The Dance of Jodorowsky’s Legos: 3 of the Best of 2014 Now Available for Home Viewing

The Lego Movie (Phil Lord/Christopher Miller, 2014) Young Emmet (voiced perfectly by Chris Pratt, also in this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy) lives … More

“The Interview” Was Made by Hacks

The Interview (Evan Goldberg/Seth Rogen, 2014) There is no question that the best thing to happen to the second film from … More

“Big Eyes” Offers Nothing of Interest to See

Big Eyes (Tim Burton, 2014) In the 1960s, a man named Walter Keane painted a series of paintings of waif-like little … More

“Unbroken” Starts Strong, Then Breaks Down in Its Second Half

Unbroken (Angelina Jolie, 2014) A few years ago, I read author Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, from which the 2003 film of the … More

“Into the Woods” We Go, Skipping Lightly Before Falling into the Mud

Into the Woods (Rob Marshall, 2014) I was one of the few people I knew who did not like (Academy … More

Riddle Me Cumberbatch: Assembling the Puzzle of Turing in “The Imitation Game”

The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum, 2014) Alan Turing (1912-1954) was a brilliant English mathematician considered to be one of the fathers … More

Tatum and Ruffalo Wrestle “Foxcatcher” Away from Carell and His Big Fat Nose

Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller, 2014) It’s an uncomfortable and sad movie about uncomfortable and sad people. The most stable character is … More

“Annie” Is a (Great Big Fun) Mess

Annie (Will Gluck, 2014) I know I should somehow feel deeply ashamed of myself – especially since I am at … More

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Fights Bloat and Loses

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Peter Jackson, 2014) The tagline for the new (and final!) film in director … More

Savor This Weekend’s “Top Five” “Wild” “Pelican Dreams” (and Flee – Flee! – from “Exodus”)

Hard week at work (it’s exam time) = shorter reviews than normal combined into one loosely concocted post. Enjoy! Top … More