Mike's Movie Tips

 2/4 Starring: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph Rated PG-13 for Violence and Some Bloody Images, Suggestive Material, Partial Nudity and Language Loretta (Bullock) is a now-reclusive author who specializes in romance adventures starring her hero, Dash.  Actually, Dash is a Fabio-like model named Alan (Tatum) who has secretly been pining for the author for some time now.  So when a rich treasure hunter named Abigail Fairfax (Radcliffe) kidnaps her to find a jeweled crown that she referenced in one of her novels (based on her college research), Alan goes charging after her.  Actually, it's not quite that simple.  Alan is a dork and in over his head.  Also pursuing the missing Loretta is her editor, Beth Hatten (Randolph). Given the premise, one might assume this is a Saturday afternoon serial a la " Congo " or Indiana Jones.  It isn't.  This is a romantic comedy, and its closer cousin is "Romancing the Stone." ...

 2/4 Starring: Daisy Ridley, George McKay, Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, Devon Terrell, Tom Felton Rated PG-13 for a Scene of Violence/Bloody Images, Some Sensuality, and Thematic Elements Hamlet.  From Ophelia's perspective. That's really all that this film is about.  And while it sounds intriguing, it really isn't.  Because of bad choices on the screenwriting and directing levels and plot developments that can charitably be called questionable, this new vision of Shakespeare's classic tragedy is by turns incoherent, absurd, and at times goofy. The film starts well before Act One of the plat.  Ophelia (Mia Quiney) is a common girl who, with a bit of luck, becomes one of the ladies in waiting for Queen Gertrude (Watts), who raises her.  As an adult (Ridley), she frequently comes into contact with Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (McKay).  Hamlet becomes infatuated with her almost as soon as he lays eyes on her, but she spurns his advances because she is not nobili...

 1.5/4 Starring: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure Rated R for Strong Bloody Violence and Gore, Strong Sexual Content, Graphic Nudity, Drug Use, and Language I admit that I was looking forward to this movie.  I love a good slasher as much as the next horror fan, and unless they are a remake or a sequel to " Scream ," we don't get enough of those anymore.  I was also excited because it was written and directed by Ti West, who has shown tremendous talent for the horror genre in the past.  Alas, it was not to be. Six people are going to a Texas farmhouse to film a zero budget porno they hope will bring them fame and fortune.  Behind the camera are Wayne (Henderson) who is the financier, RJ (Campbell) is the director looking to make a "serious" porn flick and Lorraine (Ortega), who handles the A/V.  In front of the camera are the two leading ladies, Maxine (Goth) and Bobby-Lynn (Snow) and the war hero ...

 2/4 Not Rated Conducting an orchestra seems like one of those jobs where everyone knows everything about it and at the same time they know nothing at all.  They're the people at the front waving that little stick around like a marionette in the drying machine.  As prim and proper as they look when they start, they look like Doc Brown when they take the bow.  I actually got to conduct once in the school band (the warm up scales, but never mind).  I remember feeling like the most awkward god ever. Marie Alsop thrives on that feeling.  From the time she saw Leonard Bernstein conduct when she was nine years old, she knew that's what she wanted to do.  It wasn't easy for her and she faced a lot of resistance because, well, women just weren't conductors.  It just wasn't done.  Marie was undaunted, however, and she ended up not only being the first woman to conduct a major orchestra, but one of the most celebrated conductors in todays world. It's o...

 1/4 Starring: Steve Carrell, Chris Cooper, Mackenzie Davis, Rose Byrne Rated R for Language including Sexual References Satire must be two things: smart and funny;  Jon Stewart's film "Irresistible" is neither.  The points it makes are obvious, the jokes are non-existent, and the amount of bite it has is akin to someone who is trying to eat a ribeye steak without their dentures.  It's easy to see what Stewart is trying to do, but he keeps missing the mark. After the shocking upset in 2016, Democratic strategist Paul Zimmer (Carrell) is reeling.  He's looking to rebrand the Democratic Party, and after viewing a viral video of a Marine veteran chastising new voting regulations, he has found his answer.  He's going to target rural voters in swing states by putting this man, Jack Hastings (Cooper), into the Mayor's seat as a Democrat.  It doesn't take long before his Republican nemesis, Faith Brewster (Byrne) catches on, and soon this small town is going ...

 3.5/4 Starring: Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Paul Dano Rated PG-13 for Strong Violent and Disturbing Content, Drug Content, Strong Language, and Some Suggestive Material Bob Kane's iconic Caped Crusader is not new to the movies.  He's been at home on the big and small screen since he debuted in a 1943 serial, four years after the character was introduced in "Detective Comics."  Bruce Wayne and his more famous secret identity have appeared in film and TV on a fairly consistent basis ever since, but it wasn't until 2005 when Christopher Nolan introduced his radical new vision of the character in "Batman Begins."  His vision of Batman was steeped in darkness and driven by psychological demons rather than the cliche of truth, justice and the All-American way.  Nolan's interpretation was a smash hit of almost legendary performance, and it has changed the way people saw the superhero ever since....

 2/4 Starring: Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro, Minnie Driver, Vittorio Gassman, Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Joe Perrino, Brad Renfro, Geoffrey Wigdor, Jonathan Tucker, Frank Medrano, Billy Crudup, Ron Eldard Rated R for Language, Graphic Violence and Two Scenes of Strong Sexual Content I've always found that a person coming to terms with their past can be fertile ground for powerful drama.  Film has tackled this numerous times.  Sometimes, such as in " Casablanca " or " The Debt ," it does so successfully.  Other times the filmmakers are too frightened to do so in a direct manner, like with the overrated " Mystic River ."  "Sleepers," which ironically bears a strong similarity to the Clint Eastwood picture, is one of the latter.  Despite a gifted filmmaker behind the camera and a cast to die for, "Sleepers" never involved me.  Director Barry Levinson never finds a successful way to present the story.  Tonally, the film veer...