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children

Review: Shaun the Sheep Flocks To Shear Sci-Fi Fun With “Farmageddon”

Shaun the Sheep Movie Farmageddon
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Aardman is back with another charming children’s romp in the Shaun the Sheep series.

Douglas Laman Posted on February 15, 2020February 16, 2020

Behind the Songs of “John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch”

Eli Bolin Sack Lunch Bunch Songs
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“Sesame Street” and “Co-op” songwriter Eli Bolin explains how he crafted the catchy, kid-friendly tunes for “John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch”.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 27, 2019July 7, 2020

Tigers Are Not Afraid Review: Magical Realism Defies the Mexican Drug War

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Issa López captures the horror of growing up in a warzone with a gritty fairy tale that would make Guillermo Del Toro proud.

Clint Worthington Posted on September 11, 2019September 11, 2019

Reflecting on the musical theater magic of “School of Rock”

School of Rock
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Richard Linklater’s 2003 Jack Black comedy is a riotous, rocking celebration of creativity and the joy of music, and holds up like a killer solo.

Christy Admiraal Posted on August 25, 2019August 25, 2019

Review: “Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling” Goes Post-Modern

Rocko's Modern Life Static Cling
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Netflix brings back the classic Nick cartoon twenty years later for a one-off special filled with heart and surprisingly complicated musings on the passage of time.

Matt Cipolla Posted on August 9, 2019July 2, 2020

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Review: Spinning Tales of American Woe

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
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A late-summer adaptation of the Alvin Schwartz stories turns out to be one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror.

Clint Worthington Posted on August 7, 2019August 8, 2019

Dora and the Lost City of Gold Review: Can You Say Exciting? Very Good!

Dora and the Lost City of Gold
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Nickelodeon’s teenage live-action reboot of the beloved children’s show brings a strong central performance and oodles of adventure.

Marshall Estes Posted on August 5, 2019August 6, 2019

Hall of Faces: Who’s the Greatest Character on “SpongeBob SquarePants”?

SpongeBob SquarePants
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Our monthly TV podcast returns to find Bikini Bottom’s favored son for the twentieth anniversary of Nick’s seminal kid’s show.

The Spool Staff Posted on July 30, 2019July 30, 2019

Trailer: Tom Hanks slips on Mr. Rogers’ cardigan in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Trailer
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Tom Hanks charms as Fred Rogers in the trailer for Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, out in theaters this Thanksgiving.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 22, 2019July 22, 2019

Box Office Report: “Spider-Man” Conquers Gators and Uber Drivers

Crawl Box Office
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Marvel’s web-crawler predictably holds the box office, while The Farewell puts up a respectable showing for an A24 dramedy.

Douglas Laman Posted on July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

The Lion King Review: This Pride Is a Sin

The Lion King
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Never has something looked so photorealistic and felt so fake.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

Box Office Report: “Spider-Man: Far From Home” Breaks the Summer-Season Doldrums

Spider-Man: Far From Home
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The box office performance of Spider-Man: Far From Home helps drag a slower movie summer out of its funk, while Toy Story 4 keeps chugging along.

Douglas Laman Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019

“Annabelle Comes Home” Fails to Scare Up Big Box Office Returns

Annabelle Comes Home
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Last weekend saw poor performance for the latest Conjuring flick, in a summer of diminishing returns for franchise sequels.

Douglas Laman Posted on July 1, 2019July 1, 2019

Funan Review: An Animated Death March Through Pol Pot’s Cambodia

Funan
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Dennis Do’s lushly animated recounting of the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia is striking but lacks much-needed specificity.

Michael Snydel Posted on June 20, 2019August 11, 2020

Toy Story 4 Review: There’s Life In These Old Toys Yet

Toy Story 4
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Pixar’s fourth trip into the toybox opens up fascinating existential questions while maintaining its delightful core of childlike whimsy.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 13, 2019August 11, 2020

The Secret Life of Pets 2 Review: Hardly Fetching

Secret Life of Pets 2
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The sequel to the popular 2016 film has its characters learning new tricks, but its overabundance of plot and characters neuter its message.

Marshall Estes Posted on June 6, 2019August 11, 2020

“Spirited Away” and the Sophistication of Childhood

Spirited Away
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(Every month, we at The Spool select a Filmmaker of the Month, honoring the life and works of […]

Rubén Rosario Posted on May 31, 2019August 10, 2020

The Simple Pleasures of “Ponyo”

Ponyo
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One of Hayao Miyazaki’s lighter, sentimental films is a celebration of ordinary life & parental love as seen through the eyes of a child.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on May 28, 2019August 10, 2020

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