weapon and the 1990s flop The Long … More
“The Angry Birds Movie” Entertains While Promoting Brand Awareness
The Angry Birds Movie (Clay Kaytis/Fergal Reilly, 2016) I have a confession to make: I have never played Angry Birds. … More
