Dirty politics in a student-body election, climaxing in a shame faced public confession stolen directly from Preston Sturges's Hail the Conquering Hero. A routine distortion of high school life, with overaged, overskilled actors and with hardly a parent, a teacher, or a textbook in sight; at least halfway serious in …
Hawaii, 1959. Mainlanders from the east, Japanese from the west, mixing democratically with the natives and teaching each other the arts of kendo, surfing, and making out, with plenty of enlightenment to share with any viewer under the age of eight. Chris Makepeace, Yuji Okumoto, Don Michael Paul, Tia Carrere; …
Live action plus computer animation, with Jason Lee, directed by Tim Hill.
Recent pop culture, sped up and watered down for juvenile consumption. Again. Who wants to hear Alvin bust out "Uptown Funk"? The plot involves a desperate journey to Miami to stop a wedding proposal. Hijinks ensue. Directed by Walt Becker.
Well, once in a while, maybe. Steven Spielberg's remake and update of Guy Named Joe, a WWII fantasy about the ghost of a recently deceased flyer who (unbeknown to anyone alive) tutors a neophyte flyer and even plays matchmaker between that neophyte and his own former sweetheart, loses some of …
An old-school screen biography (or hagiography) of the English abolitionist, William Wilberforce, who spearheaded the anti-slavery movement in Parliament from the late 18th Century to the early 19th, a long, slow struggle against the forces of entrenched economics. On the virtuous side of every issue -- in favor of free …
Aretha Franklin recorded what turned out to be the biggest selling gospel album in history over a two-night period at the New Bethel Baptist Church in January 1972. The goal was admittedly to sell records, not tickets, but Warner Bros. still decided to send Sydney Pollack and four 16mm cameras …
This story follows Maurice, a goofy streetwise cat, who has the perfect money-making scam. He finds a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe and has his very own horde of rats, who are strangely literate. Featuring the voices of Hugh Laurie and Emilia Clarke.
A cub, a Cub Scout, a couple of poachers. Amazing indeed in its dullness, despite cuddly animal footage and authentic China locations. With Ryan Slater, Yi Ding, Stephen Lang; directed by Christopher Cain.
Punishingly dull biopic on history's most fabled aviatrix, Amelia Earhart (portrayed by Hilary Swank, with traces of Katharine Hepburn rather than of Kansas wheatfields in her speech), her final flight endlessly interrupted by how-she-got-there flashbacks. The only suspense is in whether the film is going to offer an ending or …
An Ohio housewife (Jobeth Williams) dashes off 2000 words in the style of the "Rebecca Ryan" series of suspense novels, and takes first prize in a writing contest. Her reward is a trip to Paris, with an unexpected bonus of a bump on the head in a traffic accident. When …
The peak adventures, climactic decisions, and profound self-revelations of an inconceivable quartet of bosom buddies (four diverse types, from class prez to hot-rod hood, who would not utter two words to one another throughout four years of high school) are compressed into one long and lively night, placed vaguely at …
The peak adventures, climactic decisions, and profound self-revelations of an inconceivable quartet of bosom buddies (four diverse types, from class prez to hot-rod hood, who would not utter two words to one another throughout four years of high school) are compressed into one long and lively night, placed vaguely at …