Protected: “Fallen Angels” reviewed
You see it in the fevered way Rose Byrne shakes her feathered fan and the clenched smile of Kelli O’Hara. It’s also simmering under the surface of the sparkling banter…
Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis, Valeria Golino
Happy 30th Anniversary, “Leaving Las Vegas!”
Las Vegas is filled to the brim with metaphors; some meaningful, others corny and obvious. Its nickname is “Sin City,” meaning there is nothing to hide about the gritty allure…
In Appreciation: Harris Yulin
Harris Yulin, the ever-present Emmy-nominated actor who appeared in such films as Scarface, Clear and Present Danger and Training Day and on television in Frasier, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Ozark,…
Don’t Overdo It: “The Traitors US” Season 3 Episode 4 recap
Did Gabby and her tall boots catch the Traitors slipping out of the wine cellar? That’s the question last week’s episode left us with, as we saw her lurking about…
365 Days of Oscar: The Best Comedies
The Awful Truth Moonstruck Tootsie Working Girl This article is part of a special year-long series of anecdotes, reflections and thoughts about the Academy Awards.
365 Days of Oscar: Billy Wilder, Oscar Ball of Fire
Billy Wilder is considered by many (including me; I am one of the many!) to be the great director-writer of Old Hollywood, a paterfamilias of all fine storytelling. Wilder became…
“Blink Twice” reviewed
“Blink Twice” opens with a blurry close-up shot of a frog, which then comes into glistening focus. The sound is eerie; the image is sinister, fascinating, mysterious and trippy. That…
Of Pickleball and Pineapples: “The Real Housewives of Orange County” Season 18, Episode 7 recap
I like to joke that Shannon Storms Beador has never had a good season. If her husband wasn’t cheating on her, then she was getting heavier, getting divorced, getting sued,…
“The Instigators” reviewed
The short answer is that you can still find a few of them on streaming services. Take the new action comedy The Instigators, now streaming on AppleTV+ after a week…
365 Days of Oscar: Ranking the Best Supporting Actor Wins of the 1990s
Martin Landau, Ed Wood Gene Hackman, Unforgiven James Coburn, Affliction Joe Pesci, Goodfellas Michael Caine, The Cider House Rules Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jerry Maguire Robin…