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.
I don’t know, but I suspect the following conversation may have taken place between the writers of Fist Fight — Van Robichaux, Evan Susser and Max Greenfield — as they were scribbling their ideas down. Van: Remember, guys, we need to set the record for the number of F-words in this script. Evan: Yes. Almost…
Every dog movie has its day . . . except for THIS one. If one was upset and heartbroken when the canine in “Marley & Me” was put down at the end, then prepare to be even more aghast when FOUR dogs come and go in this latest Universal release, A Dog’s Purpose, directed by…
“Sir . . . I’ve seen you go through similar phases in 2016 and 2012 and 2008 and 2005 and 1997 and 1995 and 1992 and 1989 and that weird one in 1966.” — Alfred Pennyworth (voice of Ralph Fiennes) to Batman Like its 2014 predecessor, “The LEGO Movie,” The LEGO Batman Movie, a sequel…
Matthew McConaughey (“Interstellar”) stars in Gold, a dreary rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches-to-rags tale directed by Stephen Gaghan (“Syriana”) that, while the Academy Award-winning actor (for “Dallas Buyers Club”) gives a passionate, above average performance (along with a perky Bryce Dallas Howard, “Pete’s Dragon”) in, the narrative of a 1980s mining company striking it rich is often muddled and…
One’s enjoyment (or better yet, interest) in Legend, as written and directed by Brian Helgeland (an Academy Award winner for “L.A. Confidential” and a Razzie winner for “The Postman”), will most likely hinge on one’s ability to understand the deep Cockney accent everyone speaks here (even a universal translator would not help with much of…
For the third time in recent history (with the same lead actor no less), director Peter Berg takes a contemporary event — U.S. troops in Afghanistan in “Lone Survivor,” an oil rig disaster in “Deepwater Horizon” and now with Patriots Day, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing — brings it to the big screen and leaves…
Well, we’ve had “Blood Orchid” and “Blood Feuds” and “Blood Money.” We’ve also had “Blood Rain,” “Blood Brother,” “Blood Orgy” and even “Blood Diamond.” Isn’t it about time we had some good old-fashioned “Blood Wars”? As in Underworld: Blood Wars? Uh, then again, maybe it isn’t. During the prologue for this Anna Foerster directed effort…
