Candyman (2021)::rating::3::rating::3::rating::3

Candyman provokes an intriguing question: Is a gory slasher flick the appropriate vessel for important socio-cultural commentary? I grappled with the answer for much of the movie's runtime, tumbling its message over and over in my brain. And then it hit me: Racial tensions are still boiling in this country. …

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 25, 20210Comments

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Cry Macho (2021)::rating::2.5

Last night, I listened to snippets of a new album by a French pianist named Colette Maze. The tracks were elegiac and meticulously constructed. You ready for the crazy part? Maze is 107 years old. She can recall both World Wars. I thought about her as I watched Cry Macho.…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 23, 20210Comments

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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension::rating::3

What a remarkable act of bravery it was, to unleash this movie onto an unsuspecting world. Buckaroo Banzai represents a big-budget experiment, a test to see if the Reagan Era was ready for something so unabashedly kooky, so willfully geeky. The filmmakers even double down by attaching an end title that promises more…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 20, 20210Comments

Uncategorized

Together (2021)::rating::3

In addition to--and perhaps because of--its savage death toll and economic devastation, COVID-19 also provoked an axis-shifting temblor of mass introspection. You could call it the Great Reassessment: The stillness of a pandemic lockdown quickly forced millions and billions to take a long, hard look at their jobs, friendships, and marriages and sort…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 18, 20210Comments

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Respect (2021)::rating::3.5

But, at the same time, it’s almost impossible to avoid the emotional pull of so much good music, or get lost within the splendor of Jennifer Hudson’s jaw-dropping performance. It may not be perfect, but Respect will sock to you, just the same.

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 17, 20210Comments

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Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)::rating::2

Plenty of movies have done this kind of thing better, I’ve can’t think of them right now. The combination of booze and bad movies makes Toddy a dull boy.

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 11, 20210Comments

The Archive

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)::rating::3

A movie like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze will separate you, my dearest readers, into two distinct camps. Either: A) You were a child of the 80s and 90s, and the Ninja Turtles are an inescapable part of your pop culture heritage. B) You were simply born too early or late, and…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 8, 20210Comments

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)::rating::3.5

It’s well-cast, sharply written, and blessed with a freewheeling attitude that keeps the film from wallowing in self-seriousness. Put another way: This may not feel like a Marvel movie, but it is–all the way down to its bones.

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 6, 20211Comment

The Podcast

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (*spoiler-free)::rating::3.5

Hello all, and welcome to another mini-episode of Cinemavino! For this very special recording, we’re going to take a spoiler-free look at Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We all enjoyed it, to varying degrees. As always, we have very strong opinions For the vino, we’re drinking summer whites. It’s hotter than balls where we are,…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 6, 20210Comments

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Val (2021)::rating::3.5

Val Kilmer exists as a walking, talking testament to how destructive a bad reputation can be. If you generate enough gossip or piss off the wrong people, that hearsay will metastasize in all directions, laying waste to your personal and professional life in the process. No doubt Kilmer is a talented and meticulous performer, but…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 5, 20210Comments