That Christmas Review: A Festive Jumble
Netflix’s That Christmas brings together an impressive lineup of talent to weave a tapestry of holiday cheer, missteps, and heartfelt moments. Directed by Simon Otto in his debut and based on Richard Curtis’ beloved children’s book trilogy, this Christmas fantasy…
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Timothée Chalamet Captivates As Bob Dylan In A Fascinating Yet Frustrating Biopic
Where biopics are known to depict their subjects as larger-than-life figures to the detriment of their story and humanization, A Complete Unknown reckons with Bob Dylan’s enigmatic nature. James Mangold, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks, seems…
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James Mangold & Timothée Chalamet Electrify In Superb, Punk-Rock-Spirited Bob Dylan Drama
The enigmatic, elusive genius of The Bard, Bob Dylan, has long fascinated the world, not at least filmmakers, D.A. Pennebaker, Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, John Hillcoat, and even the Coen Brothers (what is “Inside Llewyn Davis,” if not a what-if-he-failed…
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‘A Complete Unknown’ Review – Timothée Chalamet Shines, but Not as Bright as Bob Dylan’s Music in Electric Biopic
As a director, James Mangold is somewhat of a chameleon. When looking at his filmography, it’s hard to nail down what exactly makes a “Mangold movie.” This isn’t a knock on the director, but rather, proof that he’s very good…
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‘September 5’ Review – Terror From a Newsroom Distance
September 5 is a movie that has arrived at an interesting time. We’ve seen films depict the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis before, most notably Steven Spielberg's Munich. However, for obvious reasons, the timing of September 5's release makes it…
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Motherland Is 2025 Oscar-Eligible Short by Jasmin Mozaffari
“Motherland” – This 24 minute 21 second short dealt with a couple–an Iranian man and a girl from Iowa— who are meeting the girl’s in-laws for the first time. The Jasmin Mozaffari film is set against the backdrop of the…
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Juror #2 Review: A Moral Tightrope
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 is a testament to the filmmaker’s ability to weave personal morality with systemic dysfunction, delivering a legal thriller that’s as introspective as it is suspenseful. Featuring a nuanced script by Jonathan Abrams and a stellar ensemble…
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His Mother Is 2025 Oscar-Eligible Short
“His Mother,” a 13 minute and 39 second short film that is Oscar eligible, stars Jennifer Lawrence look-alike Bethany Anne Lind as the mother of a young man who is threatening violence at his college, Southern Tech. Young Harrison Miller, age…
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Clearly One Of 2024’s Strongest Movies, And Yet…
It's worth starting this review by saying I have read the Colson Whitehead novel Nickel Boys is based on, and very recently. In fact, it was the rapturous festival reactions to the film, many of which emphasized it as an…
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A Valiant Anime Addition To The ‘LOTR’ Canon
A valiant, if familiar addition to the “Lord Of The Rings” cinematic canon, the latest Tolkien-inspired film from the LOTR braintrust—Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh—an anime called ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ is in many cut from the…
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The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Review
When it comes to expansions of The Lord of the Rings franchise, I'm much more inclined to embrace The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim than The Hunt for Gollum. At this stage of Hollywood's IP era,…
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A Devilishly Festive Comedy with Heart
Bobby Farrelly’s Dear Santa is a quirky Christmas comedy that dares to blend the holiday spirit with a dose of mischief, courtesy of a diabolically hilarious performance from Jack Black as Satan. With a unique premise, a spirited young lead,…
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