Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Wing Nut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company,
 
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Courthouse Towers, Arches National Park, Utah, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language, and for some violence and sensuality
 
Year of Release
1991
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Brad Pitt, directed by Ridley Scott, written by Callie Khouri, adventure, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kathleen Carroll, Carrie Rickey, Michael Upchurch, Terrence Rafferty, Jay Boyar, Peter Rainer, Frank J Avella, Quentin Crisp, Stephen Silver, David Nusair, Mike Massie, Monica Dorenkamp, producer Mimi Polk Gitlin, MPAA rating R, road movie, feminist message, independent waitress, fishing trip, flight from the law, rape, Mexico, sexy young thief, sympathetic detective, surrender, fate, Dolby SR, 35mm, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp
 

Cast & Crew

Susan Sarandon

Geena Davis

Harvey Keitel

Michael Madsen

Christopher McDonald

Louise

Thelma

Hal

Jimmy

Darryl

Susan Sarandon – Louise
Geena Davis – Thelma
Harvey Keitel – Hal
Michael Madsen – Jimmy
Christopher McDonald – Darryl
Brad Pitt – J.D.

 

Ridley Scott

Callie Khouri

Mimi Polk Gitlin

Ridley Scott

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ridley Scott
 
Writer(s)
Callie Khouri
 
Producer(s)
Mimi Polk Gitlin, Ridley Scott

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
25 wins & 52 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Kathleen Carroll

Carrie Rickey

Michael Upchurch

Terrence Rafferty

Jay Boyar

New York Daily News

Philadelphia Inquirer

Seattle Times

New Yorker

Orlando Sentinel

THELMA & LOUISE
 All Critics (75) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (11)
 “Thelma & Louise” is a rare thrill – a gleefully offbeat road movie in which two women, instead of the usual footloose fellas, exult in the heady freedom of America’s lonesome highways.
 
 May 24, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Kathleen Carroll
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 This unexpected delight, which travels at top speed from the doldrums to the Grand Canyon, is moreover blessed with two high-octane performances.
 
 July 30, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 There are plenty of great one-liners in Callie Khouri’s script, and cinematographer Adrian Biddle never fails to give viewers an eye full — even when it’s a ridiculous eye full.
 
 July 30, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Michael Upchurch
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The feminist justification that the script provides for the heroines’ behavior doesn’t make their actions any less preposterous. But you can recognize the crudeness of the movie’s narrative devices and still have an awfully good time.
 
 July 30, 2013
 
 Terrence Rafferty
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 Thelma & Louise isn’t only a movie, it’s also a journey. In some dark night of your distant past, you might once have dreamed about taking it.
 
 July 30, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 If the only way a woman can light up the screen these days is with a .38-caliber pistol, isn’t that just another form of subordination?
 
 July 30, 2013 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Peter Rainer
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Not much has changed in the 30 years since Ridley Scott’s seminal and subversive attack on toxic masculinity…The queer-tinged relationship between the women is palpable, and still one of the most female-empowering moves to ever reach the screen.
 
 July 7, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Frank J. Avella
 Edge Media Network
 What makes this film so extraordinary is that, though the two principal characters become criminals with very little provocation, we are, against our will, caught up in their fate and find ourselves cheering them on to further lawlessness.
 
 April 6, 2022
 
 Quentin Crisp
 Christopher Street
 Has emerged over the years as one of Scott’s most indelible films. (30th anniversary)
 
 July 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Stephen Silver
 Tilt Magazine
 …a thoroughly rewarding endeavor that ranks near the top of Scott’s hit-and-miss filmography.
 
 March 11, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 The plot never grows tiresome, the script is sharp (peppered with humor), and Sarandon and Davis give absolutely spectacular performances, full of emotion and desperation.
 
 September 24, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 It’s difficult to decide which of these girls you like better. With their red, red hair matching the red desert landscape that surrounds them through most of the film, Sarandon and Davis are the sexiest couple to come out of Hollywood in years.
 
 June 15, 2020
 
 Monica Dorenkamp
 OutWeek…

 

Plot
Louise is working in a diner as a waitress and has some problems with her boyfriend Jimmy, who, as a musician, is always on the road. Thelma is married to Darryl who likes his wife to stay quiet in the kitchen so that he can watch football on TV. One day they decide to break out of their normal life and jump in the car and hit the road. Their journey, however, turns into a flight when Louise kills a man who threatens to rape Thelma. They decide to go to Mexico, but soon they are hunted by American police.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Thelma & Louise on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Ridley-Scott.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Ear Goggles
 
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
 
Year of Release
1990
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McEntire, Robert Jayne, directed by Ron Underwood, written by S.S Wilson, Brent Maddock, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Anton Bitel, Ty Burr, Michael Wilmington, Steve Simels, Kim Newman, PG-13, Brent Maddock, S.S Wilson, MCA/Universal Pictures, practical effects, creature feature, small town, subterranean monsters, seismologist, survival, humor, western, science-fiction, comedy, special effects, practical effects, horror-comedy, family-friendly, cheesy fun, tension, simplistic, science fiction
 

Cast & Crew

Kevin Bacon

Fred Ward

Finn Carter

Michael Gross

Reba McEntire

Valentine McKee

Earl Bassett

Rhonda LeBeck

Burt Gummer

Heather Gummer

Kevin Bacon – Valentine McKee
Fred Ward – Earl Bassett
Finn Carter – Rhonda LeBeck
Michael Gross – Burt Gummer
Reba McEntire – Heather Gummer
Robert Jayne – Melvin Plug
Director – Ron Underwood
Producers – Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson
Writers – S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock

 

Ron Underwood

S.S. Wilson

Brent Maddock

S.S. Wilson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ron Underwood
 
Writer(s)
S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock
 
Producer(s)
Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson

 

Film Festivals
Berlin
 
Awards & Nominations
5 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Anton Bitel

Ty Burr

Michael Wilmington

Steve Simels

Kim Newman

Little White Lies

Entertainment Weekly

Los Angeles Times

Empire Magazine

Variety

TREMORS
 All Critics (46) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (6)
 Propelled by impressive practical effects, this is an oater-inflected monster movie which fully embraces its own icky absurdity and literally low culture – but the film’s hidden weapon is a strong focus on characterisation.
 
 July 4, 2022
 
 Anton Bitel
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 Tremors is the Slacker of monster movies: bemused, improvisatory, willfully low-key.
 
 January 22, 2020 | Rating: B+
 
 Ty Burr
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a zippy melodrama for small-town America and small-towners at heart: well-executed kitsch for audiences that will still be amused at the notion that the bugs are getting so big, they’ll drag us all down.
 
 January 22, 2020
 
 Michael Wilmington
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Unlike the typical movie homage, Tremors actually improves on the B-movies that inspired it.
 
 January 22, 2020
 
 Steve Simels
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Entertaining and unself-conscious enough to stand the test of time, even if the puppetry doesn’t.
 
 February 3, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kim Newman
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Tremors has a few clever twists but ultimately can’t decide what it wants to be – flat-out funny, which it’s not, or a scarefest.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a rollicking, rip-roaring funhouse ride, with enough rude shocks to keep you anxiously on-guard, and enough self-mocking sass to be immensely, exhilaratingly funny.
 
 May 13, 2022
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 It captures the structure and speed of those ’50s sci-fi classics better than just about any other attempted update in this field.
 
 June 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 The mixture of unexceptional heroes, monster movie violence, and tame comedy – all unraveling in a desolate, arid landscape – is certainly unique.
 
 September 25, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 It paints in western shades a science-fiction comedy canvas in which the brilliant leading duo, the imaginative work of the director and the special effects department stand out. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 April 28, 2020
 
 Sergio Benítez
 Espinof
 It’s hard to not grin and give in to the buoyant, boisterous, bloody and, yes, brainy energy here -from cockamamie camera placement to practical effects and editorial rhythms that sometimes recall Sam Raimi at his rowdiest.
 
 January 30, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nick Rogers
 Midwest Film Journal
 A simple and entertaining film. Nothing more and nothing less. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 January 22, 2020
 
 Antonio Lara
 El Pais (Spain)…

 

Plot
A small town gradually becomes aware of a strange creature which picks off people one by one. But what is this creature, and where is it? At the same time, a seismologist is working in the area, she detects _tremors_. The creature lives underground, and can ‘pop up’ without warning. Trapped in their town, the town-folk have no escape.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Tremors on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Ron-Underwood.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (HBO Max)
 
Filming Location(s)
Surrey, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for scary images/moments, language and thematic elements
 
Year of Release
1990
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson, Brenda Blethyn, directed by Nicolas Roeg, written by Allan Scott, Roald Dahl, fantasy, adventure, PG rating, box office gross $8.7M, reviewed by James Berardinelli, Michael Upchurch, Michael Wilmington, Ada Calhoun, Steven Rea, Dave Kehr, Brian Eggert, Mike Massie, Aaron Neuwirth, Rick Chatenever, Jeff Simon, Steve Persall, Jim Henson’s creature shop, puppetry, witches, magical formula, mice, hotel, England, convention, Grand High Witch, Helga, Mr Stringer, Mr Jenkins, Mrs Jenkins, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, Dolby, Surround, Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation, Roald Dahl’s writing, dark, witty, imaginative, Angelica Huston’s performance, Mark Shivas’ production
 

Cast & Crew

Anjelica Huston

Mai Zetterling

Jasen Fisher

Rowan Atkinson

Bill Paterson

Miss Eva Ernst

Grand High Witch

Helga

Luke

Mr. Stringer

Anjelica Huston – Miss Eva Ernst, Grand High Witch
Mai Zetterling – Helga
Jasen Fisher – Luke
Rowan Atkinson – Mr. Stringer
Bill Paterson – Mr. Jenkins
Brenda Blethyn – Mrs. Jenkins

 

Nicolas Roeg

Allan Scott

Mark Shivas

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Nicolas Roeg
 
Writer(s)
Allan Scott, Roald Dahl
 
Producer(s)
Mark Shivas

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
10 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

James Berardinelli

Michael Upchurch

Michael Wilmington

Ada Calhoun

Steven Rea

ReelViews

Seattle Times

Los Angeles Times

Austin Chronicle

Philadelphia Inquirer

THE WITCHES
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (3)
 The Witches feels like a throwaway feature rather than a fully-realized fantasy adventure…
 
 August 11, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s not a film for small children. But for precocious first-graders with a warped sense of humor and an appetite for chills, thrills and spills, nothing could be better.
 
 November 25, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Michael Upchurch
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Real darkness seethes beneath the “Once upon a time” surface, mostly due to Henson’s seemingly curious selection of the brilliant and audacious Roeg to direct.
 
 November 25, 2013
 
 Michael Wilmington
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Based on a Roald Dahl book, Nicholas Roeg’s The Witches is a film surprisingly faithful to the creepiness of the original.
 
 November 25, 2013
 
 Ada Calhoun
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The Witches is a slow-to-get-going but ultimately entertaining yarn about a nasty coven conspiring to turn Britain’s entire populace of single-digiters into mice.
 
 November 22, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Steven Rea
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 There are moments of genuine charm and solid invention, but it`s a film that doesn’t believe enough in itself.
 
 November 22, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Captures a quality of cinematic fun that only filmmakers like Terry Gilliam or Ken Russell seem to create on a regular basis
 
 February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Jim Henson’s various puppet creations are delightfully macabre yet deviously inventive, invitingly combining the whimsical with the horrifying.
 
 September 25, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Better than a simple round of hocus pocus, The Witches casts the right kind of spell.
 
 August 13, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Aaron Neuwirth
 We Live Entertainment
 “The Witches” is more fun for parents than kids and not all that much fun for anyone.
 
 August 11, 2020
 
 Rick Chatenever
 Santa Cruz Sentinel
 One of the damndest creative collaborations to hit movies since Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe pretended to vamp each other in “The Prince and the Showgirl.”
 
 August 11, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeff Simon
 Buffalo News
 The Witches is a delectably creepy movie guaranteed to keep night lights burning bright.
 
 August 11, 2020
 
 Steve Persall
 Tampa Bay Times…

 

Plot
Reimagining Roald Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, Robert Zemeckis’s visually innovative film tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe-undercover-to carry out her nefarious plans. Zemeckis is joined by a world-class team of filmmakers, including Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Kenya Barris. The cast includes powerhouse performances from Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth and Chris Rock, with newcomer Jahzir Kadeen Bruno as the brave young hero.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Anjelica Huston delivers a “deliciously wicked performance” as the Grand High Witch.
 

 
Nicolas-Roeg.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
7436 Mulholland Drive, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1989
 

 
Genre(s)
Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O’Connor, Patsy Kensit-Healy, directed by Richard Donner, written by Jeffrey Boam, produced by Richard Donner, Joel Silver, action, R rating, box office performance, $144.9M, critic reviews, Michael Wilmington, Anne Thompson, Variety Staff, MPAA rating, Warner Bros Pictures, sound mix, surround, aspect ratio, scope (2.35:1), South African smugglers, diplomatic immunity, witness-protection duty, chemistry, humor, adrenaline, sequel, buddy cop, thriller, revenge, emotional, comical
 

Cast & Crew

Mel Gibson

Danny Glover

Joe Pesci

Joss Ackland

Derrick O’Connor

Martin Riggs

Sergeant Roger Murtaugh

Leo Getz

Arjen Rudd

Pieter Vorstedt

Mel Gibson – Martin Riggs
Danny Glover – Sergeant Roger Murtaugh
Joe Pesci – Leo Getz
Joss Ackland – Arjen Rudd
Derrick O’Connor – Pieter Vorstedt
Patsy Kensit-Healy – Rika van den Haas
Richard Donner – Director/Producer
Joel Silver – Producer
Jeffrey Boam – Writer

 

Richard Donner

Jeffrey Boam

Richard Donner

Joel Silver

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Richard Donner
 
Writer(s)
Jeffrey Boam
 
Producer(s)
Richard Donner, Joel Silver

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 win & 2 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Michael Wilmington

Anne Thompson

Variety Staff

Geoff Andrew

Caryn James

Los Angeles Times

Empire Magazine

Variety

Time Out

New York Times

LETHAL WEAPON 2
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (8)
 [T]here’s a sense in which all these recent one-against-a-hundred cop and war thrillers represent the gaudy degeneration of the great tradition of the American action movie: substituting hardware for atmosphere…
 
 August 3, 2020
 
 Michael Wilmington
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Unlike most sequels Lethal Weapon 2 is neither predictable nor conventional. It’s just pumped full of juice.
 
 August 3, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Anne Thompson
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Loaded with the usual elements, Lethal Weapon 2 benefits from a consistency of tone that was lacking in the first film.
 
 June 6, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 By concentrating on the often frustrating, funny relationship between the three men, the film gains in humour but loses some of the momentum and panache which distinguished the original.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 If you liked Lethal Weapon, you’ll like Lethal Weapon 2; it’s almost as simple as that.
 
 May 20, 2003
 
 Caryn James
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s fun stuff — crackling, playfully escapist summer fare that doesn’t make you feel taken advantage of later.
 
 January 1, 2000
 
 Roger Piantadosi
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 The rare buddy cop sequel that’s better than the original film. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are a hoot, expanding their partnership on screen, while director Richard Donner gives us more humor and action. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 May 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Fico Cangiano
 CineXpress Podcast
 Director Richard Donner returns, with all of the original cast and more of the same buddy-cop chemistry and wild shenanigans that made the first feature so much fun.
 
 September 6, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 If you don’t mind your comic books being filled with incessant shootings, explosions, knifings, drownings, stranglings, car crashes, fires and the use of automatic nail drivers as weapons, it’s a lot of fun.
 
 August 3, 2020
 
 Ralph Novak
 People Magazine
 Director Richard Donner accents humour rather than explosive action and the result is an oddly toned, cartoon-like adventure with the comedy elements making the nasty violence seem even more gratuitous.
 
 August 3, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Alan Jones
 Radio Times
 Mediocre. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 3, 2020
 
 Fernando Morales
 El Pais (Spain)
 As a sequel it is a notable risk to take the route of a more bitter and dark tone. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 3, 2020
 
 Pablo Muñoz
 Espinof…

 

Plot
Riggs and Murtaugh are trying to take down some drug dealers but the they turn out to be not run of the mill drug dealers; they have automatic weapons and helicopters. Eventually they grab one of their vehicles and find a million dollars worth of gold coins or Krugerrands in the trunk. Later Murtaugh is threatened by the men they’re pursuing. That’s when the Captain reassigns them to protect a man named Leo Getz who is suppose to testify in a big case. When they get to where Leo is, someone tries to kill him and that’s when they learn he laundered half a billion dollars worth of drug money. He then takes them to a place he once went to and that’s when the people there start shooting at them. Later when they come back with back up they learn that the men work for the South African consulate and have diplomatic immunity. They deduce that they are the ones they were looking for, but because of they have diplomatic immunity they can’t do anything.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Joe Pesci’s character, Leo Getz, was added to provide more humor to the film, but some audience members found him annoying and unfunny.
 

 
Richard-Donner.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Moulay Ismael Stables, Villa Imperiale, Meknès, Morocco
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1988
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Marlon Brando

Al Pacino

James Caan

Richard S. Castellano

Robert Duvall

Don Vito Corleone

Michael Corleone

Santino “Sonny” Corleone

Pete Clemenza

Tom Hagen

Marlon Brando – Don Vito Corleone
Al Pacino – Michael Corleone
James Caan – Santino “Sonny” Corleone
Richard S. Castellano – Pete Clemenza
Robert Duvall – Tom Hagen
Sterling Hayden – Police Captain McCluskey

 

Martin Scorsese

NA

Barbara De Fina

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Martin Scorsese
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Barbara De Fina

 

Film Festivals
Venice
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 8 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Jay Carr

Gene Siskel

Dave Kehr

Charles Champlin

Sheila Benson

Boston Globe

Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Times

Miami Herald

Baltimore Sun

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
 All Critics (101) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (82) | Rotten (19)
 It’s a challenging film in the best sense, a gritty, deeply felt effort to renew the significance of Christ in terms of contemporary experience, and one that reminds us of how radical Christ was.
 
 May 6, 2022
 
 Jay Carr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 All of the uninformed protest will only serve to fuel attendance for what turns out to be a very fine, thoughtful and beautifully performed rumination on Jesus and the difficulty of living according to His principles.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 An admirably serious, accomplished movie, though it betrays little of the complicated texture and furious creativity of Scorsese at his best.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 At its best and most moving, Scorsese’s film leaps across two millennia and creates an extraordinary sense of what Christ’s time was like.
 
 May 6, 2022
 
 Charles Champlin
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 At the bottom of the controversy is an intense, utterly sincere, frequently fascinating piece of art by a director for whom, clearly, the message of Jesus’ life has immediacy and meaning.
 
 May 6, 2022
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 I was profoundly moved by The Last Temptation of Christ, struck by its passion. The film works as parable, and it works as drama. It’s brawny and daring and beautiful, full of an eerie grace.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Bill Cosford
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 A marvelous film…more genuinely Christian than the ridiculous parodies in the style of King of Kings, and Cecil B DeMille. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 June 15, 2022
 
 Rene Jordan
 El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
 It’s a powerful if flawed film, made not to blaspheme but to explore. It’s a Christian film in the best sense of that word.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Stephen Hunter
 Baltimore Sun
 Few tasks could be more delicate or demanding than to reconceive the story of Jesus Christ… The sheer audacity of taking on this project in 1988 makes The Last Temptation of Christ exemplary.
 
 May 6, 2022
 
 John Powers
 L.A. Weekly
 A water-into-wine miracle on screen. Visually breathtaking and intellectually scorching, the movie represents an extraordinary feat of film-making. But what it attempts is so ambitious that, in the end, it is a gloriously imperfect masterpiece.
 
 May 6, 2022
 
 Brian D. Johnson
 Maclean’s Magazine
 If this be heresy, Scorsese hasn’t made the most of it.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Michael Sragow
 San Francisco Examiner
 It is hard to imagine a more serious or heartfelt exploration of the inner conflicts faced by Jesus. Charges of blasphemy leveled against the film by some Christian leaders are hard to square with the filmmakers’ obvious reverence.
 
 May 5, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Candice Russell
 South Florida Sun-Sentinel…

 

Plot
The Last Temptation of Christ follows the life of Jesus, a carpenter who discovers he is the son of God and is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas, leading him to doubt his role as the savior of mankind and tempting him with visions of an ordinary life married to Mary Magdalene.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Martin-Scorsese.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Horizon Pictures,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
East Corinth, Vermont, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1988
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, directed by Tim Burton, written by Warren Skaaren, Michael McDowell, produced by Michael Bender, Richard Hashimoto, Larry Wilson, comedy, fantasy, PG rating, box office gross $73.5M, reviewed by Steve Rose, David Ansen, Jay Boyar, Gene Siskel, Ian Freer, Bill Chambers, Michael Massie, Kristy Strouse, Allison Rose, Ángel Luis Inurria, Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice), Alec Baldwin as Adam Maitland, Geena Davis as Barbara Maitland, Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deitz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deitz
 

Cast & Crew

Michael Keaton

Alec Baldwin

Geena Davis

Jeffrey Jones

Catherine O’Hara

Betelgeuse

Adam Maitland

Barbara Maitland

Charles Deitz

Delia

Michael Keaton – Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice)
Alec Baldwin – Adam Maitland
Geena Davis – Barbara Maitland
Jeffrey Jones – Charles Deitz
Catherine O’Hara – Delia
Winona Ryder – Lydia Deitz

 

Tim Burton

Warren Skaaren

Michael Bender

Richard Hashimoto

Larry Wilson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Tim Burton
 
Writer(s)
Warren Skaaren, Michael McDowell
 
Producer(s)
Michael Bender, Richard Hashimoto, Larry Wilson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
7 wins & 11 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Steve Rose

David Ansen

Tim Robey

Jay Boyar

Gene Siskel

Guardian

Newsweek

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Orlando Sentinel

Chicago Tribune

BEETLEJUICE
 All Critics (62) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (9)
 The story almost comes off the rails, but Beetlejuice’s charm lies more in the execution. The movie is crammed with visual invention and snappy comedy.
 
 October 25, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Steve Rose
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 For sheer off-the-wall audacity, Tim Burton’s demented Beetlejuice certainly demands respect, even if it’s more enjoyable in concept than in execution.
 
 April 5, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie’s such a riot of invention we let him take it more or less anywhere.
 
 March 30, 2018
 
 Tim Robey
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Betelgeuse doesn’t fully emerge until the film is half over, but Michael Keaton makes a strong enough impression in the role to explain why the picture is named after his character.
 
 March 30, 2018
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 An overly ambitious special-effects comedy obviously influenced by the success of Ghostbusters.
 
 March 30, 2018 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Amazingly, it all still feels fresh, even though Burton has since become something of his own franchise since.
 
 March 29, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ian Freer
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Beetle Juice is founded on…absurd juxtapositions–none funnier, if you ask me, than when an undead football team calls the ancient, gravel-voiced Sylvia Sidney “coach.”
 
 March 3, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Bill Chambers
 Film Freak Central
 An exciting, hilarious, extremely outlandish, oftentimes touching, otherworldly adventure that is utterly unlike anything else.
 
 January 2, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Outlandish, but rich with imagination, Beetlejuice is likely to charm the life out of anyone with its lively display and ghoulish delights.
 
 October 14, 2021
 
 Kristy Strouse
 Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying
 “Beetlejuice” is so exuberantly batty, so outrageously zany, it makes “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” seem as somber as “Ironweed.”
 
 October 26, 2020
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 Keaton shines in this role, breathing life (pun intended) into an immature and manipulative ghost.
 
 September 1, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Allison Rose
 FlickDirect
 Beetlejuice only manages to entertain from time to time, but it keeps us interested in the future projects of such a peculiar filmmaker. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 March 30, 2020
 
 Ángel Luis Inurria
 El Pais (Spain)…

 

Plot
Adam and Barbara are a normal couple…who happen to be dead. They have given their precious time to decorate their house and make it their own, but unfortunately a family is moving in, and not quietly. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out, but end up becoming the main attraction to the money making family. They call upon Beetlejuice to help, but Beetlejuice has more in mind than just helping.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Michael Keaton’s “deliciously manic work” in Beetlejuice.
 

 
Tim-Burton.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Red Crown Productions, The Princess Grace Foundation Participant
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Auckland, New Zealand
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1987
 

 
Genre(s)
Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton, Howard Duff, George Dzundza, directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Robert Garland, action, Navy, murder investigation, Washington bureaucracy, thriller, suspense, romance, passionate fling, Defense Secretary, Senator, box office, gross USA, Laura Ziskin, Robert Garland, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Dave Kehr, Sheila Benson, Jay Boyar, Carrie Rickey, Richard Schickel, Eddie Harrison, Ángel Luis Inurria, Richard Freedman, Walter Chaw, Jeff Beck, Dennis Schwartz, R rating, Surround sound mix, produced by Laura Ziskin, Robert Garland
 

Cast & Crew

Kevin Costner

Gene Hackman

Sean Young

Will Patton

Howard Duff

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell

Defense Secretary David Brice

Susan Atwell

Scott Pritchard

Senator William “Billy” Duvall

Kevin Costner – Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell
Gene Hackman – Defense Secretary David Brice
Sean Young – Susan Atwell
Will Patton – Scott Pritchard
Howard Duff – Senator William “Billy” Duvall
George Dzundza – Sam Hesselman

 

Roger Donaldson

Robert Garland

Laura Ziskin

Robert Garland

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Roger Donaldson
 
Writer(s)
Robert Garland
 
Producer(s)
Laura Ziskin, Robert Garland

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Gene Siskel

Dave Kehr

Sheila Benson

Jay Boyar

Carrie Rickey

Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Times

Orlando Sentinel

Philadelphia Inquirer

TIME Magazine

NO WAY OUT
 All Critics (46) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (4)
 While the film’s behind-the-scenes look into the world of Washington bureaucracy is appealing, the movie is a complete letdown as a thriller, dissolving into implausible silliness.
 
 July 29, 2013
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 No Way Out emerges, paradoxically, as a film that is better than it has to be and not as good as it ought to be, but there is skill here, as well as an admirable willingness to try something new.
 
 July 29, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 No Way Out’s greatest prize is Costner, a leading man at last: fiercely good, intelligent, appreciatively sensual in a performance balanced perfectly between action and introspection.
 
 July 29, 2013
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 A thriller that grabs you even before the ironies of its plot kick in is a thriller you don’t want to miss. No Way Out is that sort of movie, a thriller that’s thrilling throughout.
 
 July 29, 2013
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 A juicy thriller-romance bursting out of the Pentagon’s arid corridors.
 
 July 29, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 Viewers who arrive at the movie five minutes late and leave five minutes early will avoid the setup and payoff for the preposterous twist that spoils this lively, intelligent remake of 1948’s The Big Clock.
 
 May 23, 2011
 
 Richard Schickel
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 ‘…a model of what a good, hard, modern thriller can be…’
 
 April 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 The work of the cinematographer John Alcott, the actors, and the rhythm are qualities to appreciate in No Way Out. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 April 10, 2020
 
 Ángel Luis Inurria
 El Pais (Spain)
 The summer’s best movie is No Way Out, a complex, rip-roaring suspense tale with a difference: It’s about believable people caught in a real jam.
 
 November 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Richard Freedman
 Newhouse News Service
 No Way Out is a secret noir.
 
 July 11, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Walter Chaw
 Film Freak Central
 No Way Out may take about half its runtime to finally get the story moving, but when it does, the audience is treated to a grand thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
 
 June 21, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Jeff Beck
 The Blu Spot
 The film is remembered for its limo sex scene.
 
 April 23, 2016 | Rating: B
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews…

 

Plot
Tom Farrell is a navy officer who gets posted at the Pentagon and is to report to the secretary of defense David Brice. He starts an affair with Susan Atwell not knowing that she is Brice’s mistress. When Susan is found dead, Tom is assigned to the case of finding the killer who is believed to be a KGB mole! Tom could soon become a suspect when a Polaroid negative of him was found at Susan’s place. He now has only a few hours to find the killer before the computer regenerates the photo.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for No Way Out.
 

 
Roger-Donaldson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
M K2 Productions, France 3 Cinéma C AB Productions,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
1441 W. I Street, Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
 
Year of Release
1987
 

 
Genre(s)
Romance/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Lea Thompson, Craig Sheffer, John Ashton, Elias Koteas, directed by Howard Deutch, written by John Hughes, romance, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Dave Kehr, Sheila Benson, Pat Graham, Variety Staff, Derek Adams, Janet Maslin, Brian Orndorf, Christopher Lloyd, Matt Brunson, Jo Berry, People Staff, PG-13, John Hughes, produced by John Hughes
 

Cast & Crew

Eric Stoltz

Mary Stuart Masterson

Lea Thompson

Craig Sheffer

John Ashton

Keith Nelson

Watts

Amanda Jones

Hardy Jenns

Cliff Nelson

Eric Stoltz – Keith Nelson
Mary Stuart Masterson – Watts
Lea Thompson – Amanda Jones
Craig Sheffer – Hardy Jenns
John Ashton – Cliff Nelson
Elias Koteas – Duncan
Director – Howard Deutch
Producer – John Hughes
Writer – John Hughes

 

Howard Deutch

John Hughes

John Hughes

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Howard Deutch
 
Writer(s)
John Hughes
 
Producer(s)
John Hughes

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Dave Kehr

Sheila Benson

Pat Graham

Variety Staff

Derek Adams

Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Reader

Variety

Time Out

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (11)
 ”Some Kind of Wonderful” is a slight and forgettable film, but Hughes still has an eye for young acting talent.
 
 June 17, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Hughes has absolutely nothing new to report–no fresh perspectives, no gratefully received maturity, nothing added or deepened. Or speeded up, from the feel of it.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Assembly-line feature from the John Hughes teen factory.
 
 July 24, 2007
 
 Pat Graham
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A simple, lovely and thoughtful teenage story that occasionally shines due to fine characterizations and lucid dialog.
 
 July 24, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 This time it ends with the underdogs together. Oddly enough, it’s this conclusion that feels phony, seeing as Stoltz has spent the last 80 minutes arranging his dream date with Lea.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Derek Adams
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 The film creates a perfect embodiment of every adolescent’s nightmare.
 
 May 20, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It remains attentive to universal feelings concerning crushes and maturity, parenthood and personal responsibility, ultimately achieving just a bit more cohesiveness and liveliness than “Pretty in Pink.”
 
 September 6, 2021 | Rating: A-
 
 Brian Orndorf
 Blu-ray.com
 Essentially a remake of Pretty in Pink but with John Hughes’ preferred ending, Some Kind of Wonderful revisits the teen love triangle with some interesting notes but less energy.
 
 July 26, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Christopher Lloyd
 The Film Yap
 It’s pretty lousy, the weakest of Hughes’ high school romps.
 
 February 26, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Stoltz makes an effective leading man, giving a touching performance in what is a genuinely charming film.
 
 June 17, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jo Berry
 Radio Times
 Masterson and Stoltz possess talent and charm to spare. Here are actors making characters of what could have been cartoons.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 People Staff
 People Magazine
 It is fairly predictable… but underneath that plot are 3 very well written and acted characters.
 
 March 7, 2019 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Rachel Wagner
 rachelsreviews.net…

 

Plot
A young tomboy, Watts, finds her feelings for her best friend, Keith, run deeper than just friendship when he gets a date with the most popular girl in school. Unfortunately, the girl’s old boyfriend, who is from the rich section of town, is unable to let go of her, and plans to get back at Keith.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels notes that Eric Stoltz gives a “touching performance” as the leading man in Some Kind of Wonderful.
 

 
Howard-Deutch.jpg