Highball (1997) ***

A terrific ensemble cast elevates this endearingly funny look at 20-something friends over the course of a year. Proof that you don't need $200 million to make a good movie.

Wuthering Heights (1970) **

Gorgeously produced and photographed but never rises above overwrought melo unlike some previous verions.

May December (2023) ***

Natalie Portman is the standout in this thoughtful, interestingly shot melo.

Waiting for Guffman (1996) ***

Hilarious send up of small town bumpkins and the let's-put-on-a-show mockumentary genre. Stellar cast.

A Night at the Opera (1935) ***

Probably their best flick. If only they could avoid those piano and harp solos that bring the festivities to a screeching halt.

Maestro (2023) **

Very well crafted biopic with stellar lead performances and one of the best makeup jobs I have ever seen, but the directorial gimmicks are annoying and the screenplay assumes you know and love the subject already and that's a big mistake.

Icarus XB 1 (1963) **

Obvious influence on 2001 and Star Trek, this imaginative space opera's interior design and photography make up for what it lacks in special effects, and that's quite a bit. Not much of a story, but so well and earnestly done it doesn't matter.

2023 In Review: Movies

*** Asteroid City
*** Barbie
*** The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
** Bottoms
** Killers of the Flower Moon
** Priscilla
** The Holdovers
* Heart of Stone