When last we saw John Wick, at the end of his out-of-nowhere 2014 cult hit, the grudgingly reactivated assassin had avenged, with extreme prejudice, the murder of his dog and the theft of his car and was ready to enjoy retirement again. Alas, it was not to be. There were too many unresolved issues —
Review: ‘Rings’ Is No ‘The Ring,’ Let Me Tell You
The Ring was my favorite of the remakes of Asian horror films in the early aughts. I’m on the record; I’m a Ring-leader. When Samara the stringy-haired wraith comes out of the TV at the end, there’s no convincing me that she can’t emerge from the movie screen, too. That’s just science. Having poisoned the ghost-well
Review: Teen-Focused ‘The Space Between Us’ Is on Autopilot
I tried to channel my inner high-schooler for The Space Between Us, a movie about literally star-crossed teen lovers with All The Feels. Unfortunately, my real-life teen self’s favorite movies were Harold and Maude and Brazil, and she had absolutely no tolerance for the hackneyed story on the screen in front of her. The Space
Review: ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ Still Dumb, Not As Fun
Perhaps, during the past 14 years, you’ve pondered what might have become of Xander Cage, the thick-necked, skateboarding slab played by Vin Diesel in 2002’s fun-but-dumb action flick xXx. If so, you’re in luck! A sequel has now arrived, for no earthly reason whatsoever, to answer that question! And to provide even more of the
Review: ‘Patriots Day’ Tries to Be Three Movies in One
Patriots Day tries to give audiences great value: three movies for the price of one. It starts by telling the personal stories of people affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings: victims, police, folks suddenly entangled in the criminals’ escape. The bombing itself briefly drives the movie into the realm of realistic horror. Afterward, a
Review: Scorsese Takes Christianity to Medieval Japan in ‘Silence’
Martin Scorsese works with two of his favorite themes in Silence — Catholicism and violence — but not in the way he’s done in the past. Slowly paced and, yes, often quiet, Scorsese’s adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s acclaimed 1966 novel has the contemplative mood of a Terrence Malick film, or one of Werner Herzog’s madmen-in-jungles adventures,
Under Further Review: Bleed for This
An inspiring story anemically told.
Under Further Review: Fastball John
Pitcher D’Acquisto’s memoir is one wild and wooly ride.
Under Further Review: I’m Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies
The joy ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian derives from baseball is infectious.
Under Further Review: This Is Your Brain On Sports
We like this book, and so should you.