Alci Rengifo
‘Euphoria’: The Kids Are Not Alright in HBO’s Feverishly Provocative Teen Series
Features • Published on June 2019
Full of raging hormones, deep feelings and bursting energy, HBO’s “Euphoria” captures the contemporary Gen Z teen experience like nothing else on television. It is a panorama both…
Fred Armisen, Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega on Bringing the Wonderfully Weird ‘Los Espookys’ to HBO
Features • Published on June 2019
HBO’s “Los Espookys” turns the tables on your average TV spook fest. First it’s bilingual, in Spanish and English, with a Latinx cast, and second, this time it’s…
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler on Finding Big Laughs in Deadly Conspiracies for ‘Murder Mystery’
Features • Published on June 2019
“Murder Mystery” is that rare film perfectly true to its title. It’s a goofy, rowdy comedy that uses the murder mystery premise of countless pulp stories, games and…
Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson Are the Best Thing About ‘Men In Black: International’
Features • Published on June 2019
“Men in Black: International” features two appealing leads in what amounts to more of a reboot than a sequel. What began as goofy satire spoofing a 90s obsession…
‘The Dead Don’t Die’: Jim Jarmusch Conjures His Own Version of a Zombie Apocalypse
Features • Published on June 2019
Jim Jarmusch defines both cult director and acquired taste. Never a filmmaker to play by the rules or sell out to crass commercialism, his cinema swerves from easily accessible to…
Martin Scorsese’s ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ Turns a Legendary Bob Dylan Tour Into a Musical Dream
Features • Published on June 2019
Will we ever see an artist like Bob Dylan again? This is a question easily inspired by “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese,” a sprawling,…
‘Pose’ Season 2 Vogues Into the 90s With Style and Radical Spirit
Features • Published on June 2019
The personal starts to become political in the second season of Ryan Murphy’s extravagant series, “Pose.” Still brimming with high energy and dynamic performances, the narrative now…
It’s Hard to Keep Deadly Secrets Buried in Riveting Second Season of ‘Big Little Lies’
Features • Published on June 2019
When HBO’s adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies” premiered in 2017, it became an instant hit garnering awards and praise for its potent mixture of drama and…
‘Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City’: A Beloved Story Is Updated for a New Era
Features • Published on June 2019
Past gems continue to make comebacks. Netflix makes the latest attempt with a continuation of Armistead Maupin’s beloved “Tales of the City.” Maupin’s novels focusing on LGBTQ…
Hilary Swank Takes on Maternal Machines in Suspenseful Sci-Fi Thriller ‘I Am Mother’
Features • Published on June 2019
“I Am Mother” begins with sequences of classic, paranoid science fiction. Sometime in the future a massive “extinction event” has depopulated Earth. In a shadowy “Repopulation Facility” a…
‘Dark Phoenix’ Has Lots of Fiery Effects but the Story Fizzles Out
Features • Published on June 2019
The latest X-Men movie, “Dark Phoenix,” finds many excuses to blow things up, but few reasons for its actual plot. It takes an idea from the X-Men comic books, which served…
‘Black Mirror’ Season 5 Delivers New Haunting Visions of Our Tech-Driven Future
Features • Published on June 2019
We are living in an age when our bright, portable screens drive so much of our lives. This observation continues to make “Black Mirror” one of the best…
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 3: The Resistance Begins to Take Shape
Features • Published on June 2019
It is the images from this new season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” that linger in the memory. Rows of women with their mouths encaged, the Lincoln Memorial blown…
After a Five-Year Hiatus ‘Luther’ Returns for a Fifth Season With Flawless Intensity
Features • Published on June 2019
After nearly a five-year wait we at last get the fifth season of “Luther.” The intensity of the show remains intact, much due to Idris…
‘Deadwood: The Movie’ Finally Gives the Cult Series a Worthy and Eloquent Closure
Features • Published on May 2019
With whiskey-tinged fire and blood “Deadwood: The Movie” arrives after over a decade of expectation. Rarely do any titles get such an opportunity for a comeback. It was…
‘When They See Us’: Ava DuVernay Tells the Tragic Human Story of the Central Park Five
Features • Published on May 2019
With the poignant force of an angry memory Ava DuVernay chronicles the story of the Central Park Five in “When They See Us.”…
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Stomps and Roars Without a Tale to Tell
Features • Published on May 2019
You’re almost tempted to use some truly cliché movie poster quotes for “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” Phrases like “it will obliterate your senses” come to mind. And…
‘Killing Eve’: Season 2 Finale Raises Big Questions About Where the Show Is Going
Features • Published on May 2019
It’s customary for thrillers to end with a bang. “Killing Eve” ends its second season with a final gunshot that leaves us wondering not only what will happen…
‘She’s Gotta Have It’ Season 2: A Strong Voice Overrides Struggling Narratives
Features • Published on May 2019
The second season of Netflix’s “She’s Gotta Have It” serves as an example of how intention and craft can still overcome a slightly lacking narrative. The first season…
Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Brings an Animated Classic to Life With Much Color and Little Else
Features • Published on May 2019
“Aladdin,” Disney’s latest live action revival of a 90s classic, has most of the songs, the basics of the plot and a big blue genie. But it also…