“New Zoo Revue” was a half-hour children’s television series with almost 200 episodes that ran in syndication from 1972–77 and then in reruns for many more years. It was colorful and tuneful and funny but most of all it was sweet and sincere, created by composer Doug Momary, who co-hosted…

Charlie Bucket is still finding the golden ticket for a tour of Willie Wonka’s candy factory, almost 50 years after Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was originally published. A new movie prequel is in the works, starring Timothee Chalamet. The book first came out just as I was…

On Labor Day pay tribute to workers, especially those who have worked for better conditions for everyone. These movies can help us understand their challenges and their contributions. This year in particular these stories have even more resonance as the very people who make the movies, the writers and…

The season of superheroes and car chases is over, and it’s time for some of the movies we will probably see at awards time. A few films, including “Dune 2,” have been delayed due to the continuing SAG-AFTRA/WAG strike. But there is still plenty to look forward to. Here are…

Each August, if we’re lucky, we get to see breakthrough talent in the August movie releases, where the indie darlings and festival hits make it to theaters. This month there are two actors making sensational appearances in two different films and I can’t wait to…

B + Wherever you think this is going, I can guarantee you will be surprised. Based on the book by National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson, “Landscape with Invisible Hand” is a story about the aftermath of an alien invasion of Earth, but not like one we’ve seen before. This is not…

D “Strays” is about 90 minutes long, but if you removed every f-word and reference to genitals and their various properties and functions it would be about ten minutes long, and most of the remainder would be the characters’ mushroom-inspired hallucinations resulting in the fatal mauling of a bunny. Those…

B + Yes, a cool, bulletproof super-suit that can fly you to space and manifest any weapon you can think of is great, but “Blue Beetle” makes it clear that the real super-powers here are a devoted family and a culture of resilience and make-do. Jaime Reyes, played by the very…

When people tell me about their favorite movies, one title is mentioned more often than any other — “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Director Frank Capra was known for “Capra-corn,” warm-hearted films that paid tribute to the common people. James Stewart was one of his favorite leading men. Their films together…