Filmmaker and fellow mom Jamielyn Lippman is my Breakfast All Day A La Carte guest this week — and she’s the rare friend of mine outside the critic world who sees as much as I do. Jamielyn talks about growing up in a big, close family in suburban Santa Clarita...
Read more
Breakfast All Day Podcast
RogerEbert.com — The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2
It’s the final film in the “Hunger Games” saga — no, really it is this time! With the exception of a couple of truly dazzling action set pieces, “Mockingjay – Part 2” provides more of what we saw in “Mockingjay — Part 1”: a lot of wheel-spinning and repetitive imagery....
Read moreGoing Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
HBO Documentary Films Unrated Running time: 119 minutes. Three stars out of four. The building you see in the photo above is the headquarters of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. Painted a glaring shade of periwinkle, with a blindingly bright, Las Vegas-style marquee out front, it is an...
Read moreThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
Lionsgate Films Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material. Running time: 123 minutes. Two stars out of four. Despite its action and revelations, its substantial political allegory and its strong performances from a tremendous cast, “The Hunger Games: Mockingkay — Part 1”...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
The first half of the film adaptation of the third book in “The Hunger Games” trilogy feels like a stretched-out placeholder for the real finale. Jennifer Lawrence is strong as always, though, as Katniss, who’s now the reluctant symbol of hope for the revolution....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Mistaken for Strangers
“Mistaken for Strangers,” about the indie rock band The National, takes a totally different route into a genre we’ve all seen a million times: the music documentary. Matt encouraged all of us to see it because he loved it so much, and I’m so glad we did....
Read moreWhat the Flick? — Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman
We’re all still devastated over at What the Flick?! following the death of one of our favorite actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman. We discuss the depth and versatility of his talent and struggle to decide on a singular favorite performance during his wide-ranging career. We had so much to talk about,...
Read moreOn Philip Seymour Hoffman, 1967-2014
I’ve been dreading writing about the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman all day — not because I couldn’t figure out what to say, but because words seem so insufficient at a time like this, even ones that are heartfelt and well-intentioned. How does anyone adequately summarize such a prolific...
Read moreThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Lionsgate PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language. Running time: 146 minutes. Three stars out of four. Here’s how effective “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is: I read the book it’s based on, I knew what was going to...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Matt, Alonso, Ben and I choose our weapons carefully to enter the arena for our review of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” Place your bets on who the winner will be....
Read more