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I have never been a Raymond Chandler fan nor am I enamored with the pulp detective genre that was oh-so-popular during the early decades of the 20th century. Consequently, my only exposure to Philip Marlowe (Chandler’s most popular character) ha...

In the immortal words of Strother Martin, "What we've got here is… failure to communicate." The truth of that statement lies at the heart of Ira Sachs' Married Life, a movie about how people in a marriage communicate or, just as often, fail to do...

Once upon a time, there was an actress named Jennifer Lopez, whose performances in films like Out of Sight and Selena opened eyes and excited comment with their depth and authenticity. But Lopez wasn’t a one-trick pony and, as her multimedia pop...

Mary Queen of Scots is the latest motion picture to plunder the fractious history between England and Scotland during the middle centuries of the previous millennium. Although transpiring some 250 years after the events depicted in Outlaw King...

Zorro, the swashbuckling hero of the undertrodden, was introduced to the world in 1919 when he debuted in the pages of Johnston McCulley's serialized novel, The Curse of Capistrano. Within a year, the masked man had appeared in a film, the silent ...

I never thought it could happen. Jim Carrey (star of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) upstaged -- and not once, but twice! While it's true that The Mask is another vehicle for the rubber-featured modern-day amalgamation of Jerry Lewis and the Three St...

Some might believe that the unexpected success of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean has resulted in a sudden upsurge in interest about high seas derring-do, but anyone expecting a "spillover" effect to generate a box office ripple for Peter Weir's ...

The production notes trumpet The Matchmaker as "a romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedies." This statement implies that the film has something exceptionally original or daring to offer those who are tired of screen love affairs that ...

Movies about confidence tricksters represent an old, although not necessarily respected, sub-genre of the thriller. Many of these films are cheap and cheesy, with silly plots and "twists" that are shaky and predictable. There are a few notable ex...

It’s unusual for a series lasting four movies to follow the consistent downward trend evidenced by The Matrix cycle. The first movie, 1999’s The Matrix, started things off with a bang. Sadly, the first sequel, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded, was...