The Faculty (1998)::rating::2.5::rating::2.5::rating::2.5

T he Faculty is a passable teen comedy trapped in the body of dumb, disposable horror epic. It delivers a steady stream of pop culture riffs from a cast of angsty John Hughes knockoffs. These winky references duke it out with wearying jump scares and gratuitous gore for dominance of the movie's overall aesthetic. Nobody wins,…

ByTodd WoffordOctober 3, 20240Comments

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The American President (1995)::rating::3.5

T he American President doesn't belong to another era. It belongs to another universe. Aaron Sorkin's sparkling screenplay depicts a quaint fantasyland wherein practical idealists can still rise high and change the world. In this other-verse, when the widower president dates a single woman, it's a pearl-clutching scandal. Meanwhile, our painful reality is that headlines…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 25, 20240Comments

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Lincoln (2012)::rating::4.5

A t the outset, the obvious must be noted: As a historical figure, Abraham Lincoln has long since taken on mythic proportions. His aphorisms are carved in granite; his face will forever occupy our currency. As a man, Lincoln was so enigmatic and complex as to be almost unknowable. No single movie could ever encapsulate…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 19, 20240Comments

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Air Force One (1997)::rating::3

I first saw Air Force One at the Admiral Twin drive-in, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As movie-going experiences go, this was about as American as it gets: Harrison Ford, playing a two-fisted president, pummeling goateed sleazebags aboard a red, white, and blue airliner. The teenage version of me would've slapped four stars on this review and…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 10, 20240Comments

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All the President’s Men (1976)::rating::5

W ith a landmark film like All the President's Men, it's easy to focus on the destination, rather than the journey. Yes, Bob Woodward and Carl Berstein tugged a thread until it unraveled a presidency, but the real glory of this story is their dogged determination to follow that act to its logical conclusion. In…

ByTodd WoffordSeptember 4, 20240Comments

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Frost/Nixon (2008)::rating::4

I n the sprawl and sweep of American history, Richard Nixon endures as a towering and tragic figure. He had all the makings of a great leader, housed within the shell of a terrible one. Nixon was brilliant, charismatic, histrionic, and profoundly insecure. He bruised the presidency and scarred the public trust in ways that…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 28, 20240Comments

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The Game (1997)::rating::3.5

T o be successful, every movie requires at least some suspension of disbelief. And for the most part, audiences are willing to oblige such a big ask--up to a point. (Remember in Jaws 4, when the shark actually roared? Ain't nobody on board for that stupidity.) A movie like The Game doesn't so much demand the suspension…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 6, 20240Comments

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Twister (1996)::rating::3.5

T wister takes the heart and soul of a rickety B-movie and builds the body of a big, lavish blockbuster around it. Think about it: You've got Jan de Bont (Speed) directing, Steven Spielberg (Gremlins) producing, and a solid cast of name actors. (Any scene with Helen Hunt and Philip Seymour Hoffman features two Oscar…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 6, 20240Comments

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Baby Driver (2017)::rating::4

E dgar Wright's Baby Driver takes a page from Quentin Tarantino and elevates its soundtrack to a full-on supporting character. Ansel Elgort's Baby suffers from tinnitus and medicates himself with an iPod and headphones. He knows his music, as does everyone around him. That means we get riffs on everyone from Barbra Streisand to Beck, and a…

ByTodd WoffordJuly 25, 20240Comments

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The Natural (1984)::rating::3.5

T he Natural takes all the mythologies and superstitions that have attached themselves to baseball and bundles them into one infectiously silly package. For this story, the game takes on an unknowable magic. Its heroes have supernatural talent; villains lurk and scowl in the shadows. This means your enjoyment of this film will entirely hinge…

ByTodd WoffordJuly 23, 20240Comments