Movies

Arts

In 'Chapter & Verse,' African American Man Tries To Return to Daily Life After Prison

7:17pm February 19, 2017

by Jon Kalish

Jamal Joseph heads the film program at Columbia University. Now, he's making his full-length feature debut with Chapter & Verse. Joseph himself spent six years in prison as a Black Panthers member.

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Re-recording mixer Kevin O'Connell earned his 21st Oscar nomination for Hacksaw Ridge. According to the Academy, he holds the record for most Oscar nominations without a single win.

Arts

After 21 Nominations, Will Sound Mixer Kevin O'Connell Finally Win His Oscar?

7:58am February 19, 2017

by Danny Hajek

O'Connell earned nominations for work on Top Gun, Transformers, Armageddon and many more. Losing streaks are never fun, but O'Connell seems at peace. "It hasn't been the right time for me," he says.

La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz on set with star Ryan Gosling.

Behind 'La La Land,' A Long Relationship Between A Director And A Composer

12:51pm February 18, 2017

by Maureen McCollum

La La Land is the third collaboration between writer and director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz. Their first was actually a senior thesis that was released to critical acclaim.

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'The Great Wall' Stands As A Monument To Absurd CGI Clutter

3:03pm February 17, 2017

by David Edelstein

Matt Damon plays an accomplished bow-and-arrow warrior in ancient China in his latest film. Critic David Edelstein says The Great Wall is "lavishly ... terrible."

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Arts

'Manchester By The Sea' Director Explores The Depth Of Grief

3:03pm February 17, 2017

Kenneth Lonergan's film, which has been nominated for six Oscars, is about a janitor who returns to his hometown after the death of his brother. Originally broadcast Nov. 30, 2016.

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"... For The Night Is Dark And Filled With Lizard-People": Pero (Pedro Pascal) and William (Matt Damon) in The Great Wall.

Arts

'The Great Wall' Isn't, Particularly

5:00pm February 16, 2017

by Mark Jenkins

This visually impressive, narratively muddy, pseudo-historic monster movie disappoints. "It's bonkers in theory, but prosaic in execution," says critic Mark Jenkins.

A Wall Street trader (Dane DeHaan) finds himself in sinister ... crutches ... in A Cure For Wellness.

Arts

'A Cure For Wellness' Needs A Dose Of Originality

5:00pm February 16, 2017

by Andrew Lapin

Director Gore Verbinski leans on tried-and-true horror visuals to provide this film, set in a sinister Alpine spa, with its scares. But at 2 1/2 hours, patient fatigue sets in early.

Someone's About to Get Schooled: Charlie Day and Ice Cube in Fist Fight.

Arts

2 High School Teachers Throw Punches And Crude Jokes In 'Fist Fight'

5:00pm February 16, 2017

by Scott Tobias

Charlie Day and Ice Cube lead a great cast, but this comedy, filled with cruel pranks and retrograde notions of masculinity, "leaves a sour aftertaste," says critic Scott Tobias.

Mahershala Ali has been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Moonlight.

Arts

In 'Moonlight,' Actor Mahershala Ali Found Characters He Recognized

2:45pm February 16, 2017

Ali has earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Juan, a drug dealer who becomes an unlikely father figure to a boy who is being bullied at school and neglected at home.

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The documentary Kedi gives a cat's-eye view of the back alleys, boho enclaves and rat-infested piers of Istanbul.

Arts

Ode To The Street Cat: 'Kedi' Follows Istanbul's Famous Felines

1:56pm February 15, 2017

by John Powers

The new documentary by filmmaker Ceyda Torun focuses on seven cats as they make their way around the Turkish city. Critic John Powers calls Kedi a "pleasurable refuge from our daily cares."

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