Crisis (2021) Movie Review: Surprisingly Disappointing

Poster of the movie Crisis depicts an action scene

With heavy inspiration drawn from movies like Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, Nicholas Jarecki’s Crisis takes a look at America’s addiction to opioids via three separate stories and makes as effective a statement as Mr. Garrison when he tells the kids of South Park, “Drugs are bad, m’kay.” Even with an A-list cast, and an intriguing setup,…

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Lady Sings the Blues Blu-ray Review: Good Morning Heartache

Cinema Sentries

Allow me to state this upfront: In Lady Sings the Blues (1972; dir. Sidney J. Furie), Diana Ross gives a colossal performance as troubled jazz singer Billie “Lady Day” Holiday (1914-1959). But for Ross, the film would be a garden-variety showbiz bio-drama—a solid depiction of Holiday’s drug woes and the segregated times in which she…

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Smooth Talk is the Pick of the Week

Cinema Sentries

There have been so many tales of adolescence and teenage portraits of sexual and social mores than most people can shake a leg with. However, only a few of them manage to age well and provide a certain of relevancy and real-world humanity. Joyce Chopra’s strangely lyrical 1985 portrait Smooth Talk, is definitely one of…

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Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: The Complete Series DVD Review

Cinema Sentries

Previously an exclusive from Time Life, the landmark variety show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: The Complete Series is now available at retail locations.  The 37-disc set presents 140 unedited episodes that aired over six seasons from January 22, 1968 to March 12, 1973. As I mentioned in my review of The Complete First Season, “The…

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Fear of Rain Blu-ray Giveaway

Cinema Sentries

Cinema Sentries has teamed up with Lionsgate Home Entertainment to award one lucky reader a Fear of Rain Blu-ray Combo. It is currently available to own via purchase on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital. For those wanting to learn more, read from the publicity notes below: For teenager Rain Burroughs (Madison Iseman), a diagnosis with schizophrenia means…

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