Culture
Graphic violence mars clever plot of ‘American Ultra’
The action comedy's potentially appealing premise is turned into nothing but a queasy rampage due to its way-over-the-top explicit violence.
A new look at your old, cool ‘U.N.C.L.E.’
A cultural landmark for baby-boomers comes to the big screen in the espionage yarn "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," clad in a Cold War setting and James Bond glamour.
‘Straight Outta Compton’ tells a gritty, violent tale
The film's flavorful slice of pop culture history is missing a critique of the ethically impoverished worldview of gangsta rap music that permeates the movie.
The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Out of everybody else’s league
#711 is one of a cavalcade of ill-conceived figures featured in "The League of Regrettable Superheroes" (Quirk Books). Written by Jon Morris, this ironic retrospective showcases, as the cover blurb puts it, "half-baked heroes from comic book history."
‘Fantastic Four’: A sci-fi flick that’s as glum as it gets
The script for the film reboot of the comic series features a ham-handed critique of the military-industrial complex and pushes a naive "science will save us from ourselves" message.
The Gift: Flawed revenge fantasy delivers a few seat-jumping shocks
"The Gift" (STX) takes its time unwrapping. What begins as a psychological thriller eventually reveals itself as another entry in the revenge-fantasy genre.
Ricki and the Flash: A character study that fails to set
Not even the storied talent of Meryl Streep can hold together the scattershot elements of the character study "Ricki and the Flash" (TriStar).
British composer’s music chosen for official Year of Mercy hymn
Paul Inwood and 89 other composers around the world had two months to submit their compositions of the music for the official hymn of Year of Mercy.
Author explores how art, architecture lead us to prayer
Msgr. Timothy Verdon, author of "Art & Prayer," presents great works of art capable of evoking creative responses to the divine.
Madcap ‘Shaun the Sheep Movie’ is fun for the family
The clever comedy romp through pasture and city features Chaplinesque sight gags and routines in what is essentially a silent movie -- free of dialogue.