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…

How do you prep for a Sweet Sixteen?

There are many ways, I suppose, for a bunch of college-aged men to spend a few hours in a strange city before a very important evening. Add in the fact that they’re joined by the collective purpose of their university’s sports team, and it’s surely no surprise to discover them in a pack, dressed rather…

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…

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…

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.…

Don’t judge so quickly, coach

When the coach played by Kevin Costner in “McFarland, USA” takes one look at the the situation he’s gotten he and his family into, he’s an unhappy fellow. But then Jim White learns he shouldn’t just assume stuff, a pretty good lesson for a man who’s a teacher. And by the time the Disney movie…

No secret: These Brits can figure out clues

James Bond had his decades, oh so many of them. Jack Ryan. Jason Bourne. Bring on Gary “Eggsy” Unwin. Yeah, “Kingsmen: The Secret Service” continues the long line of agent thrillers, but this young British hero has more to do with 007 than the rest, with gadgets and fighting and cool. You can read my…

What would you do with a time travel machine?

The five teens in “Project Almanac” start off with a really big need when they discover one of them lurking around as they watch the just-discovered video in the background of his seventh birthday party. As you would imagine. What the …? How did that happen? Can we make it happen again? Very interesting premise…