We’re so happy to be with you one last time before 2019 ends to bring you reviews of two of the year’s best films (as well as a follow-up discussion on one of the worst). Alonso, Matt and I discuss Greta Gerwig’s excellent adaptation of “Little Women” and Sam Mendes’...
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Breakfast All Day Podcast
Oscar Nominations 2018
It’s felt like a pretty wide-open awards season so far, but this morning’s Oscar nominations helped it take some shape — “The Shape of Water,” that is. (Yes, I hate myself, too, for that pun.) But Guillermo del Toro’s dark and swoony retro romance becomes even more of the favorite...
Read moreHail, Caesar!
Universal Pictures Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking. Running time: 106 minutes. Three stars out of four. The Coen brothers — my favorite filmmakers, I should mention at the outset — have always been hit-and-miss when it comes to straight-up comedies. For every “Raising Arizona” or “The Big...
Read moreOscar Nominations 2016
So it’s Oscar nomination day, an annual event I always looked forward to back when I had a day job. The announcement comes super-early — 5:38 a.m. Pacific time, to be exact, all the better to take advantage of morning TV news programs — but everyone’s in a good mood...
Read moreOscar Nominations 2015
First of all, I’m not sure why I care so much. I said this to my husband this morning after the Academy Award nominations came out and I was thoroughly worked up over how terrible they were. I’m not sure why any of us care so much, actually. Maybe it’s...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — How to Train Your Dragon 2
The sequel “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is wondrous, colorful and vibrant. But it also dares to present some very serious themes and see them through to their completion. I took Nicolas to see it and he was only slightly frightened of the character Djimon Hounsou voices: a villain...
Read moreRevisiting Five Most — Texas Movies
So I just got back in town after visiting Dallas for my 20-year reunion at Southern Methodist University. I would have posted something over the weekend, but I was too busy cramming queso and Shiner Bock into my grill. Apologies for the absence. But being there reminded me of a...
Read morePrisoners
Warner Bros. R for disturbing violent content including torture, and language throughout. Running time: 146 minutes. Two stars out of four. “Prisoners” has heavy-duty arthouse pretensions but, if we’re being honest with each other, it’s really just a high-falutin’ B-grade kidnap thriller. It’s got lofty aspirations but it also wants...
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