Category: Film & TV

The Bible Collection: Solomon

This film is only available in the United States and Canada because of territorial licensing. The story of Solomon, King of Israel, follows him as he falls in love with a beautiful queen and falls into a deep depression upon her departure, threatening his kingdom. …


Film Review: ‘Paint’: Owen Wilson Doesn’t Quite Portray PBS Artist Bob Ross in This Bone-Dry Satire

PG-13 | 1h 36min | Comedy, Satire | 7 April 2023 (USA) Recalling the works of Christopher Guest, Alexander Payne, and Wes Anderson, “Paint” is a bone-dry satire from sophomore feature director Brit McAdams (“Kat Williams: American Hustle,” 2007). Also written by McAdams, the movie draws inspiration from real-life nature painter Bob Ross who, from 1983 through 1994, was one of…


‘The Girl Next Door’ from 1953: A Dreamy Musical

Commentary “The Girl Next Door” is a cheerful musical with a lot of unique features. It’s got the usual songs, dances, and romances one would expect from a 1950s musical, but many of its numbers really stand out as being memorable. In fact, you’ll want to watch the movie again and again just to see…


Film Review: ‘A Good Person’: Expect to See Florence Pugh at the 2024 Oscars

R | 2h 9m | Drama | March 24, 2023 “A Good Person” was written and directed by Zach Braff, who’s still fondly remembered for his 2004 hit “Garden State” in which he starred with Natalie Portman. After an immensely annoying and cloying beginning, “A Good Person” eventually hits its stride and turns into a movie you…


“Confidentially Connie” From 1953: Teachers, Texas, and T-Bone

Commentary Janet Leigh made her film debut opposite Van Johnson in “The Romance of Rosy Ridge” in 1947. Six years later, they were again paired in “Confidentially Connie” (1953). Just like in the earlier film, Van Johnson is a schoolteacher who takes the calling of educating young people very seriously. He’s still in love with…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Notebook’: So What If It’s a ‘Tear-Jerker’?

PG-13 | 2h 3m | Romance | June 25, 2004 “The Notebook.” Rotten Tomatoes critics: 53, audience: 85. What? Are you kidding me? Few things drive me up a wall these days more than ridiculous Rotten Tomatoes critic/audience opinion-skews, when you can drive a Mack truck between them. Because somebody’s clearly out of touch and missing the point….


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Jesus of Nazareth’: Franco Zeffirelli’s TV Miniseries Masterpiece

It originally aired back in the day when Americans had three TV stations to choose from, and when every household had a designated channel changer instead of remote control. In a way, the limited channels brought the country together. From the subways to the mountains, from the rich to the poor, young and old alike,…


Rewind, Review and Re-rate: ‘Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead’: Garcia Leads an All-Star Cast in This Neo-Noir Crime Thriller

R | 1h 55min | Drama, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 1 December 1995 (USA) The debut feature from director Gary Fleder (later “Kiss the Girls” and “Runaway Jury”) and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg (later “Con Air” and “Gone in 60 Seconds”), “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead,” (“Denver”), was one of the first movies to be labeled a “Pulp Fiction”…


‘Spring Parade’ from 1940: Springtime in Europe

Spring is the most romantic season of the year, so it inspires poems, songs, paintings, and even movies. One springtime movie is “Spring Parade” from 1940, a Joe Pasternak musical starring Deanna Durbin. Set in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1890s, it’s full of music, laughter, romance, and Old-World charm. A Hungarian Girl Ilonka Tolnay…


Epoch Watchlist: What to Watch for March 31–April 6

This week, we feature a unique Latin-themed martial arts actioner and a classic Japanese drama about a samurai and his ambitious wife. New Release ‘The Fist of the Condor’ An ancient Incan tome containing deadly fighting techniques has remained hidden for ages. But when various martial arts assassins from around the globe seek out the…