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Daniel M. Kimmel
Tomatometer-approved critic
Daniel M. Kimmel is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics and current co-chair of the Boston Online Film Critics Association. His reviews appeared in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for 25 years and can now be found at Northshoremovies.net. He is Boston correspondent for Variety, the "Movie Maven" for the weekly Jewish Advocate and teaches film at Suffolk University. He writes on classic science fiction films for Clarkesworld and Space and Time magazine. His book on the history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network, received the Cable Center Book Award. His other books include a history of DreamWorks, The Dream Team, and I'll Have What She?s Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies. His collection of essays, Jar Jar Binks Must Die... and other observations about science fiction movies has been nominated for a Hugo Award for "Best Related Work."
Annie Hall, The Producers, North by Northwest, Holiday, The Fly (1986), Lilo and Stitch, Dr. Strangelove, Sunset Boulevard, High Noon, The Stunt Man.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Silent Night (2023) |
For those who appreciated John Woo’s past movies, his return to Hollywood brings his unique style back to the big screen. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Dec 02, 2023
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Hayseed (2023) |
Writer/director Travis Burgess sets himself a difficult task in HAYSEED. It’s both a comedy set in a small town in Michigan filled with eccentric characters and a mystery whodunnit. Fortunately for us, he manages to pull off this juggling act. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2023
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Napoleon (2023) |
Director Ridley Scott and writer David Scarpa have fashioned what might be thought of as Napoleon’s greatest hits. It should be noted that Scott is apparently preparing a longer version that will run over four hours on the Apple+ streaming service. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 24, 2023
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Wish (2023) |
As Disney animation enters its second century, “Wish” hearkens back to the past and points the way to the future, all the while telling an enchanting story about how important it is to hold on to your dreams. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 24, 2023
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The Levys of Monticello (2021) |
This fascinating documentary explores the crucial role the Levy family played in saving and protecting Monticello for future generations, a role that was for many years erased from history. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 24, 2023
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As We Know It (2023) |
One of the most annoying types of genre movies is when the elements of that genre are sprinkled on to a plain vanilla story. Such is the case with AS WE KNOW IT, a relationship comedy set – for no discernible reason – during a zombie apocalypse. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 22, 2023
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The Holdovers (2023) |
“The Holdovers” is a movie for people who want to spend some time with relatable characters simply trying to navigate the vicissitudes of life. In that, it’s a breath of fresh air. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 15, 2023
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Love Virtually (2023) |
First, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Second, it spends some time building its characters so that we care about how their stories play out. The result is a silly movie that turns out to be a lot of fun. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 15, 2023
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Priscilla (2023) |
What fascinates Coppola is not so much the Elvis mystique as the impact it had on the young Priscilla. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2023
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Fingernails (2023) |
FINGERNAILS adds a science-fiction spin to the old romantic triangle plot, with the actors doing what they can with a dodgy script and director/co-writer Christos Nikou’s slow pacing. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2023
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Ride On (2023) |
“Ride On” may not be Chan’s last film – in fact he has several more in the pipeline – but as a tribute to the stuntman he was and those he’s worked with, it’s an entertaining and heartfelt effort. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 31, 2023
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Puppy Love (2023) |
“Puppy Love” may not be able to compete with the blockbusters, but you’ll remember this film long after others have faded from memory. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 31, 2023
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Hemisphere (2023) |
“Hemisphere” is what might be called an interesting failure in that it doesn’t quite work, yet there’s enough skill and intelligence on display that you’re not sorry to have spent 90 minutes watching it. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 31, 2023
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Suitable Flesh (2023) |
“Suitable Flesh” checks the boxes for those looking for the weird horror trifecta of gore, sex, and dark wit. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 31, 2023
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Foe (2023) |
FOE turns out to have very little to do with the scant science fiction trappings of the story. Instead, it’s about how difficult it is for two married people to stay together. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 14, 2023
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Miranda's Victim (2023) |
Nothing in MIRANDA’S VICTIM suggests that informing criminal defendants of their rights is a bad thing. What it does do is almost as revolutionary: it tells the story of Trish Weir, the then-18-year-old whom he attacked. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 06, 2023
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Totally Killer (2023) |
It manages to be both a scary serial-killer-on-the-loose movie and a high school comedy. It’s a difficult balancing act that they pull off with seeming ease. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 06, 2023
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Reptile (2023) |
Del Toro, who worked on the script crafted by director Grant Singer and Benjamin Brewer, has a meaty role that – like much of the cast – plays him against type. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Oct 02, 2023
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Cassandro (2023) |
“Cassandro” takes us into a world that may at first seem very unfamiliar but ultimately turns out to be one that doesn’t seem so alien after all. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Sep 26, 2023
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Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) |
It’s a pretty silly premise, but if you were eight years old, you might think this is one of the coolest movies ever. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Sep 22, 2023
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Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose (2023) |
In spite of some game performances, it is a tough slog for anyone not instantly interested in the premise. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Sep 21, 2023
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King on Screen (2022) |
In spite of its shortcomings, “King On Screen” is a film that fans of the author and/or the film versions will find fascinating. Consider this the start of the conversation rather than the final word on the subject. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Sep 11, 2023
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Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story (2023) |
“Gran Turismo” may follow the beats of many sports films that have come before it, but it does so with style and energy, making it a late summer entry that should speed to success. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 26, 2023
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Golda (2023) |
“Golda” is a solid tribute to one of the 20th century’s outstanding leaders, who did not shy away from using military power nor from taking risks for peace. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 26, 2023
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Brightwood (2022) |
It’s at that point you may realize that writer/director Dane Elcar is telling two stories at once. One is the science fiction/horror tale where the local park seems to have turned into a Möbius strip. The other story is a parable about relationships. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 23, 2023
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Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023) |
When H. G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds, the intent was to give his British readers an idea what it would be like to be invaded by a superior force. Since then, there have been many such stories but none quite like Landscape with Invisible Hand. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 23, 2023
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birth/rebirth (2023) |
While “Birth/Rebirth” may be too disturbing for some viewers, it is an impressive first feature that recalls the early “body horror” films of David Cronenberg. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 23, 2023
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Heart of Stone (2023) |
HEART OF STONE seems to be an attempt to launch a new spy thriller franchise and if this is any indication, it just may take off. It checks the boxes of exotic locations, over-the-top stunts, and a plot in which the fate of the world hangs in the balance. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 14, 2023
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The Pod Generation (2023) |
Those looking for a thoughtful, gentle film which will leave you with something to think about will find “The Pod Generation” offers views a “what if?” that may not be as far-fetched as we might like. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 12, 2023
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Jules (2023) |
“Jules” is ultimately a touching story about the very human need to make connections – with family, with friends, and even with visitors from another world. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 12, 2023
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) |
It’s not very good but undemanding youngsters – and adults swooning with their own TMNT nostalgia – should have no trouble getting down into the sewer and into the ooze with this “Mutant Mayhem.” - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Aug 02, 2023
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Mad Heidi (2022) |
With absolutely no pretensions that it’s anything but one big joke, the makers of "Mad Heidi" take the beloved character from children’s literature and turn her into a figure of vengeance. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 23, 2023
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Oppenheimer (2023) |
Nolan has not only crafted one of the best films of year. He has made one that will be watched and discussed long after much of its competition has long been forgotten. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 22, 2023
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Barbie (2023) |
The movie revels in the history of Barbie, from the related dolls that didn’t quite take off to the notion that the doll presents both an impossible physical ideal and yet also allowed the children playing with Barbies to imagine endless possibilities. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 22, 2023
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The Miracle Club (2023) |
...a veteran cast takes what could have been a sappy, formulaic affair and turns it into something that may not be classic, but certainly is classy. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 14, 2023
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The Out-Laws (2023) |
Perhaps one of the few benefits of the pandemic is that this is the sort of movie unlikely to attract theatergoing audiences anymore. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 08, 2023
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Biosphere (2022) |
In a 53-minute segment of an anthology series, they might have gotten away with the audacity of their premise. At twice that length, this is at best a potential cult film for a limited audience. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 08, 2023
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Tiger Within (2020) |
By focusing on the interior life of only one of the two main characters, “Tiger Within” is more of a missed opportunity than a film rediscovery. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jul 08, 2023
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Nimona (2023) |
Originally a project of Twentieth Century-Fox/Blue Sky,it was scrapped when Disney shut down Blue Sky upon acquisition of the movie studio. Now completed, it is easily one of the most original and entertaining animated stories in some time. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
...if all you’re looking for is big screen escapism, the awkwardly titled INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY certainly delivers. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Flamin' Hot (2023) |
“Flamin’ Hot” is a pleasant fable which should not be confused with a documentary. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 11, 2023
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Brooklyn 45 (2023) |
It’s a horror movie for adults, particularly those who have left their youth far behind, and know what it is to wrestle with the demons of one’s past. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 11, 2023
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Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story (2022) |
Englund seems to have mastered the skill his predecessor Boris Karloff had of being able to frighten audiences on the screen while becoming a beloved figure in real life. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 06, 2023
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The Wind & the Reckoning (2022) |
Watching THE WIND AND THE RECKONING one can’t help but think of Florida, where its governor believes people have to be “protected” from being exposed to the country’s tragic legacy of racism, the filmmakers here pull no punches. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted Jun 02, 2023
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Kandahar (2023) |
As with the other films Butler has done with director Ric Roman Waugh, like “Angel Has Fallen” and “Greenland,” plot and character are simply excuses to get to the next action scene. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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Influencer (2023) |
If you can just go with the flow, “Influencer” may not convince you that’s an occupation with a future, but it will still have you on the edge of your seat to the very end. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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The Mother (2023) |
Viewers wanting to share “The Mother” with their own mothers might want to first ask Mom about her tolerance for movies with a high body count and not a lot of narrative sense. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 12, 2023
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What's Love Got to Do with It? (2022) |
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? is one of those romantic comedies where we meet the two people destined to be together at the beginning, but it takes them the whole movie to figure it out. Fortunately, there’s enough that’s fresh here to make it work. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 08, 2023
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You Can Live Forever (2022) |
“You Can Live Forever” will play well with LGBTQ+ viewers, while also addressing matters that go beyond sexual orientation. Anyone who recalls the complicated path of young, first love should be able to relate. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 08, 2023
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The Forger (2022) |
Perhaps that’s the real message of “The Forger.” It almost didn’t matter what you did under the genocidal regime. Surviving was as much a matter of luck and chance as it was possessing any particular skills or taking any deliberate actions. - North Shore Movies
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| Posted May 08, 2023
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