Posts by James Roberts

I was far, far too old to catch the wave of Avatar: The Last Airbender as it made its debut in 2005. That was a world to which I felt I would never belong, a sort of symbolic generation gap that would forever define the chasm between elder Millennials and Gen Z, one which I […]

‘Bruised’ Follows Cookie Cutter Sports Film Formula (FILM REVIEW)

RATING – A Jonathan Larson never lived to see his impact. The writer and creator of Rent, one of Broadway’s most enduring and beloved musicals, died suddenly the night before his play made its grand debut. He never lived to see his Tony Awards, his Pulitzer, or the worldwide acclaim he very rightly deserved. For […]

While Summer is known for its high octane blockbusters and big budget thrill rides, the holiday movie season is the source of what is usually the year’s best in cinematic delights. This year, even with the pandemic still raging, is no different. With the availability of streaming options opening up movie watching choices more than […]

Rating: A- Tom Hanks is an actor who can get away with, quite frankly, kind of a lot. There are roles that he takes that, in the hands of a lesser actor, might be veer into sappy territory. Yet, in his hands, there’s an earnestness that creates, at the very least, an illusion of nuance […]

Fran Kranz makes a stunning directorial debut with this urgent and powerful film.

It’s easy to fall under the spell of David Keenan. The Irish folksinger has a knack for hypnotic folk-jams that draw you in with their enchanting rhythms, which feel a perfect match for his brand of poetic lyricism. Like Damien O. on steroids, Keenan offers a deft blend of traditional sounds and modern approaches to […]

Yep, that sure is how a slasher movie works.

The Atlas Underground Fire, a follow up to Morello’s 2018 solo/collaboration album, The Atlas Underground, continues the same path Morello has been following more or less since Audioslave: Pairing the guitarist with other musicians showcasing the diversity of his style. And while no doubt this is a fact that has been proven time and time […]

Rating: C- Somewhere in the 100-minute run time of Lamb is perfectly great 30-minute short. The film, which had its premiere earlier this year as part of the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, is no doubt a film with imagination to spare. However, imagination and premise do not a film make. […]