THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES is that perfect nexus of childlike wonder and the terrors of the id. In other words, the perfect fairy tale that is about much more than the magical creatures, some of whom are cute, some of whom are anything but, and some of whom can be both, though rarely at the same… Read More »
HONEYDRIPPER
Crossroads is the operative theme for John Sayle’s homage to the power and the joy of music, HONEYDRIPPER, and an apt one. It looms large in the legend of delta blues, Sayles has even included a Robert Johnson-like figure who appears mysteriously from time to time with a guitar that is like one that the… Read More »
IRON MAN
IRON MAN is terrific. Full of explosions, one-liners, and nifty special effects, it goes the extra mile of casting Robert Downey, Jr., one of the best actors working today, in the title role. In his capable hands, Tony Stark, inventor and purveyor of the world’s finest hi-tech weapons and party guy extraordinaire, is not just… Read More »
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL has been a long time in coming and, as it turns out, more than worth the wait. This return to the old-fashioned action/adventure/fantasy genre is more than an homage to those implausible but irresistible serials of yore, it’s more than a superb revisiting of the homage… Read More »
THE EQUALIZER
THE EQUALIZER is non-ironic escapist fare superbly acted and directed. It doesnt indulge in psychological underpinnings or great philosophical conundrums beyond the need to keep the story going. It is a powerhouse of a vehicle for star and co-producer Denzel Washington that plays to his strengths and to the audience’ weakness for wanting someone to… Read More »
COHERENCE
Theoretical physics made manifest along with the far less predictable, not to mention more volatile, laws of attraction coalesce in COHERENCE, one of the best science fiction films of the year. It is a ghost story without ectoplasm, and a horror film in which the monsters are people unaware that their dark side is dominant.… Read More »