Roger Ebert Embodies “Life Itself” in All Its Glory

Life Itself (Steve James, 2014) Documentary director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) began filming Roger Ebert five months before he … More

In “Sex Tape,” Diaz and Segel Avoid Complete Disaster, So There’s That . . .

Sex Tape (Jake Kasdan, 2014) Wow! There is not a single “top critic” on the film review aggregator site Rotten … More

“Begin Again,” oh “Chef” – Two Films About Keeping It Simple, Stupid (Sort of)

Better late than never, right? I finally got around to seeing two films that have been in theaters for a bit … More

Chimps Rule in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves, 2014) Summer is always a tough time to be human at … More

It’s the End of the World, Did You Know It? Apocalypse and Death at the Summer Cineplex

Transformers: Age of Extinction (Michael Bay, 2014) Let’s start with the fourth entry in the Transformers movie series. Film critic A.O. Scott, in his New … More

Close Encounters Phone Home: “Earth to Echo” Echoes Better Movies Past

Earth to Echo (Dave Green, 2014) Are you a fan of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and/or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial? Did you enjoy … More

“Tammy” Drives into a Sinkhole

Tammy (Ben Falcone, 2014) Here’s the thing about Melissa McCarthy: in films such as Bridesmaids, This Is 40, The Heat and now Tammy … More

Ellipsis Points, or 4 Films Where Narrative Gaps Matter: “Ida,” “The Rover,” “Jersey Boys” and “Think Like a Man Too”

There are many ways to tell a story, and many ways to tell a story well. From classic Hollywood three-act … More

“22 Jump Street” – Too Much of a Good Thing . . .

22 Jump Street (Phil Lord/Christopher Miller, 2014) 22 Jump Street is a mix of many things: bromance, satire, sequel, college party movie; a … More

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” Is Sweet, Beautiful, and Predictable

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dean DeBlois, 2014) Let’s be clear about one thing: the latest animated feature from … More