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One of the most evident signs of the shift in movie-goers' tastes over the years has been the decline of the Western. Once among the most popular of film genres, it now ranks near the bottom. If there's a benefit to this downturn, it's that mode...

It has become a time-honored tradition that stars of Saturday Night Live, upon graduating from the no-longer-funny late night show, elect to spread their wings and strive for cinematic greatness. With a few notable exceptions, most have crashed an...

Basmati Blues isn’t nearly as bad as some of the online buzz might indicate…and that’s actually unfortunate. Instead of vying for a so-bad-it’s-entertaining categorization, it falls squarely into the hell of cinematic mediocrity. A fo...

Be Cool, the belated sequel to 1995's Get Shorty, has moments when we think it's going to work. It occasionally tantalizes with witty dialogue and sharp supporting performances. Alas, those are only teases - the film is priming us for something t...

Timeliness can be important in a film’s release, but it’s rarely all-important. Consider The Beach House, for example. Here’s a movie about people trapped in a shelter-in-place situation by an unknown contagion that has infiltrated the a...

For anyone who was alive and watching American television between 1950 and 1980, it’s a sure bet that at least one episode of I Love Lucy was consumed. The most popular TV show during four of its six seasons, the first Desilu production went on ...

There are three things going on in The Beta Test. One works exceptionally well. One works okay (although it will fare better with “insiders” than “regular folks”). And the other pretty much fails. It’s a mixed bag although the short ...

The Bikeriders is notable not because of anything in the story but because of the approach to acting embraced by lead actors Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, who have consciously attempted to recreate the essences of Marlon Brando and James Dean in th...

Will Ferrell can be the most maddening of comedians. There are times when he's so funny it hurts to watch him. Then there are times when he's so unfunny it's painful in a different way. Consistency, thy name isn't Ferrell. Blades of Glory is pre...