Grief before the groans: “We Bury the Dead” walks a careful line
Director Zak Hilditch begins the 2026 movie season with the zombie thriller “We Bury the Dead,” produced by Vertical Entertainment. Hilditch also wrote the film’s screenplay.
‘Dead Man’s Wire’ turns a true-crime nightmare into a crowd-pleaser
On the morning of February 8, 1977, Tony Kiritsis walked into a mortgage office in Indianapolis convinced the system had finally turned on him. What followed was one of the most unsettling media spectacles of the decade: a 63-hour hostage standoff in which Kiritsis literally wired a sawed-off shotgun to both his victim’s neck and his own chest. It was desperation theater, broadcast live, raw and ugly, and fueled by a man who believed grievance was the same thing as righteousness.
Second Listen Sunday: Eric Benét, “It’s Christmas”
Eric Benét’s holiday album, “It’s Christmas”, finds the four-time Grammy nominee embracing comfort rather than challenge. He delivers a collection that is impeccably sung and tastefully arranged, though it ultimately feels a bit too cautious for an artist of his talent and history.
Slow Jam Saturday: Kevin Ross, “This Winter”
For the last Slow Jam Saturday of the year, I wanted to highlight one of the most underrated voices in music, Mr. Kevin Ross, and his recently released single “This Winter”.
‘Cover-Up’ review: Seymour Hersh and the long war against official silence
In the new Netflix documentary “Cover-Up,” Seymour Hersh’s career unfolds not as a triumphant victory lap but as a long-standing record of resistance against power, institutional silence, and the convenient amnesia that often passes for history.
‘Goodbye June’ review: Kate Winslet’s directorial debut explores family, grief and Christmas
Two weeks before Christmas, June (Helen Mirren) collapses at her kitchen counter, the kettle still warming, the day already lost. At the hospital, the verdict is swift and unsparing: the cancer has advanced beyond intervention, and time has narrowed to a matter of days
Amanda Seyfried can’t save ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ from its own cold ambition
It’s tempting to compare *The Testament of Ann Lee* to “The Brutalist,” but that comparison flatters this film more than it deserves. Writer-director duo Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet have previously demonstrated their capacity for elegance, with “The World to Come” being their most complete and emotionally coherent work. However, this latest effort feels more enamored with its own seriousness than with the fundamentals of storytelling.
Slow Jam Saturday: Gerald Levert, “Christmas Without My Girl”
When we reflect on Gerald Levert’s career, one of the most surprising things is that he never released a Christmas album. Given his immense talent, I am certain he could have easily crafted an album filled with romantic slow jams and festive holiday grooves.
Slow burn, strong lead: “The Secret Agent” earns its time
Often times during Awards Season I’ll hear about a film that I usually don’t get a chance to see until getting a screener link for awards consideration. The Secret Agent fits squarely into that category—a title that’s been quietly circulating among critics for months, earning serious admiration, and once you finally sit with it, you understand why.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”, Avatar third chapter finds its limits
When we last saw the Sully family—Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), their sons Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and the late Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), their adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), youngest child Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), and human teenager Miles “Spider” Socorro (Jack Champion)—they were grappling with a devastating loss of Neteyam following their battle against the resurrected Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang).
Second Listen Sunday: Stephanie Mills “Christmas”
As we prepare to celebrate another holiday season, this week I wanted to give flowers to Stephanie Mills for Second Listen Sunday.
“Song Sung Blue” covers love, loss, and Neil Diamond at full volume
One thing that my friends and family will tell you about me is that I love a good musical biopic. Now and then, one catches you off guard, plays a familiar tune, and then strikes a chord that resonates deeply. “Song Sung Blue” from Focus Features and directed by Craig Brewer, who also pens the script, is one of those films.