“Lilies that Fester: Autumn de Wilde and Anya Taylor-Joy Discuss ‘Emma.’ and How Easy It Is to Slip into Cruelty”

Handsome, clever, rich, and also so unpleasant in such fundamental ways that the person portraying her doesn’t even like her. Continue reading →

Review: The Limehouse Golem, 2017, dir. Juan Carlos Medina

I’m on board for any kind of atmospheric Gothic guignol, so The Limehouse Golem is right in my wheelhouse. Everyone knows that Jack the Ripper was the most prolific serial killer of his day; what this film presupposes is, what if he wasn’t? That’s a campy enough premise to work off of, and if I’m being … Continue reading →

Review: Their Finest, 2017, dir. Lone Scherfig

The last Lone Scherfig thing I saw was 2015’s The Riot Club, and I don’t mind saying that her latest film, Their Finest, is a step up from that. (Not that The Riot Club is bad or anything. I just wish she’d gotten to the point faster, though years later I wonder if that’s a burn on me … Continue reading →

Review: Pride, 2014, dir. Matthew Warchus

“From its first frames, Pride opens itself wide to scrutiny: this is based on a true story. We’re used to this, of course. We turn to the cinema for escape, but by invoking REALITY the so-called “true story” breaks the illusion we’ve sought, and in turn, we feel it’s our obligation to call the veracity … Continue reading →

Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, 2012, dir. John Madden

There’s very little to say about The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel because, frustratingly, it has nothing of real value to say itself. Maybe there’s some worth to inoffensive, light, fluffy films in that they provide reasonable entertainment for a couple of hours– and god knows I like my fair share of films that fit that description– … Continue reading →

Go, See, Talk! Review: Wrath of the Titans, 2012, Jonathan Liebesman

For fans of FX spectacles, monster mashes, Roman mythology, and the God of War video game series, you’re in luck– the sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans remake hits theaters today. While I don’t think it’s a total loss,  I found Wrath of the Titans to be lacking in a firm direction, never really fitting into a … Continue reading →

Review: Rango, 2011, dir. Gore Verbinski

Gore Verbinski got his kid’s movie in our spaghetti Westerns and neo noirs, and the results are surprisingly excellent. Rango, Verbinski’s 2011 animated story of a chameleon who lives in a terrarium and possesses aspirations of stage acting, is a gem, madcap and nutty and palatable for kids but most rewarding for movie lovers and … Continue reading →

Review: Pirate Radio, 2009, dir. Richard Curtis

In the 1960’s, Britain heavily restricted the broadcasting of rock and roll on their airwaves, ostensibly because the British government is comprised of squares. In response, DJs took to the North Sea in decrepit, ancient boats outfitted with broadcasting equipments and radio towers for the purpose of illegally transmitting radio signals across the country and … Continue reading →