Review: Dora and the Lost City of Gold

by Tony Ruggio

Dora the Explorer was after my time, a cartoon for young children that came around long after my Saturday morning cartoon days were over. And yet, despite being one completely uninitiated and cynical thirtysomething, I found Dora and the Lost City of Gold to be a charming delight. Aged up from the show, Dora’s now a teenager who has spent many of her formative years in the jungle with a pair of well-meaning archeologist parents (Michael Peña, Eva Longoria). Thrust into high school in Los Angeles, she’s an odd duck and beacon of positivity amid the cynical squalor of American modernity. Suck out all pretension and she’s simply the smartest, kindest person in the room. 

Isabella Moner is a bright-eyed, exuberant presence as Dora, always ready to sing or swing into a grand adventure...

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"Four Weddings and..." this is a mistake

by Deborah Lipp

Last night I sat down to watch Hulu's new series, Four Weddings and a Funeral. First I looked in their “TV” section and couldn’t find it. Then I looked in their “Originals” section – it wasn’t there. Then I searched. “F” and “FO” did not bring it up. The only result for “FOU” was Found. I had to enter the R before the title appeared in my search results.

Folks, be warned: Even the network is hiding it...

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A scattershot weekend at the box office. What did you see?

Since we haven't done a massive box office chart of everything in wide release (800+ screens) and the corresponding specialty titles in a month or so, let's do that shall we? What did you see on this scattershot weekend that had literally 9 new releases premiering and nothing truly dominant? After the jump the full chart and some context about The Farewell's major financial success (and Oscar dreams)...

Weekend Box Office August 9th-11th (Actuals) 🔺 = new or expanding / ★ = recommended
W I D E	PLATFORM / LIMITED
1 Hobbs & Shaw $25.2 (cum. $108.3) REVIEW  ★	1 🔺 The Farewell $2 on 704 screens (cum. $10.2) PERSONAL TAKE, INTERVIEW  ★

2 🔺  Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark $20.9 *new*	2 🔺  Maiden $258k on 173 screens (cum. $1.9)  REVIEW ★

3 The Lion King  $20.2 (cum. $473.3) REVIEW	3 🔺   The Peanut Butter Falcon $204k on 17 screens *new* REVIEW ★

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Review: GLOW (Season 3)

By Spencer Coile 

Despite its criminal underperformance at the Emmys this year (only scoring 5 nominations), the second season of GLOW was a marvelous piece of television. After an equally impressive first season, season 2 found the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling coalescing into a tighter ensemble. It was no longer just a vehicle for stars Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron. Each gorgeous lady had a rich history waiting to be told. Against the backdrop of grungy L.A., set to a mix of 80’s synth pop, GLOW pulsated with life, energy, and plenty of risks waiting to be taken. 

Season 2 ended with an offer for the ladies to adapt their syndicated show to an act in Las Vegas. Starship’s triumphant “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” begins to play as they board the bus that will land them in completely uncharted territory. With this notable shift in scenery, does GLOW season 3 pack the same punch? Pun intended...

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Horror Actressing: Sigourney Weaver in "Copycat"

by Jason Adams

Something I look forward to every single year, Film at Lincoln Center's annual week-long "Scary Movies" series, is hitting here in New York this forthcoming weekend -- check out the entire stellar run of films at this link here. While I'm most excited for Ari Aster's "Director's Cut" of Midsommar, which runs half an hour longer than the one we saw in theaters, they're mixing up showings of brand new flicks and old under-screened classics in ways that really set my toes to tingle. 

In that vein I was tempted to use this week's edition of our "Great Moments in Horror Actressing" series to talk about a performance not very many people have seen yet -- that of Maeve Higgins in Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman's horror-comedy Extra Ordinary, which I saw this past month thanks to the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal (here's my review) and which is screening this weekend at FLC. Maeve, in her first leading lady role, absolutely shines. 

But we'll save that for when the very funny movie gets a proper release. Especially since FLC is also screening Jon Amiel's terrifically under-valued 1995 serial killer flick Copycat, starring two of our great actresses, Holly Hunter and today's focus-of-post, Sigourney effing Weaver...

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