‘Dead of Summer’ camps out in familiar slasher territory
First episode impressions (TV review): This slick slasher doesn’t break new ground, but it’s entertaining.
‘Elstree 1976’ is for serious ‘Star Wars’ fans only (Movie review)
“Elstree 1976” is a perfect title for this documentary about “Star Wars” bit players, because serious fans will immediately recognize it as the studio and year in which “A New Hope” was filmed. Casuals might not […]
‘The Driftless Area’ eschews linear storytelling, and it’s as weird as you’d expect (Movie review)
With his recent unfortunate death at age 27 in a vehicle accident, Anton Yelchin takes a spot in film history similar to Heath Ledger, where lots of people will celebrate his catalogue, but we’ll wonder […]
First episode impressions: ‘Roadies’ (TV review)
“Roadies” (10 p.m. Eastern Sundays on Showtime), the new series from Cameron Crowe, feels a little more like “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” or “Love Monkey” than it feels like “Almost Famous.” The pilot episode […]
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Legacy of the Force: Betrayal’ (2006) (Book review)
I wasn’t a huge fan of the nine-book “Legacy of the Force” series on my first read, not because of the quality of the writing – Aaron Alliston and Karen Traviss are my two favorite […]
‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ advances the saga while essentially remaking the original (Movie review)
“Independence Day: Resurgence” is what a summer blockbuster should be: the kind where after watching futuristic aerial dogfights (in 3D if you pay a couple extra bucks), you drive home as if your Honda Civic is […]
‘American Gothic’ doesn’t stand out from the horror-mystery pack
First episode impressions (TV review): CBS takes a rote dive into mystery-horror that tries and fails to cash in on the name.
‘The 5th Wave’ tells an alien invasion yarn for the Disney Channel set (Movie review)
Later this week, “Independence Day: Resurgence” will likely deliver the biggest alien invasion spectacle in what is turning out to be the year of the alien. In addition to the return of “The X-Files,” we […]
Engrossing ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ shows a different way to build a franchise (Movie review)
“10 Cloverfield Lane” — now available at Redbox — is one of those Mystery Mine Ride movies that are all too rare: a film that gives you a small taste of what to expect, but could […]
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Dark Nest III: The Swarm War’ (2006) (Book review)
Troy Denning wraps up his bridge trilogy between “The New Jedi Order” and “Legacy of the Force” in mostly satisfying fashion with “Dark Nest III: The Swarm War” (2006). But the reader doesn’t get a sense of […]