Category Archives: Newer films

My Big Fat Greek Wedding II

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Mark DuPré

The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a monstrous hit in 2002. It had a fresh take on an everyday story, and was funny, a little edgy and safe. It was lovingly infused with the experiences and perspectives of … Continue reading →

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The Legend of Tarzan

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Nearly 100 years ago, the first (silent) Tarzan film opened—Tarzan of the Apes, starring Elmo Lincoln. Since then, the grand story has been reworked for several generations, the most famous series of films coming in the early-to-mid ‘30s, with the … Continue reading →

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Finding Dory

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Finding Dory is…fine. It’s cute. It’s just not Finding Nemo, and that’s its greatest hurdle and biggest lack. It’s impossible to see this film on its own terms, as it, in title, in plot, and in character, depends on the … Continue reading →

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Two Days, One Night (Deux jours, une nuit)

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Watching Two Days, One Night was a great antidote to having just seen X-Men: Apocalypse, a dreadful, action-packed, CGI extravaganza (see https://film-prof.com/tag/x-men-apocalypse/). To slip into my teacher mode, Two Days, One Night is a realist film. In a nutshell, that … Continue reading →

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X-Men Apocalypse

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Mark DuPré

The newest X-men offering is pretty terrible. Its estimated $178 million dollar budget is a tragic waste, as is the 2.5 hours of time anyone gives to it. I’m sure there are lessons to be learned at some point, but … Continue reading →

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Captain America: Civil War

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Captain America: Civil War is overstuffed and not quite believable in its central concept. It’s also the best Avengers movie since the first one. It does right what the first one does, on steroids. It was a small cinematic miracle … Continue reading →

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The People v. O.J. Simpson

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Sometimes current television is not just better, but so much better, than films playing in the theater. A case in point: “The People v. O.J. Simpson: An American Crime Story,” playing on, of all places, FX. Like the original case … Continue reading →

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Risen

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Risen is a fascinating film in what it gets right, and its major strength is its main weakness. It’s the story of Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a Roman tribune assigned to find Jesus’ dead body after it’s been assumed that his … Continue reading →

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Hail, Caesar!

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Mark DuPré

I so wanted Hail, Caesar! to be as good as its trailer. It had all the ingredients that would delight this film nerd: references to movie situations and characters that I would get and most everyone else wouldn’t (appeal to … Continue reading →

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The Big Short

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Mark DuPré

The Big Short is the film that addresses the marketing collapse of 2008. It’s suddenly the talk of the town, because it took the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture over The Revenant and Spotlight. Perhaps the latter … Continue reading →

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