Category: Film & TV

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Ruggles of Red Gap’

NR | 1 h 30 min | Comedy | 1935 If you’ve read P.G. Wodehouse’s side-splitting novels on the English valet Jeeves, you’ll appreciate the whiplash humor in “Ruggles of Red Gap.” If you haven’t, director Leo McCarey shows you what you’re missing. England’s early 20th-century Earl of Burnstead (Roland Young) loses his beloved valet,…


Film Review: ‘Playing with Fire’

NR | 1h 9min | Documentary, Biography, Music | 09 June 2023 (USA) I can’t speak for other critics, but the single most difficult part of my job is reviewing movies that leave me feeling indifferent. This happens when I consider something to be not quite bad enough to slam or good enough to recommend. “Playing with Fire” (“Fire”), subtitled: “Jeannette…


‘The Palm Beach Story’ From 1942: Discovering the Non-Code Era

Commentary If you’ve read any of my classic movie reviews here at The Epoch Times, you probably know that I focus on a particular 20-year period, 1934-1954. As I often explain, these two decades were Hollywood’s Golden Era because that was the Motion Picture Production Code’s heyday. The Code is a set of guidelines for…


Hollywood Actors Threaten to Walk out as Writers’ Strike Continues

Major movie studios, streaming services, and production companies face the threat of another strike this month after Hollywood actors—represented by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)—authorized a strike on June 5. As the writers’ union strike entered its sixth week, the actors’ union promised to walk out if negotiations…


Film Review: ‘Users’

NR | 1h 20min | Documentary, Technology, Nature | 09 June 2023 (USA/Mexico) Back in April, I reviewed two documentaries (“Matter out of Place” and “River”) for the Epoch Times. Each focused on ecology, climate change, and the supreme lack of urgency we humans possess in doing anything to rectify these “sky is falling” issues. Both movies also featured next to…


‘Stan Lee’ Documentary Directed by David Gelb Premieres at Tribeca, Online

Comics writer Stan Lee, today nearly synonymous with Marvel, is a figure beloved by many. Known for pushing the envelope in the comics medium, he has inspired countless creatives to pursue their vision. Documentary filmmaker David Gelb, who expanded the visual language of the medium with his debut film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” and created…


Epoch Watchlist: What to Watch for June 9–15

This week, we feature a true-to-life military drama of survival and an action thriller about a man on a mission to save a family from harm. New Release ‘Extraction 2’ From top action producers Joe and Anthony Russo comes a powerful film that follows black ops warrior Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) as he takes on…


Porto Velho to Iguazu Falls | Tough Rides Season 3 Episode 5

When Ryan successfully reaches the end of the BR-319, his vehicle breaks down yet again but more Brazilian hospitality comes to the rescue in the form of a local rancher who tows the support vehicle to his ranch and cooks up a BBQ for the team. …


Film Review: ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’

PG-13 | 1h 57m | Action, Fantasy | June 9, 2023 What I think about it is … Hold on a second. Let us pause briefly for a moment of perspective. The voiceless Bumblebee in Camaro form, with Cheetor (voiced by Tongayi Chirisa), a Maximal scout who transforms into a cheetah, in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.” (Paramount…


Manaus to Porto Velho | Tough Rides Season 3 Episode 4

It is now time to test Ryan’s resolve and put his survival skills to the test. After exploring the Amazon rainforest from the air, Ryan meets up with Leo, a tree-climbing and jungle survival expert. …