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Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Dec 29th 2018

Unsung ‘Gingerbread Man’ Remains Altman-esque

When Robert Altman died on November 20, 2006, I was a few hours away from teaching a class on his life and works.
A number of students called me that morning to inform me of his passing. They also asked if class would be cancelled or altered. They knew Altman was a god among directors, and that I would be shattered by news of his passing.
The class went on as planned, though I hated...

Alien (1979)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Jan 14th 2020

‘Underwater’ Is a Fifth (Maybe Sixth) Rate ‘Alien’ Ripoff

In “Underwater,” no one can hear you muttering, “what the bleep is going on?”
This “Alien” clone features indecipherable jump scares, dialogue and kills. What did she say? Where is he heading?
Is that an undersea monster … or just algae gone wild?
None of this is star Kristen Stewart’s fault. She’s game as the Ripley stand-in,...

Alien (1979)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Aug 12th 2020

‘Sputnik’ Finds Fresh Ways to Reinvent the ‘Alien’ Template

The original “Alien” featured a first-class creature and a corporate drone eager to do its dirty work.
In “Sputnik” we’ve got another critter from the stars, but the bigger villains hail from the Communist state.
That’s where the two films diverge. “Alien” remains a near-perfect hybrid of horror and science fiction. “Sputnik” never lacks...

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 10th 2020

‘Fatman’ Is the Christmas Coal to Cap 2020

What do you get when you blend “Bad Santa,” “Elf,” “Reservoir Dogs” and your average Hallmark holiday film?
“Fatman” is both sweet and sour, dark and uplifting, a movie with more personalities than ’90s era Madonna. None of them stick, and we’re left with a Christmas hodgepodge best left under the tree, unwrapped.
Mel Gibson stars...

The Cosby Show (1984)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 20th 2021

HiT Movie Review: ‘Dear White People’

The racial satire still leaves a mark – several, in fact – but some of its outrage feels musty in 2014. Racism lives on, but the cultural counter-balances against it are more potent than ever. Just ask Michael Richards and celebrity chef Paula Deen, stars whose careers capsized after uttering the “n-word.”
Where the movie scores is in nailing the Age of Obama, a...

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 20th 2021

‘Criminal’ Third-Act Twists Sink Thriller

The thriller, in select theaters and VOD Nov. 20, traffics in the stylish mayhem Tarantino perfected in “True Romance” and “Reservoir Dogs.” What starts as Tarantino-lite trips over its lofty ambitions. Tarantino, even at most self-indulgent, wouldn’t attempt the third act twists “Activities” unleashes.
Criminal Activities: OFFICIAL TRAILER
Watch...

Apollo 13 (1995)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Jul 29th 2022

‘Thirteen Lives’ Could Use Some Hollywood Razzle Dazzle

Hollywood treats real stories like taffy to be pulled in any direction the screenwriter pleases.
The best recent example? The minds behind “Bohemian Rhapsody” played so fast and loose with Queen’s rock history the final act played out like fan fiction.
Director Ron Howard takes the opposite approach with “Thirteen Lives.”
Based on the remarkable rescue of children trapped in a Thai...

Parasite (2019)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 16th 2019

‘Parasite’ Is Shocking, Unconventional and Impossible to Forget

The less you know about the plot of “Parasite” going in, the better.
Here is a spare and spoiler-free plot description:
A young man named Kim Ki-woo (an engaging Choi Woo-sheik) lives with his family in South Korea in a state of poverty; they endure patrons urinating outside their loft and assemble pizza boxes for a local business in order to keep money coming in.
A...

Roma (2018)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Dec 28th 2018

Critic v Critic: Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’

Few films hit Oscar season with the buzz and high expectations “Roma” enjoys.
Director Alfonso Cuaron’s deeply personal film follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a young domestic worker for a wealthy, loving family. The black and white feature already snared 3 Golden Globe nominations and 8 Critics’ Choice noms. (Note: This critic is a voting member of the latter group)
Oscar...

The Wire (2002)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

May 19th 2020

‘Union Bridge’ Asks Too Much of Its Audience

Will Shipe looks lost through much of “Union Bridge.”
He’s a grown man who still listens to his mamma and worries about secrets safely tucked away in his hometown.
Or are they?
It’s a thoughtful premise, and that’s before we see a stunted soul who can’t stop digging for buried treasure… or whatever lurks just beneath the surface of this small town....

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Dec 24th 2018

‘Into the Spider-Verse’ – Diversity Done Right

With the progressive championing of diversity in Hollywood, there’s always the risk of pandering and needlessly pushing the racial divide.
I remember when Disney brought out Moana as a “diverse” princess two years ago. I grew up in an era with Disney princesses like Pocahontas, Jasmine and Mulan. There was no such marketing distinction back then.
Cynically, it is easy...

Captain Phillips (2013)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Dec 14th 2020

‘News of the World’ Abandons Hanks at the Worst Possible Moment

“News of the World” reminds us how vital, and easily fumbled, third acts can be.
Director Paul Greengrass reteams with his “Captain Phillips” star, Tom Hanks, for a smart, textured take on Paulette Jiles’ novel of the same name.
It’s a perfectly Hanksian role, demanding endless gravitas, strength and resilience. Hanks brings it all, and then some, but he can’t...

The Godfather (1972)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Dec 30th 2020

Why We Didn’t Need a New Cut of ‘Godfather Part III’

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part III” was the most anticipated film of 1990 and quickly became its most divisive.
The dismissal of Coppola’s film was always a gross miscalculation, brought on by several factors:
Its belated arrival (some 16 years after “The Godfather Part II”) Complaints about the casting of Sofia Coppola (more on that later) How it...

The Farewell (2019)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Jul 26th 2019

Awkwafina Owns ‘The Farewell,’ the Summer’s Best Surprise

Some stars shine brighter in limited light.
Is anyone clamoring to see Charlie Day as a leading man?
Even the Minions, those yellow pranksters from the “Despicable Me” franchise, fizzled in their spin-off feature.
Rising rapper turned actress Awkwafina seemed ripe for a similar designation. Sure, she ran away with entire moments in “Crazy Rich Asians” and...

Dunkirk (2017)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Jul 21st 2017

‘Dunkirk’ Is Bold, Original and Muddled to the Core

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is nothing like the countless war movies that precede it.
Every frame feels like a masterstroke from the auteur, from the delirious sound design to storytelling angles that reinvent the notion of men at war.
So why can’t we stay invested in this near-masterpiece?
Is it the incomprehensible dialogue? The lightning fast narrative...

Black Panther (2018)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Aug 15th 2018

‘Animal House’ Is Even More Offensive in Our PC Age

Forty years ago a filthy little film was unleashed upon the world.
This movie would go on to make back its meager $3 million budget 47 times. That made it one of the most profitable films ever made. By comparison, the mega hit “Black Panther” made back its budget just six times.
This movie, of course, was “National Lampoon’s Animal House.”
I had not seen...

The Irishman (2019)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 17th 2019

Scorsese’s De-Aged ‘Irishman’ Caps Epic Gangster Canon

“The Irishman” spends a good 20 minutes making you pine for better gangster movies from living legend Martin Scorsese.
Been there, whacked that.
Where’s the black humor of “Goodfellas?” The Machiavellian tactics of “Casino?” And why does a de-aged Robert De Niro bring the clunky CGI fest “The Polar Express” to mind?
Still, the...

The Irishman (2019)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 17th 2019

Scorsese’s ‘Irishman’ Refuses to Meet Our Expectations

In the introductory moments of “The Irishman,” the camera enters the film through a box-like entrance, possibly a camera-like peep hole but more than likely a coffin shaped viewpoint that signifies the story’s overlying theme.
Sure enough, the opening is set in a retirement home, as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro) is sitting alone, talking...

Pig (2021)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Jul 24th 2021

‘Pig’ Proves It’s Foolish to Count Nicolas Cage Out

“Pig” is an odd, original and unpredictable film, a debut work that is difficult to describe but rewarding for anyone seeking something you haven’t seen before.
It stars Nicolas Cage- whoa, did I just lose you? Where are you going? Come back!
A year ago, I was writing an article for this site that defended Cage – specifically, how this past January made it 25 years since he won the...

Raising Arizona (1987)

Hollywood in Toto #Christian #CenterRight

Nov 20th 2021

5 Directors Who Should Follow Woody Allen to TV

His films feature scratchy jazz scores, mostly minority-free casts and flourishes that feel at least a decade old.
Yet here he is, leaping atop the streaming bandwagon to write and direct a new show for Amazon Prime. And he shouldn’t be the only auteur giving episodic television a try. The following five directors would thrive on the small screen …
Quentin Tarantino: The “Pulp...

Unsung ‘Gingerbread Man’ Remains Altman-esque

‘Underwater’ Is a Fifth (Maybe Sixth) Rate ‘Alien’ Ripoff

‘Sputnik’ Finds Fresh Ways to Reinvent the ‘Alien’ Template

‘Fatman’ Is the Christmas Coal to Cap 2020

HiT Movie Review: ‘Dear White People’

‘Criminal’ Third-Act Twists Sink Thriller

‘Thirteen Lives’ Could Use Some Hollywood Razzle Dazzle

‘Parasite’ Is Shocking, Unconventional and Impossible to Forget

Critic v Critic: Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’

‘Union Bridge’ Asks Too Much of Its Audience

‘Into the Spider-Verse’ – Diversity Done Right

‘News of the World’ Abandons Hanks at the Worst Possible Moment

Why We Didn’t Need a New Cut of ‘Godfather Part III’

Awkwafina Owns ‘The Farewell,’ the Summer’s Best Surprise

‘Dunkirk’ Is Bold, Original and Muddled to the Core

‘Animal House’ Is Even More Offensive in Our PC Age

Scorsese’s De-Aged ‘Irishman’ Caps Epic Gangster Canon

Scorsese’s ‘Irishman’ Refuses to Meet Our Expectations

‘Pig’ Proves It’s Foolish to Count Nicolas Cage Out

5 Directors Who Should Follow Woody Allen to TV

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