“Futurama: Bender’s Big Score” – I had forgotten how much I missed Matt Groening’s hilariously satirical take on the future before viewing this first of four straight-to-DVD movies. It’s a decent story – despite featuring […]
“Sweet Land” – Minneapolis writer-director Ali Selim, who shot the film in Montevideo, takes us back to a time when Norwegian immigrants earned a hard living from working the corn fields and milking cows. They […]
“The Last Kiss” – In this thematic sequel to “Garden State,” Zach Braff’s heartwarming 2004 directorial debut, Braff plays a guy torn between his fiancee (Jacinda Barrett) and a full-of-life collegian (Rachel Bilson). (If only […]
“The Break-Up” – Romantic comedies usually explore the ups and downs of a relationship destined for a happy ending, but this film – determined to be more realistic – shows the minor annoyances and petty […]
“Walk the Line” – He wasn’t just a guy with a cool voice who dressed in black. Country legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) also swooned over a woman (Reese Witherspoon’s June Carter), battled a pill […]
“Garden State” – It’s a great romance film precisely because it doesn’t seem like a romance. It stars Zach Braff (who also directed and compiled the Shins-heavy soundtrack) as a bright 20-something wandering aimlessly through […]
John’s Throwback Thursday review, March 25, 2021 “Lost in Translation” – Director Sophia Coppola portrays Tokyo in all its unnerving, otherworldly glory, softly illuminating the desperate yet perfect friendship (or is it love?) between lost […]
“Freaky Friday” – If you’ve seen their previous work, you’ll know that Jamie Lee Curtis as a teenager trapped in an adult’s body and Lindsay Lohan as an adult trapped in a teenager’s body isn’t […]
John’s “Anything Else” flashback review, Aug. 18, 2021 “Anything Else” – The first moment Jerry (Jason Biggs) lays eyes on Amanda (Christina Ricci), we’re yelling at the screen for him to stay away. But if he […]
