Josh Bell
Story Archive
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Screen
‘Denial’ explores a landmark court case with mixed results
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 The true story of the long libel case regarding Holocaust denial is a fascinating legal and historical milestone.
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Screen
'Keeping Up With the Joneses' bungles its action and comedy
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 It plays like a Chevy Chase comedy from the '90s, but even Chevy would have known to stay away.
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The second 'Jack Reacher' finds him bonding with a rebellious teen
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 Naturally, he punches and kicks a bunch of people.
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Screen
Kevin Hart delivers more crowd-pleasing stand-up in ‘What Now?’
Friday, Oct. 14, 2016 Hart turns every one of his rich person’s problems into a reflection on his own insecurities.
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'Mascots' reunites Christopher Guest’s mockumentary all-stars
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 The whole thing is probably worth seeing just to hear Chris O’Dowd say “mascotery” in his Irish brogue.
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'American Honey' finds sympathy for dirtbags
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 Director Andrea Arnold captures a striking look at American life on the margins with some beautiful cinematography.
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Guns and numbers: Ben Affleck expertly handles both in idiotic thriller 'The Accountant'
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 The action is surrounded by increasingly far-fetched and clumsily delivered exposition.
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Screen
Five great Vegas movies to watch again (or for the first time)
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 From Thor at the Bus Top to a Nic Cage thriller.
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Screen
The giant monster returns to Japan in the offbeat ‘Shin Godzilla’
Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 As the monster takes its more familiar shape, it looks more dangerous and evil.
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Screen
French WWII drama 'Come What May' lacks a distinctive perspective
Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 The residents of one small French town attempting to make their way to safety as the German army marches across the countryside.
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Screen
YouTube star Issa Rae comes to HBO in the refreshing ‘Insecure’
Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 Rae gives a star-making performance as a somewhat aimless and, yes, insecure woman who’s not entirely sure how she feels about her job and her boyfriend.
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Film
'The Girl on the Train' plays out like a conventional mystery
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 It's a conventional mystery with a conventional outcome.
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Film
'The Birth of a Nation' depicts an ugly chapter in American history
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 The film is powerful, but lacks the artistry of a movie like 12 Years a Slave.
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Screen
Chess drama ‘Queen of Katwe’ provides familiar inspiration
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016 Disney’s new family-friendly drama meticulously follows the beats of the inspirational sports movie.
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Screen
A great cast can’t overcome the indie clichés of ‘The Hollars’
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 Sharlto Copley gives what may be his first performance as a normal human being.
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Indie drama ‘Max Rose’ has Jerry Lewis, but not much else
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 For fans who find even the footnotes worthwhile, there’s something to appreciate.
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Screen
Animated movie Storks takes a bizarre premise in a dull direction
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 Cute trumps weird as the filmmaker of adult fare like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" aims for the family.
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Screen
The new MacGyver recaptures the original’s hokey action
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 Mac is back—now with more violence and sex appeal, fitting in well with CBS' low-ambition crime dramas.
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TV
Kiefer Sutherland plays a president in crisis in ‘Designated Survivor’
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 Like last season’s ABC drama Quantico, Designated Survivor opens with far too much complicated plotting.
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TV
‘Lethal Weapon’ loses its unique charm in the transition to TV
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 Roger Murtaugh isn't the only one getting too old for this you-know-what.
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Screen
Film review: Bridget Jones returns for more romantic entanglements
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 Zellweger is still immensely likable as Bridget, but her antics aren't as endearing as they were 15 years ago.
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Rachel Weisz shines in the enticing but frustrating ‘Complete Unknown’
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 She's fantastic as a woman who slips effortlessly into different personas.
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Screen
Film review: Oliver Stone's 'Snowden' is surprisingly straightforward
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 For anyone interested in the story, Poitras’ Oscar-winning 2014 documentary Citizenfour is a better starting point.
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Screen
'Sully' has trouble expanding on a decisive act of heroism
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 Despite a reliable performance from Tom Hanks, stretching a plane crash's 208 seconds into 96 minutes proves difficult for director Clint Eastwood.
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Screen
'Son of Zorn' quickly exhausts its one-joke premise
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 The incongruity of seeing a foul-mouthed He-Man among the live-action Southern California suburbs is the only joke this TV show has to offer.
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Features
Fall TV shows worth watching and others to keep an eye on or avoid
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 Catch Atlanta and Pitch, watch This Is Us at your own risk.
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Features
Fall movies to keep you busy all season
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 From The Birth of a Nation to Doctor Strange to Trolls to Blair Witch, get ready to spend some time at the movies.
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Screen
'Morgan' offers little variation on its killer-kid premise
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016 Paul Giamatti, Brian Cox, Michelle Yeoh and Jennifer Jason Leigh show up in small roles.
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Noise
Britney Spears shows more personality on her latest album
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016 The princess of pop is back.
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Screen
Horror movie 'Don’t Breathe' makes some fatal missteps
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 What started as an intense, gripping thriller becomes a ridiculous cartoon.
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Film review: 'Don't Think Twice'
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 Mike Birbiglia stays focused on the genuine camaraderie among the characters and never forgets the humor.
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The Obamas go on a momentous first date in the awkward ‘Southside With You’
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 The film attempts to fit the future Obamas into a sort of Before Sunrise-style indie romance, with uneven results.
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Mel Gibson gets entertainingly sleazy in thriller ‘Blood Father’
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016 It's an enjoyable but slightly scuzzy movie for an actor who’s free to make them.
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Screen
Laika delivers more amazing stop-motion in ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 Pixar gets all the attention but Laika has built up a body of work nearly as impressive with a creative voice that’s just as distinctive.
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Japanese drama 'Our Little Sister' presents an affecting slice of life
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 Minor conflicts arise and build but nothing truly threatens the bond that these sisters have.
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Screen
'Ben-Hur' fails to justify remaking a classic film
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 The filmmakers amp up the violence and focus on the revenge story.
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Screen
Obnoxious dudes become arms dealers in 'War Dogs'
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 There's just enough comedy to entice the audience while treating the true story it’s based on with appropriate seriousness.
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Screen
'Hell or High Water' provides some of the best movie thrills of the year
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 In a bleak landscape, a pair of outlaw brothers and a weary lawman do what they can to bring a little sanity to their hardscrabble existence.
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Screen
'Florence Foster Jenkins' doesn't hit a high note
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 Meryl Streep plays the famously bad singer.
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Screen
French period drama ‘The Innocents’ makes for tough but rewarding viewing
Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 The film focuses on a French Red Cross volunteer in Poland after World War II who discovers nuns at a nearby convent have been forcibly impregnated by Russian soldiers.
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Screen
'Suicide Squad' feels overly cramped with super-villains
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 It's an ensemble piece with nearly a dozen main characters, telling origin stories for half of them.
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'Life, Animated' explores an autistic man’s cartoon salvation
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 The film shows how an autistic man learned to communicate with others via his obsession with Disney animated movies.
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Lovely if uneven animated movie ‘The Little Prince’ finally comes to the U.S. via Netflix
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 An adaptation of French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved 1943 children’s book.
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Screen
'Jason Bourne' makes an entertaining but inessential return
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 As an action hero, Bourne is as effective as ever. As a character, though, he probably should have been allowed to stay off the grid.
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Screen
Viggo Mortensen plays an unconventional dad in festival favorite ‘Captain Fantastic’
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 A movie about challenging conventional wisdom eventually succumbs to just that.
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Screen
Social-media thriller ‘Nerve’ lacks the courage of its convictions
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 The film takes a long time to get beyond ABC Family levels of teen drama.
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Screen
‘Star Trek Beyond’ makes another strong addition to the rebooted series
Friday, July 22, 2016 It’s just like a Star Trek episode—in only the best way.
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Film review: 'Lights Out'
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Audiences just looking for a handful of jump moments might find the horror flick satisfactory.
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Screen
The five greatest 'Star Trek' movie villains of all time
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Our list starts with Shinzon. But who took the top spot?