Search for Stephen

Tolkien represents a classic standard-order biopic – a high-level profile of someone with minimal flesh on the bones. More like the dramatization of an Encyclopedia Britannica entry than a fully rendered movie, Tolkien provides details about ...

During the Spring of 1990, I remember being transfixed in front of the television set for an hour each Sunday night over a period of five weeks. The occasion was the "Masterpiece Theater" presentation of the British mini-series "Traffik", a comple...

As much heralded, "edgy" movies go, Transamerica fails to live up to expectations. The final 30 minutes are interesting, funny, and affecting, but that segment represents less than a third of the running time. To get to the parts of the film that...

In a statement that borders on the obvious, this review is not being written for the legions of loyal fans who have made Stephanie Meyer's novel Twilight the most popular piece of young adult literature to come along since Harry Potter left Hogwart...

I'm of two minds about Breaking Dawn Part 2. Although it includes the most intense sequence in any of the movies, it also features an unforgivable example of motion picture bait-and-switch. It's deflating, a desperate attempt to make the finale of ...

Note to readers: this review contains spoilers. While I do not believe the revelation of certain plot points will in any way compromise the viewing experience, those who wish to see Two Family House without having previous knowledge of key elements...

If you’re familiar with the 2015 indie horror film Unfriended, you’ll have a good idea what to expect from the sequel, Dark Web. Using the same approach of making the entire film into a real-time clone of the laptop screen of the main char...

Yes, Unknown is preposterous. That in and of itself is not a reason to avoid the movie. The problems lie in the way the absurdity is presented and the manner in which the screenplay resolves once the "truth" is revealed. Alfred Hitchcock rarely me...

The Untouchables is a tour de force, the pinnacle of a career. For Brian De Palma, known best for his stylish crafting of Hitchcock-influenced plots, The Untouchables represents not only a departure from the norm, but an unqualified triumph. This...

In the 1930s, monster movies were the staples of Universal Pictures' line-up, a cash cow as the industry metamorphosed from silent films to talkies. Although the monsters came in all sizes and flavors, none could match the appeal of the "Big Three...