ReviewsAug 01, 2013
A WEREWOLF BOY - DVD review
It’s tempting to compare **“A Werewolf Boy”**to the “Twilight” series, since both deal with love between a human and a supernatural being, and both were aimed at teenage audiences. But the difference
ReviewsJul 31, 2013
ROBIN HOOD - Blu-ray review
Of the three titles Disney recently released on Blu-ray for the first time, “Robin Hood” (1973) stands out as the weakest entry, in terms of bot
ReviewsJul 30, 2013
COMMUNITY: SEASON 4 - DVD review
As I wrote in my review of Season 3, “Community” has found a niche fan base that can appreciate the spirit of community college—home of the Great American Second Chance. Unlike four-year bastions
ReviewsJul 29, 2013
TRANCE - Blu-ray review
I’m a fan of puzzlers and mindbenders—as long as it also feels believable. I start to squirm when a brain teaser teases more than it displays braininess, or when a mindbender bends logic just a bit to
ReviewsJul 29, 2013
NIAGARA - Blu-ray review
In the ‘50s, drama meant melodrama, and there’s plenty of good melodrama in “Niagara,” a masterful bit of film noir suspense that’s worthy of Hitchcock. It’s directed by Henry Hathaway, better kno
ReviewsJul 29, 2013
HOUSE PARTY: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT - DVD review
With characters like DJ Bootytime and DJ Hardcap, plus a terrible script and some plain old flat out lousy acting, **“House Party: Tonight’s the Night”**seems destined to fail. And it does just that.
ReviewsJul 26, 2013
FRUITVALE STATION - Theatrical review
“Fruitvale Station” is the best film about the Black experience in modern day America since “Do the Right Thing.” It is just as good as other films that attempt to comment on and contextualize the
ReviewsJul 26, 2013
OLIVER AND COMPANY - Blu-ray review
The first Disney movie with attitude. That's the tagline for this 1988 animated feature, which draws its inspiration from Charles Dickens'Oliver Twist. But instead of setting it in Dickens' Victo
ReviewsJul 26, 2013
THE SWORD IN THE STONE - Blu-ray review
In the words of bumbling TV spy Maxwell Smart, “The Sword in the Stone” missed it by THAT much—Disney’s Golden Age, that is. Most students of cinema date the high point of Disney animation from 19
ReviewsJul 26, 2013
LOVE ME TENDER - Blu-ray review
In November 1956, **“Love Me Tender”**introduced Elvis Presley as an actor. By that time he had already made his TV debut as a performer on “Louisiana Hayride,” singles like “That’s All Right” were pl
ReviewsJul 24, 2013
BUS STOP - Blu-ray review
“Bus Stop” (1956) is an odd duck. It’s considerably more over-the-top than William Inge’s Broadway play, upon which it’s loosely based, with one of it’s webbed feet dipping directly into the water
ReviewsJul 24, 2013
THE HAPPY POET - DVD review
“The Happy Poet” tells the story of Bill, a struggling poet who takes his last bit of money and a paltry loan from the bank to start a food stand. A food stand that sells, not hot dogs like the lo