On one hand, it seems unlikely that “The Force Awakens” screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams read the “Legacy of the Force” series. But on the other hand, Jacen Solo’s arc in “Bloodlines” (2006) is so starkly re-enacted by Kylo Ren that it can’t be coincidence – if only because the idea of killing a loved one […]
First episode impressions (TV review): This slick slasher doesn’t break new ground, but it’s entertaining.
“Elstree 1976” is a perfect title for this documentary about “Star Wars” bit players, because serious fans will immediately recognize it as the studio and year in which “A New Hope” was filmed. Casuals might not get the reference, and that’s good, because “Elstree 1976” is for mega-fans, and even some of those might find this […]
With his recent unfortunate death at age 27 in a vehicle accident, Anton Yelchin takes a spot in film history similar to Heath Ledger, where lots of people will celebrate his catalogue, but we’ll wonder what more he could’ve done if he hadn’t died before his time. “The Driftless Area” is among the final films of this […]
“Roadies” (10 p.m. Eastern Sundays on Showtime), the new series from Cameron Crowe, feels a little more like “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” or “Love Monkey” than it feels like “Almost Famous.” The pilot episode has more bark than bite; however, it’s better than, say, Crowe’s second-rate “Garden State” “Elizabethtown,” and the fact that it’s […]
I wasn’t a huge fan of the nine-book “Legacy of the Force” series on my first read, not because of the quality of the writing – Aaron Alliston and Karen Traviss are my two favorite “Star Wars” authors, and Troy Denning is solid – but because of what happens. When Jacen Solo kills fellow Jedi […]
“Independence Day: Resurgence” is what a summer blockbuster should be: the kind where after watching futuristic aerial dogfights (in 3D if you pay a couple extra bucks), you drive home as if your Honda Civic is a space fighter. But rather than being numbed by the two hours of pulse-laser-dodging action, viewers of this sequel to […]
First episode impressions (TV review): CBS takes a rote dive into mystery-horror that tries and fails to cash in on the name.
Later this week, “Independence Day: Resurgence” will likely deliver the biggest alien invasion spectacle in what is turning out to be the year of the alien. In addition to the return of “The X-Files,” we also got “The 5th Wave,” which is perhaps a simpler and smaller tale than we’ll get from “IDR,” although it also has […]
“10 Cloverfield Lane” — now available at Redbox — is one of those Mystery Mine Ride movies that are all too rare: a film that gives you a small taste of what to expect, but could go in just about any direction. The first movie in the franchise, 2008’s “Cloverfield,” also fit the bill. There was […]