Black Adam (2022)::rating::2.5::rating::2.5::rating::2.5

B lack Adam plays like a cinematic paradox. It delivers visual spectacle that's ambitious and expensive, but at the service of lazy, uneven storytelling. As the title character, Dwayne Johnson shows all the charisma and gravitas that made him a durable superstar. At the same time, his acting and wrestling legacies serve as distractions--this never feels…

ByTodd WoffordDecember 2, 20220Comments

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Lethal Weapon (1987)::rating::4.5

L ethal Weapon may not be the source of cop-themed movie tropes, but it certainly elevated a bunch of them into cinematic institutions: Partners on opposite ends of the spectrum, with one guy an amiable family man, the other a slobbering maniac. A police chief who's always fed up with their shenanigans. A stone cold villain…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 29, 20220Comments

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This is Spinal Tap (1984)::rating::5

It's such a fine line between stupid and clever..." David St. Hubbins T ruer words have never echoed through the hallowed hallways of pop culture history. Our entire modern mythology is dominated by a pantheon of gods who totter between redoubtable genius and pure idiocy. Perhaps no film has better captured that savage balancing act with…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 24, 20220Comments

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Spirited (2022)::rating::3

I f you've seen the trailers, posters, or billboards for Spirited, let's see if your first impression synchs with mine: At first glance, this movie looks like concentrated donkey doo. It's another twist on A Christmas Carol, which the world needs like a ski boot to the Nutter Butters. Even more egregious, this modern take stars Ryan…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 23, 20220Comments

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BASEketball (1998)::rating::2.5

W hat am I gonna do, knock this movie for being stupid? BASEketball is the cinematic equivalent of a fart machine. It couldn't be prouder of how dumb it is, like a sweaty frat boy showing off his brand new trucker hat/beer bong. The key lies in your own tolerance for BASEketball's idiocy, which flows like…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 17, 20220Comments

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)::rating::3

A s an epic elegy on the passing of Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever works extremely well. It's a stately, moving benediction, and the filmmakers deserve credit for hitting all the right emotional notes. Unfortunately, the film suffers from the same bloat that afflicts so many other Marvel sequels: Wakanda spends much of its overlong…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 11, 20220Comments

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Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?::rating::4

L ong ago, the Brothers Coen set a high bar for evolving eccentricity. Their films hopped from genre to genre, with defiant wackiness serving as the only true constant. Even with that foreknowledge, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? stands out as an odd duck. On paper, the notion of a Depression-era rebrand of Homer's Odyssey might come…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 7, 20220Comments

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Don’t Worry Darling (2022)::rating::2.5

I n its best moments, Don't Worry Darling is a thoroughly engrossing misfire. A talented cast and crew gives everything they have, juggling like frantic circus performers doomed to drop everything to the floor. Indeed, director Olivia Wilde attempts to bundle several movies under the sprawling tent of one big carnival: Over the span of…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 6, 20220Comments

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Fright Night (2011)::rating::3

A s a standalone film, this Fright Night is perfectly acceptable. It's good-looking, well-cast, and delivers an adequate amount of fright for one night. Unfortunately, there's no getting around the fact this is a remake, and the original is a beloved artifact of the 80s. That makes this Fright feel both unnecessary and sacrilegious. As a rule, the more…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 1, 20220Comments

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Halloween Double Feature: From Dusk till Dawn/Ernest Scared Stupid::rating::3

This Halloween, we're doing a special double feature of Cinemavino. Those two episodes will cover two very different movies, and you can find a capsule review of both in this space. From Dusk till Dawn (1996) Hybrid horror from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, where two very different halves add up to a very strange whole. During…

ByTodd WoffordOctober 31, 20220Comments