FIRST COW: Another slow-burn indie
* * * (out of four) Several weeks ago, I reviewed a nifty little Amazon thriller called “Blow the Man Down,” calling it an “elliptical”...
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JOSEPH W. SMITH III
Christ, Culture & Creativity
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
BLOW THE MAN DOWN: "ELLIPTICAL MOVIEMAKING" AT ITS BEST
* * * (out of four) “Blow the Man Down” is what you might call an “elliptical” movie: Plot points pass with very little fanfare -- often...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 3 min
FREE BURMA RANGERS: 9.4 at IMDb (say no more)
* * * * (out of four) In approximately 20 years of using the Internet Movie Database, I’ve never seen a film get as high a user-rating as...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 3 min
ANOTHER OSCAR SNUB: Cretton's best work yet is "JUST MERCY"
* * * * (out of four) The name Destin Daniel Cretton does not jump readily to the lips of most casual movie-goers; but he’s one director...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
JUST HOW LUCKY IS THIS ASIAN GRANDMA?
* * * (out of four) Lewisburg’s lovely Campus Theatre, my favorite local place to see movies, remains closed during the ongoing COVID-19...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
NEESON GETS TENDER; but "ORDINARY LOVE" IS MANVILLE'S MOVIE
* * * (out of four) Most folks who decide to stream “Ordinary Love” will do so because it features Liam Neeson in a rare non-action role....
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 4 min
TRIBUTE to the LATE FRED WILLARD
For several weeks now, I’ve been recommending under-the-radar movies for quarantine viewing -- hoping you can select something decent...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
"I STILL BEVIEVE": NO SLEEVE, NO SHIRT, NO NUANCE
* * (out of four) In my 40-plus years of reviewing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film so totally devoid of subtlety and nuance. “I...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
ONWARD ... RECAPTURES THAT CLASSIC PIXAR GLORY
* * * * (out of four) After starting out with an (ahem) incredible 11 perfect movies in a row, Pixar has spent the last few years...
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changsmith2
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
LAST CHRISTMAS, YOU GAVE ME YOUR ... ROM-COM
Let’s face it: As far as holiday music goes, George Michael’s “Last Christmas” is not exactly a classic. Yet even with its shiny pop feel...
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changsmith2
- Aug 24, 2020
- 2 min
INVISIBLE ABUSER
* * * 1/2 (out of four) Sometimes you pick a movie because your friends want to see it. Sometimes you just like the cast or director. And...
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changsmith2
- Aug 24, 2020
- 2 min
GOOD DOG: Ford and friend in "Call of the Wild"
* * * (out of four) With “The Call of the Wild,” I had one big surprise and one major disappointment. My let-down was that the film does...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
JOJO RABBIT: Two films that don't quite mesh
* * * (out of four) “Jojo Rabbit” feels like two different movies awkwardly glued together. One is a hip, contemporary “we-know-better”...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
DR. DOLITTLE: A cast to die for -- with the emphasis on DIE
* 1/2 (out of four) I went to “Dolittle” as an act of protest -- because the Motion Picture Academy could not see fit to tap Robert...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
A "MARRIAGE STORY" about divorce ... and about as much fun to watch
Despite its title, “Marriage Story” is not about marriage. Rather, it concerns a divorce -- and it’s about as much fun to watch. Which is...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
THE AERONAUTS: Up, up and away ... in this beautiful new movie
Since “The Aeronauts” is supposedly “inspired by a true story,” viewers will wonder whether its best and coolest scene ever actually...
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with Quinn Deitrick
- Feb 25, 2020
- 3 min
THE RISE OF SKYWALKER: Four decades deserves more than this
The galaxy far, far away that began over four decades ago reaches its finish line for the Skywalker Saga. Ingraining itself into the...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
KLAUS: Yeah, this one should have taken the Best Animated Oscar
The word “original” is a good place to start in describing “Klaus.” In the first place, this wonderful new animated movie is a Netflix...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
RICHARD JEWELL: Another triumph for Eastwood ... and Paul Walter Hauser
Paul Walter Hauser’s amazing performance in “Richard Jewell” somehow got overlooked in the 2019 Golden Globe nominations -- and I sure...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
DOWNTON ABBEY: Your favorite Titanic-era household welcomes the King & Queen
Having enjoyed several episodes of “Downton Abbey” on TV, I’ve got some theories about why the six-season series was so popular: Our...
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