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4.5/5
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Monster
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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There is so much beauty in “Monster,” and so much sadness.
Posted Dec 06, 2023
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4/5
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Eileen
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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“Eileen” is a weird little movie. I like weird little movies.
Posted Dec 05, 2023
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4.5/5
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The Boy and the Heron
(2023)
|
Meredith G. White
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The rich, vibrant colors and intricate details in the background enhance the story.
Posted Dec 04, 2023
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2.5/5
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Candy Cane Lane
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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It’s all fine. Murphy is so much more than that. Or used to be. You like to think that, given the right material, he will be again. Now that would be a gift.
Posted Nov 30, 2023
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2.5/5
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Silent Night
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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If you have ever watched a bone-crunching action film and thought, you know, this thing is so stupid you could watch it without dialogue, John Woo has made the movie for you.
Posted Nov 29, 2023
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4.5/5
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Maestro
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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It’s exciting filmmaking, and Cooper rarely lets up.
Posted Nov 28, 2023
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2/5
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Home Alone
(1990)
|
Bob Fenster
|
All the stuff that comes before the break-in is not particularly funny. In Home Alone, 90 percent of the humor takes place in the last 10 minutes.
Posted Nov 27, 2023
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3.5/5
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Saltburn
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
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If cameras have a caffeine-laced-with-acid filter, Fennell must have used it. And who knows what was going on while she was dreaming up the story.
Posted Nov 20, 2023
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3/5
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Wish
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
|
What saves the film from being nothing but a rehash are DeBose, whose singing voice unsurprisingly shines, and Pine (who sang in “Into the Woods”), who makes an excellent villain, as well as some of the songs, most of which they’re involved in.
Posted Nov 17, 2023
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4.5/5
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Next Goal Wins
(2023)
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Kaely Monahan
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A down on its luck team that has its own way of doing things turns a jaded coach into a human with a heart. We've all seen that before. But, Waititi's singular style makes it a joy to watch and a film worth cheering for.
Posted Nov 16, 2023
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3/5
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Napoleon
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
|
“Napoleon” isn’t a failure on anyone’s part. But it’s not a rousing success, either.
Posted Nov 16, 2023
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|
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Alien
(1979)
|
Thomas Goldthwaite
|
This is reckoned by 20th Century Fox to be the summer's answer to Star Wars... The technical effects are lovely and awesome, but as a cliffhanger the chills grow tiring after a while.
Posted Nov 16, 2023
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3/5
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
(2023)
|
Meredith G. White
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It's been over a decade since Katniss Everdeen first graced the big screen and "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" misses too many notes to live up to its predecessor's achievements.
Posted Nov 15, 2023
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3.5/5
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May December
(2023)
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Amanda Luberto
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The stylized campiness of extreme close-ups and surging music drives the twisted nuances of this film. It’s impossible to take your eyes off of it, even if the interactions make you squirm.
Posted Nov 14, 2023
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Cocoon
(1985)
|
Marsha McCreadie
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The most improbable success of a film, implausible not in the sci-fi, special effectsy way that is so common nowadays, but in the fantastic melange of themes, personalities and even settings it incorporates.
Posted Nov 12, 2023
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Little Big Man
(1970)
|
Phil Strassberg
|
Hoffman is superb. In concert is a genuine, dignified, touching, sage and humorous delineation by a septuagenarian Indian, Chief Dan George.
Posted Nov 10, 2023
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3/5
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Smoke Signals
(1998)
|
Bob Fenster
|
Smoke Signals has fine moments, while potential peeks out of all the cracks in its rough surface.
Posted Nov 08, 2023
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2/5
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The Marvels
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
The story emits a strong whiff of who cares?
Posted Nov 08, 2023
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5/5
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Atanarjuat the Fast Runner
(2001)
|
Richard Nilsen
|
It concedes nothing to contemporary American tastes. But by not giving in to familiar formula, it finds something genuinely original. It tells an Inuit story in an Inuit way.
Posted Nov 08, 2023
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4/5
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Priscilla
(2023)
|
Amanda Luberto
|
Once again, Sofia Coppola captures how it feels to be a woman unrealistically idolized by a romantic partner — instead of simply respected.
Posted Nov 05, 2023
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4/5
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The Killer
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
It’s not Fincher’s best film by any stretch, not with a resume that includes “Zodiac,” “The Social Network” and “Fight Club.” But it’s an intriguing one.
Posted Oct 31, 2023
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|
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The Last Picture Show
(1971)
|
Phil Strassberg
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It doesn't take very long into this black-and-white film (by the end of its 119 minutes you must surely recognize the potency, the starkness in this tint) to realize that a deeply moving motion picture experience is unfolding.
Posted Oct 26, 2023
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4.5/5
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The Holdovers
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
If one definition of art is seeing what everyone else does, only in a different way, “The Holdovers” fits that bill. It’s a delight.
Posted Oct 24, 2023
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4/5
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The Pigeon Tunnel
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
By the end we know more about Cornwell in a biographical sense. What we really know about him as a person is less clear.
Posted Oct 20, 2023
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2/5
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Foe
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
It’s an A for effort. But it’s just not enough.
Posted Oct 20, 2023
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2/4
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Goodfellas
(1990)
|
Bob Fenster
|
It slowly turns into The Movie That Wouldn't Stop... It's a shame that the film's disappointing second hour tends to obliterate some terrific performances.
Posted Oct 17, 2023
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Raging Bull
(1980)
|
Michael Maza
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De Niro is submerged again in La Motta -- riveting in the ring and in love but most impressive after the fights are over, as a club owner in his 50s. De Niro gained 50 pounds for this segment of the role. With makeup, the aging is extraordinary.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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Taxi Driver
(1976)
|
Mike Petryni
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It is an ugly story, filled with tension and an ambiguity that borders disturbingly on emptiness.
Posted Oct 06, 2023
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2.5/5
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The Exorcist: Believer
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
“The Exorcist: Believer” is the first film in a planned trilogy. Better luck next time.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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1/5
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Natural Born Killers
(1994)
|
Bob Fenster
|
America may be obsessed with violence, but not nearly to the depth of depravity in which filmmaker Oliver Stone wallows in Natural Born Killers.
Posted Oct 03, 2023
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5/5
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The Exorcist
(1973)
|
Bill Muller
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It is carefully constructed, filled with nuance, designed to build fear one minute at a time. There can be no escape, no break, just the horror unfolding before your eyes.
Posted Sep 29, 2023
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|
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The Exorcist
(1973)
|
Phil Strassberg
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The movie project that has managed to annihilate the media, literally "out farthering" The Godfather in both publicity-grabbing and being "far out," is an exceptionally well-crafted motion picture product.
Posted Sep 27, 2023
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3.5/5
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The Creator
(2023)
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Bill Goodykoontz
|
“The Creator” isn’t a masterpiece of the AI genre, if there's such a thing yet, but it's a good start.
Posted Sep 26, 2023
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4/5
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Dumb Money
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
“Dumb Money” isn’t a documentary, and it’s not a go-to guide for beginning investors. It’s not trying to be. It’s trying to be something a little less weighty and a lot more fun than that, and it succeeds.
Posted Sep 18, 2023
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4/5
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Sitting in Bars with Cake
(2023)
|
Kaely Monahan
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It's refreshing to see a beautiful, character-driven story that feels small, but oh-so relatable.
Posted Sep 13, 2023
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4/5
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Cassandro
(2023)
|
Amanda Luberto
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As lucha libre fans in the movie fall in love with him, García Bernal makes sure that the audience does, too.
Posted Sep 12, 2023
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3.5/5
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A Haunting in Venice
(2023)
|
Kaely Monahan
|
If you're looking for a fun movie to start the spooky season, this is the perfect film for you.
Posted Sep 10, 2023
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2/4
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Y tu mamá también
(2001)
|
Bill Muller
|
Criticizing this movie for having too much sex is to miss the point. People will either accept the scenes or not, but Y tu mamá también suffers from a far worse affliction: There's not a single likeable character in the movie.
Posted Sep 09, 2023
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4/5
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Lone Star
(1996)
|
Bob Fenster
|
Lone Star is a rich, rewarding picture for people who enjoy small stories played out in a big way.
Posted Sep 06, 2023
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3/5
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Selena
(1997)
|
Bob Fenster
|
When Lopez is allowed to shine in a few numbers, she generates heat. But the movie flattens out when she is off stage.
Posted Sep 06, 2023
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3/5
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When a Man Loves a Woman
(1994)
|
Bob Fenster
|
The movie should validate the recovery process for anyone who has gone through similar programs or lived with someone who did. However, it is not as likely to validate the movie-appreciation process.
Posted Sep 01, 2023
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3.5/5
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The Good Mother
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
You may not want to revisit it — this is not the sort of movie that demands repeat viewings — but “The Good Mother” is a perfectly fine film.
Posted Aug 31, 2023
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5/5
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White Men Can't Jump
(1992)
|
Bob Fenster
|
Like a good rock film that makes you want to get up and dance, White Men Can't Jump makes you want to go out and shoot a few hoops.
Posted Aug 31, 2023
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3/5
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Moulin Rouge
(2001)
|
Bill Muller
|
Visually trippy, filled with lush sets and sweeping, over-the-top choreography, the film is a magnificent attempt at something but who knows what?
Posted Aug 30, 2023
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3/5
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Slotherhouse
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
Overall, it's exactly as absurd as it sounds, but in the best way.
Posted Aug 25, 2023
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2.5/5
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Retribution
(2023)
|
Amanda Luberto
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The action-thriller is formulaic and obvious. In other words, it's just another Neeson movie, nothing more, nothing less.
Posted Aug 23, 2023
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4/5
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Landscape with Invisible Hand
(2023)
|
Kaely Monahan
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“Landscape With Invisible Hand” is profound. You’ll probably feel uncomfortable with the many questions it raises... But that’s the point.
Posted Aug 17, 2023
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Moscow on the Hudson
(1984)
|
Marsha McCreadie
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Mazursky and the script... seem confused rather than purposefully ambivalent about America, the Soviet Union, and freedom.
Posted Aug 17, 2023
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3/5
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Strays
(2023)
|
Bill Goodykoontz
|
A good and funny bet for stumbling over while channel-surfing (or whatever the streaming version of that is), but not a lot more.
Posted Aug 17, 2023
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Blue Beetle
(2023)
|
Kaely Monahan
|
It's lighter, more fun, and delivers the jokes, bright colors and nods to ridiculousness that you want from a superhero movie. And speaking of the superhero, the Blue Beetle emerges as relatable and easy to cheer for.
Posted Aug 16, 2023
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