Dr. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery) has been doing research in the Amazonian jungle for over three years. His employer, a large pharmaceutical company, hasn’t heard from him in quite some time but is surprised when he requests a research partner and some additional equipment. In return, Campbell is surprised —Continue Reading
It always amazes me when someone who self-identifies as a “film fan” refuses to watch a movie that’s filmed in black and white. To disavow movies simply because they “look old” is to miss out on a wide range of perspectives, history, and knowledge. Not to sound like a completeContinue Reading
As a very young man, Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) wrote a critically and financially successful novel. He has been unable to recreate that same success with a follow-up. Actually, he hasn’t even attempted a follow-up. Feeling the pressure of his creative slump and the stress it’s put on his romanticContinue Reading
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, “Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus” has been directly or indirectly referenced many times in motion pictures. The first such adaptation was a 14-minute short film made in 1910 by Edison Studios. Since then, there have been at least 40 filmed versions of the story of aContinue Reading
Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) is the unluckiest man in Las Vegas. His luck is so bad that casino owner Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin) employs him as a “cooler,” someone who’s mere presence makes winning tables go cold. Bernie has been working off a large gambling debt to Shelly byContinue Reading
Pixar has made some of my favorite animated films. Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars are all top-notch family entertainment and each of them provides humor suitable for children with plenty of adult-oriented references to keep parents from dismissing them as simple kiddie flicks. So, I was preparedContinue Reading
The year is 1900 and a magician is enchanting Vienna. His name is Eisenheim (Edward Norton) and his tricks are like those of no other illusionist before him. His act attracts the attention of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewel), who attends a performance with his fiancee, Sophie (Jessica Biel). LeopoldContinue Reading