Review: “The Beguiled” (2017)

4 out of 5 stars. It’s amazing what different writers and directors can bring to—or take away from—the same story. Case in point, “The Beguiled,” a 1971 film directed by Don Siegel, based on a novel of the same name. That movie, set during the American Civil War, starred Clint Eastwood as John, an injured […]

Review: “The Magnificent Seven” (2016)

3 out of 5 stars. There is little that’s magnificent about director Antoine Fuqua’s remake of the classic 1960 John Sturges western “The Magnificent Seven” (which was in turn a remake of the 1954 Akira Kurosawa masterpiece “Seven Samuari”). In fact, there’s little about it that fits into the western genre, despite it having all […]

Review: “Hell or High Water”

It may involves high speed car chases instead of horse races, but with “Hell or High Water,” director David Mackenzie — with the help of an excellent script by Taylor Sheridan — has crafted one of the best westerns in years, and one of the best films of this year.