The Tax Collector (2020)::rating::0.5::rating::0.5::rating::0.5

"Angels and minsters of grace, defend us." Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home [su_dropcap size="5"]M[/su_dropcap]y notes for The Tax Collector represent a rapid spiral into madness. The first red flag appears at the top of the page, where I scribbled: "Like the Fast and Furious movies, only not as smart. Or funny." Yikes. From…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 18, 20200Comments

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Made in Italy (2020)::rating::3

Yes, there’s a movie tucked into all these gorgeous vistas, and it’s not half bad.

ByTodd WoffordAugust 14, 20200Comments

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An American Pickle (2020)::rating::3

[su_dropcap size="5"]A[/su_dropcap]n American Pickle is yet another film that takes a home run premise, bloops it to shallow centerfield, and contentedly trots to first base. So...my heart, well, it's just a mess of confusion: Do I pat this movie on the head and award it a gold star for being mostly decent? Or, do I slap…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 12, 20200Comments

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JFK (1991)::rating::5

W hen I watched JFK in eighth grade, it blew my little mind on two equally important fronts: First off, it's a balls-out cinematic masterpiece that deploys just about every visual trick in the book to keep it compelling for over three hours. On top of that, Oliver Stone directs his magnum opus with the frenzy of…

ByTodd WoffordAugust 7, 20200Comments

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Yes, God, Yes::rating::3.5

[su_dropcap size="5"]I[/su_dropcap] remember an elementary school teacher--we'll keep her nameless--who was alarmed to see me practicing numbers and letters with my left hand. She informed me that it wasn't Godly to write that way, and I should immediately switch to my right. I tried, with every ounce of concentration my tiny brain could pool together,…

ByTodd WoffordJuly 30, 20200Comments

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Palm Springs (2020)::rating::4.5

Somehow, by some strange miracle, the resulting film tastes like something wholly original and real damn delicious.

ByTodd WoffordJuly 28, 20200Comments

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First Cow (2020)::rating::4

[su_dropcap size="5"]F[/su_dropcap]irst Cow plays like a strange study in contrasts. It's unassumingly quiet, and yet audaciously ambitious in creative reach. The story moves at a deliberately languid pace, but it's still fascinating to watch. Some people will read this review, watch this movie, and wonder how in the hell I could put those four stars next…

ByTodd WoffordJuly 24, 20200Comments

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Relic (2020)::rating::3.5

Relic is a rarity in the horror genre. It depicts real people who say and do things for human reasons.

ByTodd WoffordJuly 20, 20200Comments

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The Incredible Story of Haing S. Ngor::rating::0

[su_dropcap size="5"]I[/su_dropcap]t was March 25th, 1985, and the 57th Academy Awards were in full swing. As Linda Hunt dutifully ran through the nominees for Best Supporting Actor, the production hit a snag on the penultimate name: Haing S. Ngor (rhymes with floor), the Cambodian-born doctor who starred in The Killing Fields, hadn't made it to the…

ByTodd WoffordJuly 17, 20200Comments

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A Losing Cause: Confederate Statues::rating::0

The Confederacy was a loser. It was a failed entity, run by losers

ByTodd WoffordJuly 16, 20200Comments