Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone” continues 2022’s sad streak of being one of the most uninteresting years on record. Based on an excellent short story from author Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son), director Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill adapted the creepy tale of a Colorado town plagued by a serial killer of children known as “The Grabber," so named because of his M.O. of snatching ... more >
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In a year of underwhelming (thus far) cinema “THE BLACK PHONE” does little to stand out | FILM REVIEW
Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Ethan Hawke
Directed by Scott Derrickson
MY DIRTY LITTLE SECRET: I LOVE WESTERNS (BUT “THE KID” MISSES THE MARK)
Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and Vincent D'Onofrio all previously starred together in another western, "The Magnificent Seven"
Starring Jake Schur, Leila George and Chris Pratt
Directed by Vincent D'Onofrio
I must divulge two important facts. The first one is that the Western is my favorite film genre, and the second, my favorite Western (and third favorite film ever made) is Sam Peckinpah’s “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” starring James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson (1973). I am of the opinion that Peckinpah’s work on that film is profound and special, and impossible to match. To this, I admit that ... more >
PREVIEW – “Seymour: an introduction”
Directed by Ethan Hawke
Limited release: March 13th
Ethan Hawke’s first feature documentary “Seymour: an introduction” makes no attempt to be comprehensive about the life of its titular subject, classical pianist Seymour Bernstein. Instead, it focuses on what drew Hawke to Seymour: his sagaciousness and reflections on music, artistic devotion, and life. Eighty-seven years young, Seymour is a guru who not only mentors in piano playing but also in ... more >
Getaway
[Warner Bros]
Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez and Jon Voight
Directed by Courtney Solomon
The car porn chiller “Getaway” is a movie of wonder. I wondered about the way the film was actually made, the shooting sequence, the extravagant car flips and pile-ups, the monotone acting. Did Ethan Hawke actually shoot all of the gear-shifting shots? Or was that Ethan Hawke’s hand double? Did they shoot one gear shift and re-use that footage? Or is there a special gear shift for each scene so ... more >
Sinister
A modern take on the haunted house genre
Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance and Vincent D'Onofrio
It started with "The Ring" in 2004 but now with the new movie "Sinister," in which a ghost haunts reels of old home movies, the poltergeists are putting more of a curse on film than 3-D. Writer-director Scott Derrickson, no stranger to the horror genre after dealing with demons in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," tries his hardest to create a mood and some jump-out-of-your-skin scares but this new ... more >