Movie Reviews

Tearing into a media culture that caters to society’s lowest common denominator, writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait’s “God Bless America” lashes out at reality TV, YouTube and the country’s shrinking sense of human decency. While  some memorably shocking moments are slightly diminished by a clichéd final act, the film is wholly unapologetic –  a brutal social commentary that might […]

(This review was originally published on May 14, 2012 at Reel Film News) “Bernie” is a quirky, oddly charming film. Yes, it’s a story about a murder – a true one at that – but it reminds me of a Christopher Guest film if spun from a Coen Brother’s script, like the “Best in Show” […]

(This review was originally published on April 13, 2012 at Reel Film News) If “The Cabin in the Woods” sounds like a generic title, it’s only because co-writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon wish to stress the gleeful irony of their material. The film, which might be considered both a sympathetic wink to starving horror […]

(This review was originally published on April 6, 2012 at Reel Film News) When “American Pie” was released in 1999, it revamped a genre that was being suffocated by watered-down, PG-13 box office fluff. It was, in a sense, a throwback to the comedies of the ‘70s and ‘80s when “Animal House” and “Porky’s” were the […]

(This review was originally published on March 23, 2012 at Reel Film News) First-time feature director David Gelb finds modesty and discipline in his documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”, a glimpse at the life of 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, proprietor of a renowned ten-seat sushi bar that is tucked unassumingly in the bustling underground of […]

(This review was originally published on March 23, 2012 at Reel Film News) It’s been a while since I’ve had difficulty containing my excitement after watching an action flick. It’s been even longer since a movie has delivered tenfold on the promise of its trailer. “The Raid:Redemption”, a movie for which I might need to create […]