Archive | August 2016
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“Rules Don’t Apply” for Beatty?
You’d have to be practically cinema illiterate, to not realize the importance of Warren Beatty to 20th century film making. Leading man handsome, Mr. Beatty made his motion picture debut in Elia Kazan’s “Splendor in the Grass”. Before long, Warren would become renowned as a producer, screenwriter, and director too. Of course, his first Oscar nominations […]
The Little Prince
Yeah, this kind of works–so, I’m going to give it a pass. The framing device narrative isn’t always successful, but I appreciated it as an inventive, new spin, on an old classic. I mean, it does sputter like an old bi-plane occasionally. But, wouldn’t you know it, “The Little Prince” always roars back to life just in […]
Star Trek Beyond 3D
“Star Trek” has turned fifty, shortly after I did the same, so I hope you can forgive the difficulty I had avoiding getting all warm and fuzzy about it. I grew up with the original series (reruns, of course–I wasn’t watching at the age of one!), and I’ve seen ALL 13 films, a good half […]
The Lobster
Colin Farrell is an astonishing actor, but you’d never know it if you’ve wasted your time watching dreck like “Saving Mr. Banks”, or ill-advised remakes like 2012’s “Total Recall”. The problem is…that’s the crap that people pay to see. But I’m mesmerized by his work in films like 2005’s brilliant “The New World”, 2006’s criminally […]
Suicide Squad IMAX 3D
First things first. I have a question for the rabid comic book fanatics that are so crazed in anticipation for the opening of their latest over-priced blockbuster entry, that they engage in silly ventures like threatening to shut down an aggregate critics website, in order to suppress the negative notices for a violent cartoon fantasy. Primarily…what’s […]
“Suicide Squad” 2nd weekend plunge?
I mean, it’s inevitable right? “Suicide Squad” raked in 135 million dollars, in a record-breaking August opening weekend (trouncing the 2014 94-million dollar cash grab, of the critically acclaimed “Guardians of the Galaxy”). So, it’ll gross a billion worldwide by the end of its run, right? Not necessarily. That’s what was expected of “Batman v […]
Sing Street
So, it appears that writer/director John Carney is getting the band together. Again. But don’t let that read as exasperation, because Mr. Carney somehow keeps pulling the rabbit out of the hat, with format, genre, and style. He has an infectious and passionate love of music. They say his films are somewhat autobiographical. I believe […]
iLuminate Off-Broadway
There’s a lot to recommend concerning “iLuminate”, the impressive Off-Broadway dance/light show, that has flitted around Manhattan for the last few years. Currently it’s showing at the dark and intimate Theatre 80 St. Marks in Manhattan’s East Village (through September 4th), but it also served a stint recently at Midtown’s New World Stages. It’s a […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 