SGT. STUBBY: A literal underdog!
Like its canine protagonist, “Sgt. Stubby” succeeds by keeping a low profile. It’s the kind of movie that could have felt ridiculously...
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JOSEPH W. SMITH III
Christ, Culture & Creativity
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changsmith2
- Aug 1, 2018
- 2 min
A QUIET PLACE: Not so quiet after all
A QUIET PLACE By JOSEPH W. SMITH III, Sun-Gazette Correspondent Having been told “A Quiet Place” was scary, I was surprised to find the...
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changsmith2
- Aug 1, 2018
- 2 min
READY VIEWER ONE: Spielberg both retro and relevant
“Ready Player One” is a remarkably savvy motion picture. It’s amazing how Steven Spielberg, who rocketed to fame before the Internet,...
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changsmith2
- Jun 8, 2018
- 2 min
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE
The story of how one song got written does not seem like it would make much of a movie -- so “I Can Only Imagine” didn’t interest me at...
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changsmith2
- Jun 2, 2018
- 2 min
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST: Not just "faith-based," but faith-FILLED
At first, “Paul: Apostle of Christ” appears to be another entry in the recent run of faith-based films; but that common label isn’t quite...
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changsmith2
- Jun 2, 2018
- 2 min
GRINGO: Oyelowo steps out of his comfort zone
“Gringo” features a Mexican drug lord who likes to ask people how they feel about the Beatles. (Friendly tip: Don’t insist that “Sgt....
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changsmith2
- Jun 2, 2018
- 2 min
DEATH WISH: New problems for the Bruce
“Death Wish” is no masterpiece, but it certainly doesn’t deserve its measly 13% approval rating at RottenTomatoes. Since I don’t read...
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changsmith2
- Jun 2, 2018
- 2 min
78 / 52: Hitchcock's legacy lives on
I thought I knew everything there was to know about “Psycho”; but “78/52” proves otherwise -- and I’ve rarely been so glad I was wrong....
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
GAME NIGHT: Good cast + great script = lotsa larfs
Have you ever written LOL when you didn’t actually LOL? Just how many jokes truly make you laugh out loud? More to the point, how often...
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
EARLY MAN: Cavemen and ... soccer??
While everyone else was stampeding off to “Black Panther,” my wife and I chose an animated movie about cavemen and soccer. As it turns...
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
15:17 to Paris: Not one of Eastwood's best
There was some concern over casting real-life heroes in Clint Eastwood’s new film about the 2015 terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train....
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
MOLLY'S GAME: Sorkin directs Sorkin -- with stellar results!
“Molly’s Game” is a good movie that swiftly becomes a great one in its final half-hour. In readying to review this acclaimed 2017 film, I...
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
HOSTILES: Maybe not the best Western since Unforgiven; but close!
It’s been suggested that “Hostiles” is the greatest Western since “Unforgiven.” As a fan of “True Grit” and “Appaloosa,” I’m not totally...
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changsmith2
- Jun 1, 2018
- 2 min
12 STRONG: Unsung heroes
Shortly after the Twin Towers fell in 2001, a crack team of just 12 Green Berets drove deep into Afghanistan in hopes of dealing a...
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changsmith2
- May 31, 2018
- 2 min
THE COMMUTER: Still Going Strong
“The Commuter” is preposterous -- but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it. It certainly didn’t stop me. I’ll admit I can be a...
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changsmith2
- May 31, 2018
- 2 min
THREE BILLBOARDS: Violent but Hopeful
It’s a rare film that mixes gripping suspense and laugh-out-loud comedy with violent death and a relevant, hopeful message. In keeping...
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Joseph W. Smith III
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min
LAST JEDI: Yes, I'm another of those critics who liked it a lot
I have two important things to say about the new “Star Wars” movie: 1) Daisy. 2) Ridley. Actually, I have other stuff to rave about as...
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Joseph W. Smith III
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min
DOWNSIZING: What were they thinking??
Picture a near-future world so strapped for resources that large portions of the population are shrunk to five inches, thereby consuming...
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Joseph W. Smith III
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min
JUST GETTING STARTED never gets started
According to Dictionary.com, “slumming it” means “suffering conditions below those to which one is accustomed.” This definition applies...
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Joseph W. Smith III
- Jan 1, 2018
- 2 min
COCO in another innovative crowd-pleaser from Pixar
“Coco” is not named for its protagonist. Nor is it named for the bad guy. Nor for the central plot device, in which a Mexican lad, on the...
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