— by WILLIAM STERR — Jason Reitman (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) has used his “Wayback Machine” to take us back to a seminal point in television entertainment – the point at which a form of popular entertainment that was rooted in vaudeville, the stage, and accepted mores of beha[...]
Author Archive
Review: The Piano Lesson
— by WILLIAM STERR — August Wilson. It’s a name that is synonymous with the experiences and heritage of the African-American community in the 20th century. His cycle of 10 plays from “Gem of the Ocean” to “Radio Golf” covers the Black experience in Pittsburgh through the 10 dec[...]
Review: A Real Pain
— by WILLIAM STERR — The Odd Couple visits Poland. Cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network) and Benji Kaplan (Kieran Culkin – “No Sudden Move”) have signed up for a tour of Jewish heritage locations in Poland, using money left for that purpose by their belo[...]
Review: Green and Gold
— by WILLIAM STERR — I though Craig T. Nelson was dead. But I guess, like the old time dairy farmers of Wisconsin, he just keeps plugging along, even at 80 years old. “Green and Gold” is a modern day fable about the values of honesty, hard work, and not cutting corners. Dairy farmer [...]
Review: Memoir of a Snail
— by WILLIAM STERR — Gastropods – who doesn’t love a gastopod? Garlic, butter, parsley, salt – yum! Nothing like a dozen escargot served each in its own little indentation on a porcelain plate. Well, this is not that kind of story. This is the story of Ausie twins, boy and girl, an[...]
Review: Heretic
— by WILLIAM STERR — There is no end to the versatility of actor Hugh Grant. From romantic comedies like “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” to numerous turns as a roguish villain (such as the Paddington Bear films), to this truly diabolic performance as a psychopath, Grant has never fail[...]
Review: Flow
— by WILLIAM STERR — Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous animation, with a moving story to go with it. I was a bit put off when first watching the film because the animation of the animals is so much simpler than the incredible backgrounds. However, as I got deeper into the movie that became i[...]
Review: Blackwater Lane
— by WILLIAM STERR — Shortcuts are not always the best idea. Just ask Cass Anderson. She was driving home late one raining evening, taking an isolated shortcut called Blackwater Lane. After nearly being run off the road by a truck, she saw a car parked by the side of the road. She stoppe[...]
Review: Emilia Pérez
— by WILLIAM STERR — Mexican drug cartel bosses are known for their savagery, their secrecy and their short lives. One of the worst was Juan “Little Hands” El Monte, brutal leader of the largest drug trafficking gang in the nation. Unknown to even his closest associate, Juan had a sp[...]
Review: The Damned
— by WILLIAM STERR — A vicious winter. An isolated Icelandic fishing outpost, in danger of starvation due to a poor catch. The foundering of a sailing ship whose survivors would put an impossible burden on the already hungry fishermen. And the decision by Eva (Odessa Young – “Shi[...]
Review: Longlegs
— by WILLIAM STERR — Osgood Perkins was a stage and film actor active in the 1920s and ’30s. Among his films were “Scarface” and “Madame DuBarry.” Before dying in a bathtub at 45, he sired one son, Anthony Perkins. Anthony also became an actor, famous for his performance as[...]
Review: The Bibi Files
— by WILLIAM STERR — Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is the longest serving Prime Minister in Israeli history. Between 1996 and today, he has served more than 17 years. Seventeen turbulent years. In recent years, he has been under investigation, charged with corruption and influence peddli[...]
Review: Things Will Be Different
— by WILLIAM STERR — Being a brother-sister duo of thieves can be difficult. Joseph (Adam David Thompson – “Glass”) and Sydney (Riley Dandy – “That’s Amor”) are on the run with a lot of cash after a robbery. The cops are in pursuit. They meet up at a diner and then [...]
Review: Conclave
— by WILLIAM STERR — Who knew selecting a new Pope could be so dramatic? The new film “Conclave” is in the spirit of a Dan Brown-based film of almost 20 years ago, “The Di Vinci Code,” but without the skullduggery. Both involve sacred beliefs being put to the test through a convo[...]