movie review BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER Running time: 101 minutes. Rated R (language and suicide). In select theaters. On Netflix Oct. 29. The first half of “Ballad of a Small Player,” a mysterious psychodrama starring Colin Farrell, is a sexy, hyperactive, high-roller’s “Catch Me If You Can.” As for the much worse second half, … Read more
Almost two decades ago a pair of fresh-faced British sketch comedians armed with a good idea and an able director with a cache of film stock made a charming short film called “The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island.” The 25-minute outing won a prize at the 2008 Edinburgh Film Festival, was nominated … Read more
Like many of us nowadays, I needed a reason to laugh. My mistake — encouraged by the offbeat bona fides of the British performers Tom Basden and Tim Key — was expecting “The Ballad of Wallis Island” to provide one. Bereft of chuckles or even a substantial story, this maudlin musical fable never escapes the … Read more
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” stayed at No. 1 at the box office on Black Friday, retaining the top spot in its second week on the screens. The dystopian action film took in $11.4 million on a relatively slow night at the movies, according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo. Ridley Scott’s … Read more
It was feast, not famine for “The Hunger Games” prequel. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” earned $19.1 million on Friday, its first night in theaters, according to Deadline. The Post said the dystopian action film, which is predicted to enjoy a $30-million opening weekend, leaves viewers “hungry for a meatier conclusion.” “Trolls … Read more
Belt it out, set it free and put your lighters in the air my babies, let’s talk power ballads. Whether lamenting love gone wrong or celebrating life in all its failures and majesties, roses and thorns, purple rain and vivid pain, power ballads are the FM heart beat of the human experience. The 80’s era … Read more
Welcome back, Rihanna. Six long years after releasing her last solo music, the 34-year-old pop superstar finally returned Friday with “Lift Me Up,” the first single from the upcoming “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack. And it’s so good to hear her again, you almost get chills from the moment she starts humming at the beginning … Read more