— by BEV QUESTAD — Oh boy! Right after fed-up Howard (Richard Gere) breaks up with his man-eating, sex-starved lover, Monica (Susan Sarandon), she threatens revenge. And right after shy Grace (Diane Keaton) attempts a hotel encounter with demoralized Sam (William Macy), she has regrets. But all of those feelings evaporate when the four have […][...]
Review: The Ghosts of Monday
— by WILLIAM STERR — “Oh my ******* God.” The above is the best line from the movie “The Ghosts of Monday”, and it pretty well sums up this 78 minutes of nonsense. Actually filmed on the island of Cyprus, which has it’s own sordid past, this poorly conceived, written, directed, acted, and edited – […][...]
Review: When You Finish Saving the World
— by WILLIAM STERR — Disfunctional families. We all know one, maybe even live in one. They are certainly the fodder for endless films whether they be gritty noir flicks, lost in the complexity of modern day society films or gay holiday affairs, we’ve all seen them and watched, fascinated, like that horrible wreck on […][...]
Oscar picked the wrong crop!
— by BEV QUESTAD — The Academy Award nominations for Best Picture are suspect. Each film has its fatal flaw(s), whether because of Covid restrictions, technical challenges, tough subject matter, or production hubris. There are some surprises but, most disappointingly, there is an accumulation of disappointing snubs. Overall, 2022 was a challenging film year, so, […][...]
Review: 18 ½
— by WILLIAM STERR — Those of you old enough to remember, or inquisitive enough to care, will know about the notorious 18 and ½ minute gap in the Nixon Watergate tapes that were ascribed to a mistaken erasure by Nixon’s longtime secretary, Rosemary Woods. But what if another copy of those minutes existed? That […][...]
Review: Matter Out of Place
— by WILLIAM STERR — “Matter out of place” refers to any object or impact not native to the immediate environment. So begins this film about the production of societal waste, its collection and disposal, all within the environment we depend upon to sustain us. Prepare yourself for scenes of pristine beauty: a snow shrouded […][...]
Review: Wildcat
— by BEV QUESTAD — Harry Turner looks at his ocelot protege and kindly says, “We’re wild animals, me and you. We’re wild.” Though earning many awards and millions of dollars from Amazon, there has been controversy from critics over “Wildcat.” Perhaps some of the rougher comments caused a snub from the Oscars. Though it […][...]
Review: Back to the Wharf
— by WILLIAM STERR — Films for the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) have been making their way into international venues more and more recently. But that doesn’t mean they’ve been successful in selling tickets. The Chinese government and private companies have been pouring significant resources into the film industry, and officials are eager […][...]
Review: There’s Something Wrong with the Children
— by WILLIAM STERR — Nothing like a vacation with a couple you’ve known for years … especially if they’ve brought along their two darling, rambunctious kids. That’s probably what went through the minds of Ben and Margaret as they arranged with Ellie and Thomas to rent adjoining cabins for an isolated getaway, where they […][...]