07 Dec 2020

Kane and Able: “Mank,” “Sound of Metal,” and “All My Life”

By Mike Schulz

You kind of have to feel bad these days for David Fincher fanatics who genuflect at the brutal, testosterone-fueled altars of Seven and Fight Club and, to a lesser degree, Zodiac. They finally get their first new Fincher feature since 2014's Gone Girl, and it turns out that in order to even slightly enjoy the director's Mank (which premiered on Netflix this past Friday), they're required to have a pretty healthy working knowledge of Citizen Kane.

29 Nov 2020

Crood, Crude, and Crudités: “The Croods: A New Age,” “Hillbilly Elegy,” and “Happiest Season”

By Mike Schulz

The animated-comedy sequel The Croods: A New Age is like an elongated, best-ever episode of The Flintstones, and I mean that as a compliment even though I never really cared for The Flintstones.

23 Nov 2020

Chess, Please: “The Queen's Gambit,” “Trial 4,” “The Nest,” and “The Life Ahead”

By Mike Schulz

This morning, a New York Times article stated that eBay has seen a 215-percent increase in the sales of chess sets and accessories since the October debut of Netflix's limited series. If it's indeed true that The Queen's Gambit is responsible for the uptick, I wouldn't be surprised if similar sales spikes are soon reported for mod mini-dresses, digital compilations of '60s pop hits, and boyfriends who look like Dudley Dursley from the Harry Potter movies.

18 Mar 2020

A-Z INDEX: Reader Movie Reviews, 2000 - 2020

By Mike Schulz

Numbered Titles / A /  B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z / Special Features

08 Dec 2020

Now Playing: Friday, December 11, through Thursday, December 17

By Administrator

Now playing at area theaters.

24 Nov 2020

Figge Art Museum Member Movie Marathon, December 4

By Reader Staff

A trio of acclaimed, art-themed films will be screened free to members of the Figge Art Museum on December 4, with the Davenport venue hosting John Deere Auditorium screenings of 2007's My Kid Could Paint That, 2006's The Rape of Europa, and 2013's The Show That Shook the World.

17 Nov 2020

Virtual Presentation: “The Gene: An Intimate History,” November 19

By Reader Staff

Described by the U.K.'s The Telegraph as “serious-minded, informative, and knowledgeable” in its four-star review, the lauded documentary The Gene: An Intimate History – co-produced by legendary documentarian Ken Burns – will enjoy a special virtual presentation on November 19 courtesy of the Quad Cities' PBS station WQPT, with the event boasting a post-screening discussion and Q&A with the film's Emmy Award-winning director Jack Youngelson.

16 Nov 2020

Switched Blades: “Freaky” and “A Rainy Day in New York”

By Mike Schulz

Even in its one-joke way, the premise sounded promising: a high-school slasher flick in the guise of a body-switching comedy. (Or perhaps it's the other way around.) Unfortunately, though, the mild fun of writer/director Christopher Landon's Freaky pretty much ends with its set-up, and once that central conceit is established, what transpires is so oddly dull that it's like being disappointed by the same movie twice. I was hoping for Halloween meets Freaky Friday. What we get is closer to Prom Night meets Vice Versa.

09 Nov 2020

No Child Left Behind: "Let Him Go"

By Mike Schulz

Is it possible that, in our pandemic era, the cineplex experience won't be saved by young audiences for presumed blockbusters that may or may not open, but rather by dedicated groups of older moviegoers who are happy with simple stories well and elegantly told?

02 Nov 2020

Larry, Larry, Quite Contrary: “Come Play” and “2 Hearts”

By Mike Schulz

No modern horror movie, not even last November's mostly decent sequel Doctor Sleep, should have to be compared to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece The Shining. Writer/director Jacob Chase's Come Play, however, is pretty much begging for the comparisons, given that its child lead, in many shots, looks uncannily like the tormented Danny Torrance, and its title – one that instantly conjures images of creepy twin girls in a hotel hallway – all but demands to be followed by “... with Us, Danny.” Needless to say, though, Come Play is not The Shining. Sadly, despite boasting a bunch of fine elements, it's not even Doctor Sleep.

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