I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.
While the subject of Concussion isn’t your typical Hollywood holiday fare, the film nevertheless touches many nerves, spotlights a terrific performance by Will Smith (even though he sports a mostly annoying Nigerian accent throughout) and takes the National Football League to task as the villain it was for many years as it seemingly ignored the…
For those who saw the first movie in the “Star Wars” saga in 1977, it was indeed a “long, long time ago.” Still, this most successful of film franchises through the years has usually delivered the goods for the most part. From generating billions of dollars at the box office (with merchandising earnings going even…
With In the Heart of the Sea, director Ron Howard, despite his Midwest Oklahoma roots, decided to be the umpteenth moviemaker to take on the epic (and almost unconquerable) tale of “Moby Dick,” Herman Melville’s world famous novel about a 100-foot white bull sperm whale that simply will not be captured. He follows such other…
After a two year gap, Pixar made a triumphant return to big screens a few months ago with the magnificent “Inside Out,” a funny, heartfelt, beautiful, film which should be the pole-sitter for this year’s top animated film (and it could even be nominated in the Best Picture and Screenplay category — yes, it’s that…
I suppose it’s a generational thing that a lot of younger critics seem to adore the newest film by Jonathan Levine (“50/50,” “Warm Bodies”), The Night Before. I mean when I think of harmless Christmas comedies, my mind conjures up movies like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” or “Home Alone,” among others. So when did foul…
What would the Christmas season be without another movie where a dysfunctional family comes together in a star-studded ensemble production to sort out their personal problems and realize that their past histories and neurosis cannot keep them down? That despite what hatred and apathy they may feel for one another, in realty, like almost ALL…
The survival and rescue of a group of Chileans trapped in a gold mine in 2010 is certainly a compelling enough story for the big screen, unfortunately, it’s the telling of this tale that falls short in The 33, the newest Warner Bros. release directed by Patricia Riggen (“Girl in Progress”). Just the title alone…
