‘Furious 7’ says goodbye in a big way

The car chases for this gang are done. “Furious 7” put the gang through its paces in very fine style. You can read my review of this quite interesting and emotionally loaded final chapter of the franchise in my Film Blog review on the Syracuse New Times site by clicking the link below. http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/furious-7-ties-action-thrilling-tribute/ The…

Offensive can have other messages

There are things happening up on the screen in “Get Hard” that, taken at face value, are offensive. Yet I wasn’t ruffled nearly enough to stand up, do an about face and march out of there as I sat through the Friday matinee at the Regal Cinemas theater in Syracuse mega shopping, dining and entertainment…

Is any movie worth a fourth swing at it?

To me, “A Star is Born” means a drunked-up rocker played by Kris Kristofferson doing the right/wrong/right/wrong dance with a wild-eyed optimist of a young singer played by Barbra Streisand. To a generation that came ahead of me, Judy Garland was the young singer. In the original, it was … well, you can trace the…

3D’s a non-starter for me, but ‘Insurgent’ would have been the one

Sometimes the movie schedule isn’t the best fit for my life. Saturday, there was someplace my dear wife Karen had to be at 3 p.m., no ifs, ands or buts about it. (Hello, tax preparer.) We wanted to see “Insurgent” beforehand. And I must say, that was a good call, as the day unfolded. (Hello,…

Vin Diesel feels family love as ‘Fast’ opening approaches

This emotional feeling about “Fast and Furious 7” is moving into overdrive. The movie made after the tragic death of star Paul Walker opens on April 3. For more than a year now, his co-stars and the crew have been dealing with the loss of their friend, who perished in a car accident in November…

When bad people do good in the movies

In “Run All Night,” I found myself rooting for the guy played by Liam Neeson. When, in the back story set in front of us, his character was every bit a bad a guy as the man played by co-lead Ed Harris. You can read my review of “Run All Night” as my weekly Movie…

Johnny Depp hurt Down Under

So while in Australia filming the fifth edition of “The Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, Johnny Depp hurt his hand. I discovered this disconcerting news while compiling my weekly Film News blog posted every Thursday morning on the Syracuse New Times site. You can read where that revelation led me by clicking the link below.…

There’s no place like this older folks’ home

Dev Patel battled himself this weekend. Chappie the Robot vs. Sonny the retirement hotel keeper. Oh, yeah, the crazy business world inhabited by Vince Vaughn was opening, too, this weekend, a trio to choose from at the Regal chain in the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex of Destiny USA. My dear wife Karen and…

No matter the adjectives, it won’t be the Oscars

The MTV Movie Awards are on the horizon. Coming up April 12, in fact, and the cable network that used to play music videos is determined to be different. And of course that’s good. We don’t need another replay of the Golden Globes or the People’s Choice of the Oscars. In today’s installment of my…

For the love of money or just love?

Will Smith and Margot Robbie most certainly look good together on the big screen in “Focus.” Why I even forgave Hollywood for matching up love leads that have a 21-year-old age difference, one of the great thorns in my side as I watch movies for my weekly Monday blog on the Syracuse New Times site.…