Mission of Honor (Hurricane)

September 5, 2019September 6, 2019 / Tom / 5 Comments

Release: Friday, March 15, 2019 →Netflix Written by: Robert Ryan; Alastair Galbraith Directed by: David Blair David Blair's World War II film arrived on American shores earlier this year as Mission of Honor. It was originally titled Hurricane. Just to be clear this is not an account of violent weather but instead one of heroic actions taken by a … Continue reading Mission of Honor (Hurricane)

Month in Review: July ’19

August 3, 2019August 3, 2019 / Tom / 14 Comments

Well unfortunately I never did manage to come up with some kind of "celebration" post for my blog's eighth birthday -- that opportunity came and went without so much as a kazoo being tooted. Actually -- that can still happen. In fact, here's literally an entire kazoo band to make up for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zMbsDzNT90&fbclid=IwAR1sFZYtZEzL7tQUlp65CNoN-1PncmZLyplsuCsSAZ7-FfIaCMPas1isfBc Now, … Continue reading Month in Review: July ’19

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

July 30, 2019July 31, 2019 / Tom / 1 Comment

Release: Friday, May 3, 2019 (limited) →Netflix Written by: Michael Werwie Directed by: Joe Berlinger Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile may appear on the surface as a redundant exercise. Do we really need another take on the American nightmare that was Ted Bundy? Like it or not we have come to know the man behind at … Continue reading Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Month in Review: June ’19

July 3, 2019July 3, 2019 / Tom / 17 Comments

To those people still reading or starting to read me: This month, as in July, I'm being told by the folks behind the scenes that it's my eighth year of "flying with WordPress" which is a pretty amazing thing. I'm not sure whether I'll be doing anything in observance of that landmark -- in the … Continue reading Month in Review: June ’19

30 for 30: The Last Days of Knight

March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 / Tom / 9 Comments

Release: Thursday, April 12, 2018 →ESPN Directed by: Robert Abbott In the eyes of many Bob Knight is an obvious candidate for the Mt. Rushmore of collegiate hoops coaching greats. He has numbers on his side and generations of fans ensure he won't be forgotten. But whereas words like legacy are most often used to glamorize and … Continue reading 30 for 30: The Last Days of Knight

The Upside

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019 / Tom / 8 Comments

Whoops, wrong poster. That's my fault. Here we go: Release: Friday, January 11, 2019 →Theater Written by: Jon Hartmere Directed by: Neil Burger I am an unapologetic fan of Kevin Hart. He's the reason I stood in the line that never was for The Upside, an update of a hugely successful French film from 2011 that goes by several … Continue reading The Upside

The Mule

January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 / Tom / 8 Comments

Release: Friday, December 14, 2018 →Theater Written by: Sam Dolnick; Nick Schenk Directed by: Clint Eastwood The Mule marks the 37th time Clint Eastwood has directed a movie. Remember that the next time you go out for Trivia Night. From The Eiger Sanction (1975) to his Best Picture-winning western Unforgiven (1992); Mystic River (2003) to Gran Torino (2008), the man has … Continue reading The Mule

Beautiful Boy

December 16, 2018 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, October 12, 2018 (limited) →Theater Written by: Luke Davies; Felix van Groeningen Directed by: Felix van Groeningen I think it is important to note how specific an experience Beautiful Boy describes. Closing titles reveal some alarming statistics about the pervasiveness of drug abuse in America but the film does not presume to speak for everyone. This is about … Continue reading Beautiful Boy

Free Solo

December 12, 2018December 13, 2018 / Tom / 14 Comments

Release: Friday, September 28, 2018 →Theater Directed by: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi; Jimmy Chin Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber who occupies a very obscure niche within the rock climbing community. As a free soloist responsible for some of the world's most death-defying ascents sans a rope and any protective gear, he is most alive when climbing … Continue reading Free Solo

First Man

October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 / Tom / 14 Comments

Release: Friday, October 12, 2018 →IMAX Written by: Josh Singer Directed by: Damien Chazelle While First Man is only a small step into a different genre for director Damien Chazelle, the way he tells the story of the Moon landing may well represent a giant leap for fans of his previous, more emotionally-driven work. The historical reenactment is uncharted … Continue reading First Man