WIDOWS: Leveling the playing field … sort of
Early ads for “Widows” quoted one review that stressed its “bone-rattling action.” That is not an accurate description of this movie....
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JOSEPH W. SMITH III
Christ, Culture & Creativity
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changsmith2
- Jun 25, 2019
- 2 min
THE GRINCH: Tweaking Seuss … with solid results
When you combine the genius of Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck Jones with vocalists Boris Karloff and Thurl Ravenscroft, you get 1966’s “How...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
JOHNNY ENGLISH 3: Atkinson … Rowan Atkinson
“Johnny English Strikes Again” is silly, predictable, occasionally lazy and not very clever -- but I liked it anyway. This new film is...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
SISTERS BROTHERS: Don't bother
According to the opening credits, about a dozen different companies helped finance “The Sisters Brothers.” It’s amazing one or two of...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
FIRST MAN: Chazelle does it again … and so does Gosling
Sometimes, when a filmmaker scores an Oscar for direction, he gets free reign on his next project; and this doesn’t always work out well...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
LIFE ITSELF: Fogleman fumbles
Don’t let the previews fool you -- “Life Itself” is not a happy movie; if you show up expecting one, you’re going to want your money...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS: Bellairs via Black, Blanchett … and Roth
Having enjoyed the young-adult novel, I was surprised to learn that Eli Roth would direct “The House with a Clock in Its Walls.” He’s the...
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changsmith2
- Jun 24, 2019
- 2 min
SIMPLE FAVOR: Not quite the right tone
In the last 10 minutes of “A Simple Favor,” director Paul Feig strikes just the right tone. If he had struck it earlier, this would be a...
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changsmith2
- Jun 23, 2019
- 2 min
SEARCHING: Confined to a computer screen
You might think a movie that confines itself to what you see on a computer screen would create a certain restlessness or boredom. But if...
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changsmith2
- Jun 23, 2019
- 2 min
LEAVE NO TRACE
“Leave No Trace” earned 100% at RottenTomatoes -- which means there wasn’t a single national critic who disliked it. I’m not about to...
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changsmith2
- Jun 23, 2019
- 2 min
CRAZY RICH CINEMA
I suppose it was an almost impossible task to adapt “Crazy Rich Asians” for the screen. With millions of loyal readers, a complex network...
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changsmith2
- Jun 23, 2019
- 2 min
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 6: Another win for Tom Terrific
“Mission: Impossible - Fallout” has three things going for it: Chris McQuarrie’s script, and Tom Cruise’s testicles. Mind you, those last...
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changsmith2
- Jun 23, 2019
- 2 min
BEIRUT: Hamm and Pike in a competent, little-seen thriller
Were it not for the deadly serious subject matter, it would be fair to say that “Beirut” is one splendidly entertaining movie. These...
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changsmith2
- Jun 21, 2019
- 2 min
TULLY: An unjustly neglected gem
How many times have you been intrigued by previews only to find the film itself a total let-down? In the case of “Tully” the previews,...
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changsmith2
- Jun 21, 2019
- 2 min
INCREDIBLES 2
Several times in the past year I’ve praised movies for “not trying too hard.” It’s an admirable quality in this age of over-the-top...
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changsmith2
- Jun 21, 2019
- 2 min
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR
Folks in the 40-60 age range can recall a time when “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” seemed like the corniest show on TV. With its homespun...
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changsmith2
- Jun 21, 2019
- 2 min
ADRIFT: Woodley and Claflin alone in the Pacific
“Adrift” confirms how compelling a simple story can be if it’s handled with sufficient care and skill. In this case, that skill-set...
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Quinn Deitrick and Joseph W. Smith III
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3 min
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY -- reviewed as a duet!
Despite its title, we’re reviewing “Solo” as a duet. Film fans Quinn Deitrick and Joe Smith -- respectively student and teacher at...
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changsmith2
- Aug 1, 2018
- 2 min
BAD SAMARITAN -- and not such a great movie, either
I wish I could tell you that “Bad Samaritan” turns out better than it does. The movie certainly had potential -- especially with its...
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changsmith2
- Aug 1, 2018
- 2 min
CHAPPAQUIDDICK: Best of 18 so far!
“History usually has the final word on these things,” says one character in “Chappaquiddick.” If that’s the case, this movie’s final word...
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