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licorice pizza
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Licorice Pizza suffers in shying away from an uncomfortable subject

Lighthearted & boasting two excellent newcomer performances, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest nevertheless avoids addressing a very large elephant in the room.

Bruised Going Rounds
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Bruised wastes its shot at the title

Halle Berry’s directorial debut fails to satisfy sports movie thrills or push the subgenre anywhere new.

Clerk. Featured
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Clerk. is a slight but charming look back at Kevin Smith’s career

This look at Smith’s filmmaking trajectory doesn’t delve deep, but it certainly isn’t a Cop Out either.

The Sex Lives of College Girls Featured
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The Sex Lives of College Girls offers sweetness and humor that its title doesn’t imply

The HBO Max series may have a NSFW name, but it’s much more about the sweet agony of growing up.

Robin Robin Featured
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Robin Robin takes flight as heart Yuletide family entertainment

The artists at Aardman deliver another winner with this tale about a clumsy robin. 

spencer
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In Spencer, food is a weapon to control and torment

Pablo Larraín’s sympathetic “fable” about Diana, Princess of Wales, also compassionately addresses the secret shame of eating disorders.

MOVIES

licorice pizzaL
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Sarah Gorr

Licorice Pizza suffers in shying away from an uncomfortable subject

Lighthearted & boasting two excellent newcomer performances, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest nevertheless avoids addressing a very large elephant in the room.
Bruised Going RoundsB
Main Category
Michael Frank

Bruised wastes its shot at the title

Halle Berry's directorial debut fails to satisfy sports movie thrills or push the subgenre anywhere new.
Clerk. FeaturedC
Main Category
Douglas Laman

Clerk. is a slight but charming look back at Kevin Smith’s career

This look at Smith’s filmmaking trajectory doesn’t delve deep, but it certainly isn’t a Cop Out either.
Robin Robin FeaturedR
Main Category
Douglas Laman

Robin Robin takes flight as heart Yuletide family entertainment

The artists at Aardman deliver another winner with this tale about a clumsy robin. 
spencerI
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Gena Radcliffe

In Spencer, food is a weapon to control and torment

Pablo Larraín’s sympathetic “fable” about Diana, Princess of Wales, also compassionately addresses the secret shame of eating disorders.
Raging FireT
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Justin Harrison

The incendiary Raging Fire boasts explosive action and a blazingly effective villain

The late Benny Chan's thrilling drama pic pits action legends Donnie Yen and Nicolas Tse against each other.

RIGHT ON CUE

Siddhartha Khosla (Only Murders in the Building)S
Main Category
November 12, 2021

Siddhartha Khosla on the quirky themes and score of Only Murders in the Building

The Emmy-nominated composer breaks down the iconic title theme and winding score for Hulu's hit series.
LISTEN

FEATURES

spencerI
November 24, 2021
Gena Radcliffe

In Spencer, food is a weapon to control and torment

Pablo Larraín’s sympathetic “fable” about Diana, Princess of Wales, also compassionately addresses the secret shame of eating disorders.
Beauty and the BeastH
November 22, 2021
B.L. Panther

Human Again: Civilization and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Disney's 1991 adaptation of the French fairytale is an all-time classic of animation whose legacy extends beyond the picture itself.
Philip Seymour Hoffman in The MasterP
November 8, 2021
Jonah Koslofsky

P.S.H. I Love You: “The Master” is the definitive role of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s career

We close out our year-long exploration of one of cinema's greatest artists with his mesmerizing turn as Lancaster Dodd.
Claudia BlackF
November 4, 2021
Clint Worthington

Farscape’s Claudia Black on Trauma, “Time Now”, and “The Comeback Curry”

The Farscape and Nevers actress looks back on the complexities of living with trauma, and her viral Twitter thread.
Fritz the Cat kinokultur featuredK
November 3, 2021
B.L. Panther

KinoKultur: A tale of two kitties and diminishing returns with Fritz the Cat

The latest KinoKultur offers a tale of two kitties and diminishing returns with Fritz the Cat.

TV

The Sex Lives of College Girls FeaturedT
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Megan Sunday

The Sex Lives of College Girls offers sweetness and humor that its title doesn’t imply

The HBO Max series may have a NSFW name, but it's much more about the sweet agony of growing up.
Hawkeye MCU Disney+ FeaturedH
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Tim Stevens

Hawkeye is chill and chilly if perhaps a bit too slow

The archer and his "protege" have great comedic chemistry but time is working against them.
Succession episode sixT
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Ashley Lara

The Roys’ war moves from ludicrous to dramatic in this week’s Succession

Choosing a presidential candidate means that the Roy family battle lines will be drawn and re-drawn in a razor-sharp episode.
Great British Baking Show Semi-FinalP
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Ashley Lara

Patisseries make for a towering Great British Baking Show semi-final

Cakes, sideless tarts, and a marathon showstopper push the bakers as the finale looms.
The Wheel of TimeG
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Beau North

Grand high fantasy The Wheel of Time turns merrily

Rafe Judkins adapts The Wheel of Time—Robert Jordan's beloved, gargantuan novel cycle to television with joy and style.
Cowboy Bebop FeaturedC
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Tim Stevens

Cowboy Bebop provides a case study in adaptation gone awry

Netflix's new live-action interpretation feels sluggish and emotionally inert.

FILMMAKER OF THE MONTH

&
April 30, 2021
Cian Tsang

“Twixt” runs red with the blood of Coppola’s messy ambitions

Francis Ford Coppola's final film to date may not be his best (or even good), but it encapsulates his yearning for creative freedom.
TetroT
April 29, 2021
Michael Guarnieri

The underrated “Tetro” reflects Coppola’s empathetic side

Though pretentious at times, the 2009 drama comes from a fresh new perspective of the filmmaker.
Youth Without YouthI
April 28, 2021
B.L. Panther

In “Youth Without Youth”, Coppola delves into mystic linguistics

Time has largely been kind to the great director's fascinating and flawed modern fable.
The RainmakerI
April 28, 2021
Beau North

In “The Rainmaker”, Coppola directs young Damon masterfully

Coppola brings noir style and gorgeously grody design to his John Grisham adaptation.
The Outsiders&
April 26, 2021
Priyanka Bose

“The Outsiders” is a loving portrayal of young male vulnerability

One of Coppola's most beloved films is a gentle look at teenage boys struggling in a world that has it out for them.
JackT
April 26, 2021
David Rollison

The meant-to-be heartwarming “Jack” is a grotesque misfire

Perhaps the lowest point in Coppola's filmography doesn't get any better upon rewatch decades later.