After “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” “Thunderball” is my favorite James Bond movie. Filled with spectacular stunts, outrageous action, gorgeous women and a sturdier than ever Sean Connery, “Thunderball” was everything a Bond film should be. Directed by Terence Young, “Thunderball” took Bond to new heights and depths. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nine years since writer-producer John Hughes created “Home Alone.” It’s even harder to believe that since that time, the “Home Alone” formula has become a genre all its own. Not only did the first film spawn two sequels, but numerous imitations. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently learned a valuable trick when it comes to reviewing comic book-based movies. So much time and effort goes into recreating the look and tone of the comic book, often at the expense of the screenplay. Celluloid Comic book pages are just as flat unless you care about the characters who inhabit them. Read the rest of this entry »

Told with the assurance of a master filmmaker, “The Green Mile” emerges as one of the most absorbing, heartfelt films of the year.

A good film has the ability to take you away for a couple of hours. A great film stays with you long after the final credits have rolled. “The Green Mile” is a great film. It is filled with memorable characters and images, all perfectly realized by director Frank Darabont. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hannibal,” the much anticipated sequel to Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning “Silence of the lambs,” is a feast for the eyes, not the stomach. What was once taut and terrifying has become mundane. Everything that made the first film so riveting has been tossed out the window. What remains is an exercise in gratuitous violence geared to titillate rather than horrify. Read the rest of this entry »

As we have been reminded time and time again since September 11, the world as we know it has changed. Even in the way that Hollywood does business. Several high-profile films were pulled from release and locked up when it was determined that their subject matter might not be sensitive to the current climate. Read the rest of this entry »

The writing is on the wall, but the performances and situations leap off the screen in director Lasse Hallstrom’s delicate “The Cider House Rules.” Based on John Irving’s coming-of-age novel, “The Cider House Rules” is a heartfelt Valentine to the wonder of the human spirit. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the benefits of reviewing video and DVD is the opportunity to catch up with old friends, and make new ones. A lot of smaller films come and go so quickly in theaters that your only chance to discover them is during their ancillary runs. I had such a privilege this week when I saw a little film called “Titanic.” I didn’t hear much about it when it played in theaters. Read the rest of this entry »

As far as decades go, the 1980’s are always good for a laugh. There’s plenty of laughs and a lot of heart in director Frank Coraci and writer Tim Herlihy’s sweet and nostalgic romantic comedy, “The Wedding Singer.” Comedian Adam Sandler (“Billy Madison” “Happy Gilmore”) is sensational as small town wedding singer Robbie Hart. Read the rest of this entry »

According to a recent Google search, the population of Dublin, Ireland hovers just above one million people. Add in the boroughs and that number shoots up another five-hundred-thousand. Like the Naked City, that’s a lot of stories, but if you are to believe the new Irish comedy-drama “Intermission,” they’re all somehow connected. It’s a Gaelic “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” Read the rest of this entry »