I think there were very few people who had low expectations for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” As a comic book geek, I was pretty excited for this movie.
There are a bunch of awesome superheroes, the expected great performances, top-notch special effects that only Disney can afford, Joss Whedon’s ear for irreverent humor and the general family-friendly tone that’s carried...
Released just in time for Anzac Day, an Australian national holiday commemorating veterans, Russell Crowe stars in and directs “The Water Diviner,” a tragic and heartfelt historical epic set just after World War I. Crowe plays the titular water diviner, Connor, whose sons are presumed dead after fighting for the Australian army in the Battle of Gallipoli. When the...
I have a question for all of you. Would you be comfortable being in a committed relationship with someone who had previously been in a sexual relationship with one of your parents? Just speak your answer directly into the newspaper. Don’t worry, I’ll hear your answer.
While this may seem like an odd question, I didn’t come up with it...
“Unfriended” is a 2015 American found-footage horror movie directed by Levan Gabriadze. It tells the tale of six high school students who encounter the ghost of their classmate, Laura Barns, on the Internet. When the group starts a Skype call and a mysterious user, billie227, attaches itself to the conversation, things begin to go awry as the anonymous user...
I have a confession to make: I like watching bad films. I take a sort of impish glee from seeing them, rolling my eyes and making snarky comments with my friends on the ride home. My ideal date is sitting at home, watching “Birdemic” or “Battlefield Earth.” I’ve seen “The Room” in theaters. My hobby has given me a...
Although aliens and monsters are nothing new to animated kids’ movies, “Home” manages to stay original in its take on alien invasions. It avoids a simple good-versus-evil scenario, as the aliens are portrayed as refugees who come to Earth only out of necessity. Despite a rather generic soundtrack and a few unrelatable characters, “Home” is a well-made and thoughtful...
One of the many things that doesn’t follow the horror genre is a decent reputation. However, with David Robert Mitchell’s new horror film, “It Follows,” the horror genre seems to be working incredibly hard to ditch a stigma that has developed over the past few years due to the repeated release of shoddy, unkempt horror films.
“It Follows” tells the...
My patience with Will Ferrell is starting to wear thin. While I wouldn’t call him a stellar performer, he certainly has some acting range. So when he was once again cast as an idiot man-child with poor emotional and impulse control who learns a contrived lesson about maturity in a comedic context (e.g., “Talladega Nights,” “Anchorman,” “Step Brothers”) I...
“Furious 7,” directed by James Wan (The Conjuring), defies the stigma that racing films have to be devoid of heart and sentiment. This film provides ample amounts of style and substance, and pushes the envelope without trying to tackle on too much. Despite all the ostentatious set pieces and special effects, the film always stays human. In its basic...
“The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is the aptly named sequel to the 2011 film, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” The first film tells the story of several elderly British people staying in an unimpressive but inviting hotel in India. This film builds on that by adding numerous romantic subplots and all the complications that go with them to...