Joe Versus The Volcano
March 9, 1990 | If, as the poet noted, most men lead lives of quiet desperation, then Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) truly is an exceptional fellow: His desperately unhappy life…
Chameleon Street
January 3, 1992 | Sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Two years ago this month, Wendell B. Harris Jr. copped the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival…
Field of Dreams
April 21, 1989 | It’s difficult, even more difficult than hitting a high, hard one into the stands at the Astrodome. And yet, somehow, the people who made a wonderful…
Eyes Wide Shut
July 16, 1999 | Stanley Kubrick knew what you’d be expecting, and maybe even hoping for, when you bought a ticket to see Eyes Wide Shut. And so, during the opening seconds…
In Another Country
March 2, 2013 | French actress Isabelle Huppert isn’t only the star of In Another Country, she’s also the center of gravity for this playfully wispy yet oddly captivating doodle by…
Bull Durham
June 15, 1988 | Bull Durham is a riotously funny and rigorously earthy romantic comedy about life, love and the pursuit of baseballs. Scriptwriter Ron Shelton (Under Fire) scores a…
Manhunter
August 15, 1986 | These days, Michael Mann is best known as the executive producer of Miami Vice, the sleek and stylish TV series that places a high premium on…
Howard the Duck
August 1, 1986 | Howard the Duck isn’t kid stuff. It's a wack!-wack!-wacky comedy-adventure, but much of its humor has a sarcastic, satirical edge best appreciated by teen-agers and adults.…
Lone Star
June 27, 1996 | Early in John Sayles’ Lone Star, there is a heated discussion about textbooks that, quite obviously, is really about something else. The scene is a parent-teacher meeting…
El Mariachi
March 12, 1993 | With El Mariachi, his already near-legendary debut feature, Robert Rodriguez establishes himself as a filmmaker of impressive self-assurance and — considering his puny budget of $7,000 and…