‘The Little Things’ isn’t big enough

“The Little Things” –  Kern County sits north of greater Los Angeles and east of San Luis Obispo.  Strikingly shaped like Montana, it’s over 8,000 square miles – about twice the size of its little sister, Los Angeles County – and it sports wide-open spaces, agriculture and gasoline production, and Bakersfield, its anchor city.   Although Kern and Los Angeles Counties are related, they couldn’t be more opposite. Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington) – a casual, matter-of-fact, going-about-his-business assistant lawman – spent much of his career in…

Five Troubling Crime Thrillers from the 2010s

Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto star in a serial killer story, “The Little Things”, and director/writer John Lee Hancock’s film opens in theatres and on HBO Max on Jan. 29.  To commemorate this star-studded movie, let’s look back at five recent crime thrillers that may have flown under your radar.  If you appreciate the genre, these five outstanding – but deeply troubling – pictures are worth a look.  Just lock the doors and turn on the lights.  You’ve been warned.   “Compliance” (2012) – In director/writer Craig Zobel’s…

Watch this Viola Davis double feature on her birthday

Happy Birthday, Viola Davis!  Yes, this Oscar-winning actress turns 55 years young on August 11, and she’s starred in countless films since 1996, including “Out of Sight” (1998), “Far From Heaven” (2002), “Doubt” (2008), “The Help” (2011), and “Suicide Squad” (2016).  To celebrate her birthday, we recommend this terrific Davis Double Feature! In “Fences” (2016), Viola delivered an Oscar-gold performance as Rose Maxson, a wife and mom who is confronted head-on by her disconnected husband Troy (Denzel Washington). ⭐⭐⭐  out of  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ When Veronica’s (Davis) husband (Liam Neeson) dies during a…