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Weak ending undermines suspenseful ‘Heretic’

Heretic (2 ½ stars out of 4) During the two years I spent as a missionary in Northern Illinois, I would occasionally wind up at an appointment where the investigator clearly wasn’t interested in learning about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the best cases,...
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‘Love and Thunder’ is a step down from ‘Ragnarok,’ but pretty good for post-‘Endgame’ MCU

Thor: Love and Thunder – 3 stars out of 4 For the “Thor: Love and Thunder” soundtrack, director Taika Waititi uses Guns ‘n Roses the same way he used Led Zeppelin for “Thor: Ragnarok” in 2017. Guns ‘n Roses was a great band, far superior to most all its peers, but it...
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“Cryo” (2022) is one to keep on your radar

Premise Five people suddenly wake up from cryosleep in a mysterious underground facility with no immediate recollection of who they are or why they are there. As they get a sense of their roles and situation, not all is as it appears as each person seems to be...
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Disappointing ‘Dominion’ ends Jurassic trilogy with a cluttered whimper

Jurassic World: Dominion - 2 stars out of 4 There are a lot of scenes in “Jurassic World: Dominion” where characters have threatening encounters with a dinosaur, enough that they start to feel redundant. But one stands out in particular. As with most of these scenes,...
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“The Congress” Predicted Today’s Entertainment Industry Landscape Nearly a Decade Ago… and I’m Terrified

Premise “The Congress” (2013) is a very bizarre avant-garde film starring Robin Wright who plays a future version of herself during a time when what it means to be an actress is evolving in Hollywood. She is pressured into giving away the rights to her likeness to...
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‘The Birth of Saké’

by | Aug 10, 2016 | ,

There’s a lot more to saké—the legendary Japanese rice wine—than most drinkers realize. The best bottles embody a 2,000-year tradition that is painstaking, precise, incredibly labor-intensive and increasingly rare.