The first great movie of 2020 has arrived and it’s a weird little sleeper from director Osgood Perkins. Based on the well-known 1812 fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, Sophia Lillis (so good as Beverly in IT) and Samuel Leakey (in his film debut) play the title roles, as the children lost in the woods who are taken in by an old woman (played by Alice Krige) whose incessant … [Read more...] about ‘Gretel and Hansel’ New Movie Review: It’s the first great movie of 2020
‘The Turning’ New Movie Review: The scariest thing is the wardrobe
Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, an absorbing ghost story from 1898, has been made into great films before. In fact, the Jack Clayton-directed 1961 horror classic, The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr, remains a definitive and terrifying adaptation. Another great movie that was inspired by The Turn of the Screw (though it’s not an official adaptation) is Alejandro Amenabar’s … [Read more...] about ‘The Turning’ New Movie Review: The scariest thing is the wardrobe
Fade to Black: Remembering the Wharf Cinema Center movie theater
On January 16, after serving Maui for 31 years, the Wharf Cinema Center movie theater shut its doors for good. Following its initial unveiling as Maui’s first multiplex, three-screen theater, the Wharf Cinema Center became a reliable movie house for Lahaina residents. When it opened in the spring of 1989, there were only two other movie theaters on island: the Maui Theater … [Read more...] about Fade to Black: Remembering the Wharf Cinema Center movie theater
‘Bad Boys for Life’ New Movie Review: It’s somewhere between desperate and guilty pleasure
Director Michael Bay made his filmmaking debut with Bad Boys 25 years ago and, with that medium-sized but exhilarating sleeper and the enjoyable The Rock, looked like a Tony Scott clone to watch for. Instead, with the release of Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and four rancid Transformers abominations, Bay solidified his reputation as America’s worst filmmaker. Bay’s gargantuan, … [Read more...] about ‘Bad Boys for Life’ New Movie Review: It’s somewhere between desperate and guilty pleasure
Early 2020 Movie Preview: New Year, Not-So-New Movies
The 2020 movie year begins with The Grudge. That’s right, we’re starting a new decade of cinema with a remake of a hit movie from 2004, itself a remake of a great Japanese film from 2002. So much for original ideas. In fact, too many movies opening this year are remakes, sequels, prequels, and reboots, making a lot of the movie-going options feel like more-of-the-same. On the … [Read more...] about Early 2020 Movie Preview: New Year, Not-So-New Movies