If it’s true that a movie is only as good as its villain, Venom: The Last Dance stinks, despite the fact that its hero is actually pretty likable. This third Venom film contains at least three antagonists, plus a fourth shadowy figure who shows up twice in a darkened room full of computers where he gives vague orders to other bad guys for … Read more
If Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were the two stars of “Siskel & Ebert at the Movies,” the intimate movie theater set on which they shared their takes on film releases new and old was the third. You can thank set designer Mickey Loewenstein for that, a legendary scenic designer at Chicago’s WTTW-Channel 11 for … Read more
Note: I’m often asked my pick for the best acting performance of all time, and I’m certain that my most-given answer has been Gena Rowlands in “A Woman Under the Influence.” It’s absolute, mesmerizing perfection. ROBERT DANIELS “When I was 18, I could do anything. My emotions were so close to the surface I could … Read more
I also found it incredibly curious that Sukjin Han, a crew commander for one of the Mars simulations, was the only interviewee, be it study participant, scientific expert, astronaut, or family member—to concede that in order for a manned mission to Mars to actually succeed, there will need to be some self-sacrifice on the part … Read more
TERENCE DAVIES Terence Davies was once called “the keeper of British cinema.” He kept it well. It felt like watching a film by Terence Davies was to spend time with Terence Davies. More than most filmmakers, he poured himself into his work, using his craft to reflect his memories and dreams. His films are often … Read more
CBS was so nervous about the first episode of “All in the Family,” it ran what today we might call a trigger warning, saying that the show “seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show—in a mature fashion—just how absurd … Read more
Richard Roundtree was born in New Rochelle, a bedroom suburb of New York City, in July 1942. His hometown was later made famous as the residence of the fictional Rob and Laura Petrie on the 1960s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show”. His sports talents earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern … Read more
Season Three of “Reservation Dogs” feels like a comedown from the fragmented tension of the last season, a “what now?” for its scattered group of tribal misfits. The pain of Daniel’s loss has tainted their relationship for two whole seasons; that cathartic moment in the California surf last season, a group hug visited by Daniel’s … Read more
Her bio became a biopic 30 years ago, and even before then, the details of her life had been common knowledge. She was born Anna Mae Bullock in poverty in the Jim Crow South to a couple in a loveless and abusive marriage, and abandoned by both parents before adolescence. In an East St. Louis … Read more
It propels the rest of the season. It sounds like a forward thrust on a rocket. That was my hope. I recently interviewed Craig Wedren and Anna Waronker, the composers of “Yellowjackets,” both of whom expressed immense gratitude to you for making theme songs hip again. Oh wow. [laughs] Amazing. That’s very kind. They, like … Read more