NEW YORK (CNS) -- Far-fetched and ham-fisted, the grim fantasy "Antebellum" (Lionsgate) is marked by an outlook on timely racial issues that lacks both balance and a humane spirit. Written and directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, the film also is tainted by a pursuit of revenge that viewers committed to Christian values will recognize as appealing to its audience's worst impulses.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Though it claims to be based on true events, the political thriller "Infidel" (Cloudburst) might as well have a soundtrack of axes being ground. In dealing with religious conflict in Iran, it stereotypes Muslims as having beaky noses, scowling constantly and being prone to wishing, and committing, violence on those who disrespect Islam.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Controversy has surrounded the airing on Netflix of the French film "Cuties" ("Mignonnes"). There have been numerous accusations that the movie sexually exploits the preteen members of its cast and the streaming service withdrew a provocative ad for "Cuties" saying that it did not properly represent the picture's overall content.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Shoddy values undermine the appeal of writer-director Natalie Krinsky's romantic comedy "The Broken Hearts Gallery" (Sony). In fact, the generally debased outlook on matters sexual that drives much of the film's humor makes it unsuitable for movie fans of any age.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The early medieval "Ballad of Mulan" tells of the exploits of a heroine who, disguised as a man, distinguished herself as a warrior. In 1998, this classic of Chinese folk literature served as the basis for an animated feature that gained both popular and critical success. Now, director Niki Caro's live-action take, "Mulan" (Disney), is available for a fee on the streaming service Disney+.
Read more
"The Risk of the Cross: Living Gospel Nonviolence in the Nuclear Age" by Arthur Laffin. Twenty-Third Publications (New London, Connecticut, 2020). 130 pp., $16.95. "A World Free from Nuclear Weapons: The Vatican Conference on Disarmament," edited by Drew Christiansen, SJ, and Carole Sargent. Georgetown University Press (Washington, 2020). 158 pp., $24.95.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Of the numerous film adaptations of Charles Dickens' autobiographical 1850 novel, "The Personal History of David Copperfield" (Fox Searchlight) may rank as the happiest. As directed by Armando Iannucci, who adapted the screenplay with Simon Blackwell, the movie finds Copperfield (Ranveer Jaiswal and Jairaj Varsani as a boy, Dev Patel as a man) facing life's challenges, which include child labor, rocky romances, financial instability and duplicitous colleagues, with a hero's grace and the joy of a secular saint.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Remember Bill & Ted? Way back in 1989, they had an "Excellent Adventure" while two years later they experienced a "Bogus Journey." Nearly three decades on from that second teen outing, the two amiable, time-traveling knuckleheads -- played, as ever, by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves -- return for "Bill & Ted Face the Music" (Orion/United Artists). In doing so they demonstrate, if nothing else, that being middle aged (if not yet mature exactly) hasn't slowed them down much.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Billed as the 13th and final installment of the "X-Men" film series, "The New Mutants" (20th Century) slams the lid on the coffin of a once-mighty franchise with a resounding thud. Director Josh Boone ("The Fault in Our Stars"), who co-wrote the screenplay with Knate Lee, serves up a distasteful and derivative horror thriller based on a set of Marvel Comics.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- In 1956, Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, established a program designed, in part, to expose young city dwellers to the glories of the wilderness. It was named the Duke of Edinburgh's Award after the title he holds as a member of the Royal Family.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- A seemingly desperate desire to be outrageous leaves the sports-themed animated comedy "Hoops" registering as not only vulgar but, at times, morally unhinged. The first 10-episode season of the show, created by Ben Hoffman, is streaming now on Netflix.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The title of NBC's medical drama "Transplant" carries several meanings. As a resident at Toronto's York Memorial Hospital, for instance, its protagonist, Syrian refugee and emergency room doctor Bashir "Bash" Hamed (Hamza Haq, "Quantico"), is a transplant to a new country and health system.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Here are some television program notes for the week of Sept. 6 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by Catholic News Service.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Sept. 6. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Fatima" (Picturehouse), a fact-based drama from director and co-writer Marco Pontecorvo, recounts what may rank as the most remarkable series of religious events of modern times. Namely, the 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary (Joana Ribeiro) to three shepherd children near the Portuguese city of the title.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Much like the early-'90s R.E.M. song "Everybody Hurts," the somber drama "Chemical Hearts" (Amazon) aims to send young people the message that being a teenager is an experience that can be survived and a condition from which recovery is possible.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- In the case of a physical ailment, distinguishing between the patient and his or her disease is a straightforward matter. That distinction is -- or, at least, can be -- less clear when it comes to mental illness.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Real-life father and son Liam Neeson and Micheal Richardson team up to play a fictional parent-grown-child duo in "Made in Italy" (IFC), a blend of comedy, drama and romance written and directed by James D'Arcy.
Read more
NEW YORK (CNS) -- "The Secret Garden" (STX) is the fourth film adaptation of the beloved 1911 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924). It joins such recent films as 2019's "Little Women" in introducing today's children to classic tales.
Read more
taskkill /IM chromedriver.exe /F /TParishes in communities with high COVID counts told to follow protocols By Jacqueline Tetrault Pilot Staff BRAINTREE – In light of new information about the incidence of COVID-19 cases in different Massachusetts cities and towns, the archdiocese has specified requirements that parishes in communities with high case rates must follow in order to avoid spreading the virus.
Read more