It’s been five years since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” left theaters, marking the end of JK Rowling’s Wonderful Wizarding World on film. As soon as “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was announced, Pott-Heads (I hope I just coined that) around the world rejoiced that we would finally get to […]
Film
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Closed Encounters
“Arrival” lands at the perfect time
The perfect distillation of the movie “Arrival,” as well as that of the last year in politics, happened when I watched the film and the closing credits rolled. Just as the film ended, someone several rows behind me started cheering and applauding while another person sitting in close proximity to them began booing. Then everyone […]
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Brief Glimpses
It’s everything or nothing with “Certain Women”
Viewers who aren’t trained in the art of arthouse (or the films of writer-director-editor Kelly Reichardt) might complain that “nothing happens” throughout the running time of “Certain Women.” Indeed, most of the incidents in these three cinematic poems are mostly internal. The moments of drama aren’t sweeping, but instead barely registered moments of pain, heartbreak […]
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People Are Strange
Hail the sorcerer supreme
Marvel really should have failed at some point by now. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was launched in 2008 with “Iron Man” and leads all the way up to this week’s “Doctor Strange.” Aside from 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” all 14 films have been critical and financial successes and have painstakingly been weaving a larger story […]
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Private Wars
Miracles happen at “Hacksaw Ridge”
Mel Gibson has been mostly out of the Hollywood limelight for the last few years, pretty much since the recordings of his drunken, racist, sexist and abusive behavior came out. “Hacksaw Ridge” feels like the first stop on his apology tour, and it’s another assured directorial effort on the part of the troubled Aussie. “Hacksaw […]
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Horror, Period
“Origin of Evil” disturbs and delights
A writer friend once told me that the secret to crafting a truly good and dismal horror story lies in writing great happy scenes. Show your characters triumphant, peaceful and secure, get your viewers really invested in their well being and success, and then let the audience die a little inside as that happiness slowly […]
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The Da Vinci Load
Robert Langdon returns
“Inferno” is the latest Robert Langdon thriller based off the books by Dan Brown, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom “America’s Favorite Uncle” Hanks. The story is similar to “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons” in that we follow Harvard University professor Robert Langdon through another historical scavenger hunt across the globe. […]
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Cruise Control
“Jack Reacher” never grabs on
Unlike some, I don’t hate Tom Cruise. It seems like most of the distaste for the man comes from his couch-jumping period, where every single one of his public appearances was more bizarre than the last. Some people might dislike him based on his film work, but it seems like his creepy Scientologist vibe is […]
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Scare Your Pants Off
The Source’s picks for Halloween flicks, no matter what the crowd
Another Halloween is here and you know what that means! Well, yes, a bunch of sexy Ken Bone costumes, but also it means watching a few horror movies. Even people who can’t stand being scared will rock a horror movie or two for this season. But here’s the thing: “Horror” is a pretty wide and […]
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Little Boxes
“The Accountant” makes up its own rules
Film studios and critics always try to place movies in little boxes. This one’s a comedy. This one’s a mystery. This one’s a drama…as if “drama” isn’t the most generic and shortsighted description for film imaginable. When a film plays fast and loose with genre, the marketing department is usually at a loss, selling the […]
