‘On Deadly Ground’ at 30: Seagal’s Misstep Still Makes Us Howl
Steven Seagal’s “On Deadly Ground” (1994) is exactly that. It’s the result of the reliable Warner Brother action movie star getting the chance to write, direct, produce and star in his first post-“Under Siege” (1992) passion project. It opens in Alaska and begins with the shot of a bald eagle, with Ric Waite’s widescreen cinematography …
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‘Furiosa,’ ‘Planet of the Apes’ Make Mankind’s Collapse Exhilarating
George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and Wes Ball’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” are strikingly similar, not only in their ability to entertain but in their narrative structure (revenge is the name of the game) and themes. Here are two epic follow-ups, a prequel, and a sequel, that honor the legacy …
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‘Garfield Movie’ Forgets What Makes the Feline Fun
Mark Dindal’s “The Garfield Movie” finds the title character on a journey of self-realization that includes meeting his deadbeat father and improving his friendships with lifelong pal, Odie and Jon. Yes, someone thought it was a good idea to take one of the most endearingly self-absorbed figures from the Sunday Morning Funnies and stacks of …
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Why ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Isn’t the Comeback We Craved
Renny Harlin’s “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is a remake of the 2008 original and the first of three new films scheduled to be released throughout the year. Well, I think it’s a remake unless this eventually aligns itself with the original and justifies that sometimes the same thing happens in movies, just to different people, …
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How ‘Day of the Locust’ Out-Babyloned ‘Babylon’
John Schlesinger’s “The Day of the Locust” (1975) is finally available after decades of being out of print. Following its box office failure, Schlesinger’s unsettling, robust epic, depicting characters struggling for work during the Golden Age of Hollywood, could only be seen on a murky VHS transfer. Now, thanks to Arrow Video, the film has …
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How Did We Miss David Mamet’s ‘Spartan?’
David Mamet’s “Spartan” (2004) opens with one of my favorite lines of movie dialogue. We begin in the woods, watching men and women run through a rigorous training course in which they are being pursued. At one point, a cadet stops to catch her breath and doesn’t see a figure watching her, sitting nearby, observing …
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‘The Life Aquatic’ Remains Wes Anderson’s Masterpiece
Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” was the filmmaker’s first lavish, wildly stylish and extremely divisive work. The momentum of “Rushmore” (1998) and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) allowed Anderson final cut privilege and immediate auteur status, a deserved title, to be sure, but not a guarantee that audiences would embrace all of his …
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‘Jeanne du Barry’ Brings Johnny Depp Back to the Big Screen
Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry” depicts the hard life of Madame du Barry, who rose out of poverty after her family left her in a Catholic boarding school when she was a child. After gaining a reputation as a figure of adoration among high-society men, du Barry met King Louis XV, who was immediately smitten with …
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Randy Quaid’s ‘Parents’ Remains a Bone-Chilling Satire
Bob Balaban’s “Parents” (1989) begins with a series of family rituals. Although set in the 1950s, before my time, anyone can relate to the montage that opens the film – a family drive, a game of living room golf, etc. It’s what comes next that shocks, as it feels so unnatural and scary, the first …
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Is ‘Challengers’ This Generation’s ‘Bull Durham?’
Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” is a tawdry, repetitive, sports-driven relationship drama elevated and almost saved entirely by robust filmmaking. Take it either as “Bull Durham” (1988) but set in the world of tennis, or simply “Dangerous Liaisons” (also 1988) but with the gender of the three leads reversed. We meet Tashi, played by Zendaya, a competitive …
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