HONEY BOY: LaBeouf grapples with his demons (and plays one of 'em)
If Shia LaBeouf went through even half the crap depicted in “Honey Boy,” it’s amazing he lived to tell the tale. Viewers may find it...
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JOSEPH W. SMITH III
Christ, Culture & Creativity
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
KNIVES OUT: Murder, fear of lying and a cast to die for
If you’re going to script a successful whodunit, you’d better have a good solution -- and you’d better stay one step ahead of the...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
THE IRISHMAN: Re-evaluating a legacy
With “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese strikes me as an old pro who specialized in violent gangsters and is now reevaluating his legacy....
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
MIDWAY: "Every battle needs a miracle"
Until the credits rolled in “Midway,” I was sure the character of hotshot pilot Dick Best had been invented for dramatic effect. But I...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
HARRIET: Not every hero needs a cape
I left “Harriet” thinking, “I’ve just seen the woman who’s going to win this year’s Oscar for Best Actress.” That would be Cynthia Erivo,...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
EL CAMINO: Getting your "Br/Ba" fix
Here’s the main question with “El Camino”: Does this sequel to “Breaking Bad” give fans their fix? And the answer is: Yes. Absolutely....
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
GEMINI MAN: You can thank Ang Lee for this one
When the credits rolled on “Gemini Man” and I saw the name Ang Lee, something clicked. Lee is the two-time Oscar-winner who directed...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON: Less is more
“Brittany Runs a Marathon” is not really about running or marathons; but it certainly is about Brittany. Based on a true story, this...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
AD ASTRA: Yep, that's all there is
“Ad Astra” isn’t nearly as good as I thought it would be. Heavily hyped on social media for the past several weeks, the new space opera...
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changsmith2
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min
OVERCOMER: One step ahead of the other Kendrick entries
“Overcomer” has one triumphant strength, and her name is Aryn Wright-Thompson. As a struggling high school runner in this latest from the...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
ALL IS TRUE: Well, maybe not quite "all" ...
Considering the fact that Shakespeare is the world’s most famous and beloved writer, it’s amazing how little we know about him. Oh sure,...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
OPHELIA: A clever feminist take on HAMLET ... with Daisy Ridley!
The latest screen version of “Hamlet” opens with Ophelia declaring, “I have always been a willful girl, and followed my heart, and spoke...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON: Road trips, rivers, tightie-whities and the Salt Water Redneck
When I penned this review in the summer of 2019, I opened by predicting that it would mark the first step in a come-back year for Shia...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT: Add the Boss to our growing pile of pop-inspired movies
At first, “Blinded by the Light” seems like another film about classic rock-- a la “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” and “Yesterday”; but...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 3 min
LaBEOUF ROUND-UP: In honor of the actor's impressive 2019 comeback
As of this posting, an unheralded little 2019 movie called “The Peanut Butter Falcon” holds a 96% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes; and...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
THE FAREWELL: Your heart on hour sleeve ... or not
If a family member -- say a spouse or grandparent -- is diagnosed with terminal illness, should you tell the person? I dare say most...
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changsmith2
- Feb 21, 2020
- 2 min
THE LION KING: Good enough ... with one big problem
Gorgeous, funny, thoughtful and entertaining, Disney’s reboot of “The Lion King” nonetheless has one substantial flaw: It isn’t as good...
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changsmith2
- Jul 5, 2019
- 2 min
YESTERDAY: Baby, You Can Drive My Plot
I’m not a huge fan of screenwriter Richard Curtis, as I didn’t care for the loose sexuality in “Love, Actually” or “Four Weddings and a...
9 views0 comments
changsmith2
- Jun 28, 2019
- 2 min
MISSING LINK leaps onto year's best-of list
“Missing Link” is the first film I’ve seen this year that made me want to start my best-of list. This animated gem from the reliable...
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changsmith2
- Jun 28, 2019
- 2 min
SHAFT: Real men make sequels
If you can stomach the nonstop swearing and bad behavior, “Shaft” is a fascinating cultural artifact. In the ongoing debate about modern...
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