Review: “How to Build a Girl”

The coming-of-age story is a familiar one in film, but rarely does the protagonist go through as many incarnations as Johanna Morrigan does in “How to Build a Girl.” The new movie from IFC Films, which is directed by Coky Giedroyc with a screenplay by Caitlin Moran adapted from her novel of the same name, […]

Review: “My Darling Vivian”

The romance between Johnny Cash and June Carter is the stuff of legend; theirs is one of the most enduring and beloved modern love stories. But not many people think to consider another part of the story: that of Vivian Liberto, Cash’s first wife and mother of their four daughters. “My Darling Vivian,” a documentary […]

Review: “The Wretched”

“Fun” is not a word I’d use to describe a lot of modern horror movies. But fun is exactly what “The Wretched,”—a new horror movie from IFC Midnight written and directed by brothers Brett and Drew T. Pierce—is. “The Wretched” followed Ben (John-Paul Howard), a teenager grappling with his parents’ separation who goes to spend […]

Throwback Review: “Hail, Caesar!”

There are two very different sides to the Coen Brothers’ body of work. One is the serious drama, the likes of “No Country for Old Men” or “Inside Llewyn Davis;” the other is the light-hearted farce, such as “Burn After Reading” or “Raising Arizona.” Their latest directorial effort, “Hail, Caesar!,” belongs in the latter category. “Hail, […]

Cinema Classics: “Jezebel” (1938)

Today’s Cinema Classics spotlight is devoted to another film that is airing on Turner Classic Movies this weekend as part of the TCM Film Fest: Special Home Edition. The tale of a fiery Southern belle looking for love around the time of the Civil War quickly became one of the most memorable films of all […]

Cinema Classics: “The Lady Vanishes” (1938)

Sadly, Turner Classic Movies’ annual Classic Film Festival, which was to take place in Hollywood this month, had to be cancelled due to the current situation surrounding COVID-19. But in its place, the station is having a TCM Film Fest: Special Home Edition this weekend, which kicked off tonight with the 1954 version of “A […]

Review: “Trolls World Tour”

2.5 out of 5 stars. If you’re currently bored in isolation, one of Dreamworks Animation’s “Trolls” movies should jolt you out of your slumber—for better or for worse. Forgoing a standard theatrical release and heading straight to home video due to the coronavirus pandemic, “Trolls World Tour”—the sequel to the 2016 hit “Trolls” that was […]

Cinema Classics: “The Young Girls of Rochefort” (1967)

In 1964, French director Jacques Demy’s musical film “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (Las parapluies de Cherbourg) was an international sensation, winning the Palmes d’Or at Cannes and being nominated for five Academy Awards. Even watching it today, it’s easy to see why. “Cherbourg” is unique in that it is entirely sung through, as opposed to […]

Throwback Review: “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” (2008)

“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” is a modern movie with all the hallmarks of a 1930s screwball comedy. The film, set in pre-World War II London, stars Frances McDormand as Guinevere Pettigrew, a governess who just got fired from her fourth job. Desperate, Miss Pettigrew steals a job meant for someone else, but it […]

Cinema Classics: “Four Daughters” (1938)

What a crazy couple weeks it has been! The last article I posted was my review of “Onward,” the last film I saw in theaters about two weeks ago. Since then, movie theaters have closed and most major theatrical releases have been postponed until further notice. While that is absolutely the right thing to do […]