CHICAGO – Like many of you, I have been perusing the digital platforms, looking for the appropriate binge shows that will provide a temporary bit of sanity. Amazon Prime, for example, offers the entire series of “30 Rock” (2006-13), the seminal NBC-TV series created by and featuring Tina Fey.
Jack Huston
‘Their Finest’ is British Filmmaking at Its Finest
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 14, 2017 - 4:09pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In a combined BBC Films, Welsh Government and Pinewood (London) Pictures production, the British-based “Their Finest” pairs England’s history with authentic and passionate romance, to create a sly and funny riff on propaganda films and the British movie industry during the early days of World War II.
Remake of ‘Ben-Hur’ Can’t Find Right Tone or Pacing
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2016 - 8:01am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In most cases, remaking a classic film is a fool’s errand that will end in disappointment for everyone involved. The greatest pitfall is the inevitable comparison between the two films. This form of cinematic suicide is becoming more prominent as cash grabs attempt to revive still relevant films. There are few stories that can and should be resurrected, but “Ben-Hur” is not among them.
Hard to Find a Point to ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 5, 2016 - 11:33pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Having not read this best-selling source novel, I had a hard time understanding the point of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.’ Amazingly, it falls short as both a zombie movie and a satire of the original Jane Austin “Pride and Prejudice” story, which was its only achievement as a final result.
‘The Longest Ride’ is a Journey to Nowhere
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 10, 2015 - 12:15pmRating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Longest Ride” is sentimental schlockmeister Nicholas Sparks’ latest attempt to remix “The Notebook.” It’s got an old man recounting lost love, handwritten letters, young lovers kissing in the rain, breakups, reunions, corny dialogue and of course those North Carolina backdrops. He’s playing all the same notes, but this time he’s lost the melody.
Great Performances Drive Entertaining ‘American Hustle’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 11, 2013 - 10:43am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
As career con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) introduces newly-undercover FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to his world of criminal enterprise, he shows him a Rembrandt painting in a museum, revealing that it’s a fake. Millions of people have seen and admired it, not realizing that it’s not the original. Does it matter if they get the same artistic enjoyment out of it?
