When they say Bad Times at the El Royale, they ain’t kiddin’

We meet the folks checking into the eccentric place by the name of the El Royale as the odd duck clerk asks them an important question. In which state would they like to book a room? This joint drawn up in this quirky piece written and directed by Drew Godard, you see, sits on the…

Every Marvel superhero universe finds its match in Avengers: Infinity War

The bad guy comes out in the latest edition from the Marvel Universe, and it’s all-hands-on-deck. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo work the patch-quilt of franchises built in this studio kingdom, and for the 2 hours, 29 minutes of the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley, the battles are many, deep, interwoven and fraught…

New Ghostbusters won’t let you forget the original

Will this new Ghostbusters stand on its own? With the small-print tag line Answer the Call added to the famous sequel to the 1984 comedy blockbuster, that’s even more of a natural question. Could it? Some originals become so ingrained on a culture’s psyche over time that a sequel stands little chance. And No. 1,…

Ron Howard tries too hard to take us deep into the heart of the tale of Moby-Dick

Ishmael and that great, big whale brought to the world from the pen of Herman Melville 165 years ago are back. Ron Howard, one mammoth director by any standard, has latched onto the prequel, if you will, of what went on in Nantucket back in the day that allowed Melville to open his mind enough…

No Vacation from the National Lampoon-style humor

If you lived through the 1980s, you know it. If you sat through the 2000s, you know it. That wink-wink through lasviousness and lewdness paired with physical awkwardnes that made the National Lampoon’s … movies featuring Chevy Chase as patriarch Clark Griswold so darn popular in that first decade. That silly-man, try-too-hard demeanor that made…

Avengers find Ultron formidable, but they’re still a marvel

You don’t just try the waters of the Avengers franchise by sticking your big toe into the pool a little bit. I joined the all-ages throng that filled the big theater at the Regal Cinemas at Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA for the Sunday matinée of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” not…