04 Apr 2022

Leto Me In: "Morbius" and "The Contractor"

By Mike Schulz

There was literally nothing about the prospect of Morbius I was looking forward to, so I suppose it's almost a compliment to say that while I didn't enjoy director Daniel Espinosa's largely dull, grossly formulaic comic-book yarn, I didn't actively detest it, either.

26 Mar 2022

Romancing the Tome: “The Lost City” and “Infinite Storm”

By Mike Schulz

With all due respect to Robert Zemeckis' funny/exciting achievement, which I have adored ever since mid-puberty, Romancing the Stone didn't have Brad Pitt in it. The Lost City may be repackaged goods, but those goods, at least this time around, are still remarkably fresh.

21 Mar 2022

Thrillers, Chillers, and Time Killers: “The Outfit,” “X,” “Umma,” “Deep Water,” “Fresh,” and “Master”

By Mike Schulz

While there's considerable mystery in The Outfit's plotting, there's even more in its central character, and Mark Rylance's artistry makes Graham Moore's directorial debut the rare gangster saga that makes you grin wider and wider the scarier and nastier it gets.

07 Mar 2022

Down the Rabid Hole: “The Batman”

By Mike Schulz

If you're wondering whether the combination of long, dark, and aggressively serious applied to material we're all wa-a-ay too familiar with results in a boring movie, I'm happy to report that writer/director Matt Reeves' The Batman isn't boring. Quite the opposite: It's exhilarating – an unexpectedly scary and resonant work that doesn't invite comparisons to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy so much as David Fincher's Zodiac and Seven.

28 Feb 2022

Onward, Soldier Christian: “Cyrano” and “Studio 666”

By Mike Schulz

What Joe Wright's Cyrano lacks in excitement is largely made up for in consistency of tone, and that would be a backhanded compliment at best if the tone weren't so consistently sincere, playful, touching, and romantic.

21 Feb 2022

Raising Canine: “Dog,” “The Cursed,” and “Uncharted”

By Mike Schulz

Dog is a friendly, sentimental dramedy in which Channing Tatum takes a road trip with a canine. The movie really only falters when it tries to be anything else.

14 Feb 2022

Phoenix River: “Death on the Nile,” “Marry Me,” and “Blacklight”

By Mike Schulz

Even if you've read the author's 1937 novel more than once – or have instant recall of the peerlessly eccentric 1978 readings of Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Bette Davis, and company – there's still an awful lot here to enjoy.

07 Feb 2022

Stunt-ed Adolescence: “Jackass Forever,” “The Wolf & the Lion,” and “Moonfall”

By Mike Schulz

Despite the rough language, physical peril, and copious nudity, this franchise extender is a family film. Its stunts are beyond crude, but its heart is unfailingly sweet.

31 Jan 2022

Continental Divides: “Flee” and “Parallel Mothers”

By Mike Schulz

This past weekend, I spent three-and-a-half hours watching movies in Iowa City. I also spent three-and-a-half hours reading movies in Iowa City.

24 Jan 2022

Soul Feud: “Redeeming Love,” “The King's Daughter,” “Belle,” and “A Hero”

By Mike Schulz

The short version is that it's a queasy morality fable about a fallen woman who, due to the love of a faultless man, ultimately discovers the grace of God and mends her wicked ways. The longer version is that this earnest, tacky, largely offensive trifle is – thanks to a handful of unexpectedly resonant performances – a lot less icky than it should have been. Damned actors. The good ones can make almost anything bearable.

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