Greetings again from the darkness. Watching so many movies each year usually raises my defense mode against cinematic emotional manipulation. However, all hope is not lost for me as the best filmmakers and talented writers and top notch actors can still get...
Greetings again from the darkness. For live theater lovers, the film version of a favorite play or musical comes with pros and cons. The film’s director, Maria Friedman (a renowned stage actor) strives to deliver the intimacy of a stage performance with...
The Naked Gun (“the new version”) is the funniest movie I have seen in years and a breath of fresh air in today’s world. I laughed out loud frequently during the entire 85-minute runtime, and I will be watching it again because I am sure I missed some jokes....
Greetings again from the darkness. The Music Box series at HBO brings us this documentary from Amy Berg (Oscar nominated for DELIVER US FROM EVIL, 2006), who profiles the tragic tale of the immensely talented Jeff Buckley. When he died in 1997 at age 30,...
Greetings again from the darkness. “The needle in the arm.” That’s how Paul Anka describes the will and the need to carry on after all of these years. How many years, you ask … well, he’s the only singer/songwriter to have a Billboard charting song in seven...
Review by James Lindorf For a writer, the best thing that can happen to a screenplay is that it is produced; next in line is being purchased and shelved; and the third-best outcome is landing on the famed Black List. The annual listing of the most-liked...
Review by James Lindorf Byron Howard has been working with Disney since the 90s, getting his start on classics like “Pocahontas” and “Mulan.” Jared Bush joined the team nearly 20 years later, first working on “Big Hero 6,” but as of September 2024, he has...
Greetings again from the darkness. “Celebration” is the best description and an apt title for this film from Michael John Warren. It’s not a profile of the great songwriter, John Prine; however, it’s most certainly a celebration of his immense and unique...
Greetings again from the darkness. Many families have their holiday traditions, and movies are frequently part of the shared time together. One of the most popular of these movies turns 25 years old this year. It’s director Ron Howard’s live action version...
Greetings again from the darkness. Is there such thing as an ordinary life? If so, what does it look like? Writer-director Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar have collaborated twice before - first on the underrated JOCKEY (2021), and then on SING SING...