Ah, the Teen Coming-Of-Age Sex Comedy. A staple of Hollywood summer offerings going back as far as “Animal House” (1978) & its many knockoffs like “H.O.T.S.” (1979) & “Little Darlings” (1980), it is a genre steeped in hetero-normative ideals, institutionalized … Continue reading “Booksmart” & “Good Boys”
Two eagerly anticipated fifth entries to two beloved shows. One borne of popularity after claiming season four was the show’s finale, and the other borne of a hypnotic central locale clung to by a fervent audience. Could either one possibly … Continue reading Season Five of “Luther” & “Shetland”
“Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood” Directed by Quentin Tarantino You may look at the photo above and wonder what significance it has to the story of Quentin Tarantino’s newest tale, “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”. The truth is it has … Continue reading “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”
Three is a magic number. At least that’s what De La Soul kept telling me back in ’89. But are the third seasons magic for these two one-time critical Netflix darlings? When their brilliant first seasons came out, I’m sure … Continue reading “Stranger Things” S3 & “Jessica Jones” S3 (Netflix)
As it’s the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion, networks are tripping over themselves to get out content revolving around that conflict’s European Theater. Of course, taking well-known entities and recreating them is much easier than creating something out of … Continue reading WWII Binge: “Das Boot” (Hulu), “Catch 22” (Hulu) & “The Cold Blue” (HBO)
Tremendous creator, writer, actor, comedienne and zeitgeist inhabitor, Phoebe Waller-Bridge has become one of the most important voices in the aftermath of the #MeToo and #TimesUp explosion. Her shows, “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve”, seem to be the tip of the … Continue reading Two from Phoebe Waller-Bridge: Fleabag (S1-2) & Killing Eve (S2)
“Rocketman” Directed by Dexter Fletcher There is no way to discuss Rocketman”, Dexter Fletcher’s new musical about Elton John’s pre-sober rise & fall, without comparing it to last year’s darling, “Bohemian Rhapsody”. In case I need to explain why…both John … Continue reading “Rocketman”
“Tolkien” Directed by Dome Karukoski So close to accomplishing the task of being a good film, alas, Karukoski’s “Tolkien” comes up short…falling further and further in my estimation of its success as time passes. Why? After all, the acting is … Continue reading “Tolkien”
“Apollo 11” Directed by Todd Douglas Miller One of my earliest lasting childhood memories is watching the moon landing in 1969. We sat around our tiny black and white TV with the spin channel selector (VHF was like a radio … Continue reading “Apollo 11”
Imagine if a writing prompt were given to a Hollywood screenwriting class that went something like this: Write a film about an alien trying to find her way through an unknown universe…an alien with crazy powers of strength and flight, … Continue reading “Alita: Battle Angel” & “Captain Marvel”
