45 years of big concussions

  Concussion (2015) After forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) examines the body of former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster, he believes Webster’s erratic behavior and suicide were the result of damage done to his brain during his playing career. Over a period of several years, Omalu investigates the deaths of several former NFL players and confirms… Continue reading 45 years of big concussions

Best of the 1970s

  Watermelon Man  (1970) White salesman Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge) wakes up to discover he’s become a black man overnight. His transformation causes problems at work, with the police, and with his neighbors. His seemingly liberal wife (Estelle Parsons) who once chastised him for not caring about the problems faced by black people in America, leaves… Continue reading Best of the 1970s

Surprise!: This story never ends

  Pullet Surprise (1997) Foghorn Leghorn is one of my favorite Looney Tunes because my dad loved the character, but this lesser entry featuring the character is only somewhat amusing.     The NeverEnding Story (1984) Bastian Balthazar Bux reads a book to distract him from the troubles of his adolescence. The book tells the story of Fantasia and its fight… Continue reading Surprise!: This story never ends

Jurassic wonder years

  We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (1993) Simon Wells, the great-grandson of H.G. Wells, directed this film about time-travelling dinosaurs. He also directed An American Tale: Fievel Goes West (1991), Balto (1995), and The Prince of Egypt (1998). Based on a children’s book, this schizophrenic film can’t decide if it wants to be a movie about dinosaurs, a movie… Continue reading Jurassic wonder years

Home Alone 2.5

  Dennis the Menace (1993) After Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), John Hughes’ unparalleled decade-long success, which began in 1983 with National Lampoon’s Vacation in 1983, came to an end.  His subsequent films failed to capture the magic of his earlier work and this movie, based on the long-running comic strip, is no exception. Nick Castle is… Continue reading Home Alone 2.5