Creed II (2018)::rating::3.5::rating::3.5::rating::3.5

C reed II somehow manages to be completely entertaining, despite the fact that it's the sequel to a spinoff from a franchise that itself spawned six movies over three decades. If the first Creed was a strong character study and a worthy companion to the first Rocky, then this movie draws obvious inspiration from the gaudy, bombastic heave…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 28, 20180Comments

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Instant Family (2018)::rating::3

T he life of a parent has been described as "all joy and no fun." The act of having children trades the instant gratification of autonomous adulthood--the soft thrill of sleeping in or enjoying the stillness of a quiet home--for the macro-satisfaction of shepherding children along the precious milestones of life. Instant Family depicts an…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 27, 20180Comments

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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)::rating::3.5

W ith this film, J.K. Rowling's immense canon now spans twenty-plus years of wizards and witches over several eras and continents. It's a lot of mythology to digest, and the uninitiated may approach such a feast with caution. Those who have previously devoured will no doubt revel another go at the trough. Fantastic Beasts: The…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 17, 20181Comment

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Widows (2018)::rating::3.5

W idows begins with the post-mortem mayhem of a Reservoir Dogs-style heist gone horribly wrong. Desperate men scream over the sound of sirens, their bodies soaked in blood and sweat. After this scene, however, the movie goes in an interesting direction: It's the aftermath of the aftermath, where a group of shell-shocked widows sift through the smoking…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 16, 20181Comment

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The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018)::rating::3

I n The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo--the first English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel series--director David Fincher and über-writer Steven Zallian built a thriller that smoldered with carefully-contained heat. The Girl in the Spider's Web, a soft reboot with a different cast and crew, burns brighter and higher but goes out much sooner. It somehow has…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 16, 20180Comments

The Drink Menu The Podcast

Cinemavino – Episode 3: Sexy Dice Plot Device::rating::0

For this week’s episode, Travis and I talk about Overlord, the new WWII/Zombie epic. Because this film is set entirely in France, we’ll be drinking a selection of French wines.

ByTodd WoffordNovember 15, 20180Comments

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)::rating::5

Columbia Pictures An unwavering sense of duty cinches tight around the soul of James Stevens, the central character in The Remains of the Day. This singular focus makes Stevens an impeccable butler, but it also forms a tourniquet, choking off the pathways to love and happiness. Stevens takes great pride in his work until he finds, with…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 13, 20180Comments

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Overlord (2018)::rating::3.5

A strange cinematic bisque, Overlord so effectively stirs genuinely jarring horror elements into a gripping war movie until it's impossible to distinguish the ingredients in the pot. It somehow combines tropes that have survived throughout decades of movies and books and video games into something new and...can you use the word "refreshing" about a movie that features so many Nazi entrails? To hell with it--I'm using it, anyway. Overlord is ballsy, well-made, and--if you're not terribly squeamish--a damn good time.

ByTodd WoffordNovember 10, 20180Comments

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The Grinch (2018)::rating::3.5

D r. Seuss' evergreen opus about an evergreen grouch was not a story that cried out to be remade. The 60s Christmas cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and guided by Boris Karloff's grinning baritone, has long since qualified as timeless. Ron Howard and Jim Carrey went live-action, a move that only underlined how well-enough should…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 10, 20180Comments

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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)::rating::2.5

T he first fifteen minutes of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms spark with real imagination and wonder: Long-ago London is vividly recreated, with snowflakes flitting soundlessly to the cobblestones. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite teases on the soundtrack during an elegant dance scene, replete with billowing ballgowns and Morgan Freeman handing out enchanted presents, and....damn it, Christmas is…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 7, 20181Comment