THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) Starring Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Benedict Hardie, Amali Golden, Sam Smith, Zara Michaels, Anthony Brandon Wong, Myles Rice, Nash Edgerton, Dennis Kreusler, Michael Knott, Randolph Fields, Serag Mohamed and Bianca Pomponio. Screenplay by Leigh Whannell. Directed by Leigh Whannell. Distributed by Universal Pictures. 110 minutes. Rated R. Occasionally as a film reviewer – hell, as a fil

Sherlock Gnomes SHERLOCK GNOMES (2018) Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Demetriou, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Ashley Jensen, Matt Lucas, Julie Walters, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, James Hong, Matt Lucas, Kelly Asbury and Elton John. Screenplay by Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley, Ben Zazove. Directed by John Stevenson. Distributed by Paramount Pictures. 86 minutes. Rated PG. Be still my fangirl heart.  The ga

Murder on the Orient Express MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017) Starring Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Daisy Ridley, Marwan Kenzari, Olivia Colman, Lucy Boynton, Manuel Garcia-Fulfo, Sergei Polunin, Tom Bateman and Miranda Raison. Screenplay by Michael Green. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Distributed by 20th Century Fox. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. Agatha Christie was one of the

Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Men Tell No Tales PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (2017) Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Angus Barnett, Martin Klebba, Adam Brown, Giles New, Paul McCartney, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson. Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. 1

Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern at the New York press day for “Wilson.” Woody Harrelson & Laura Dern Being Brutally Honest About Wilson by Jay S. Jacobs We all know a guy like Wilson, a jaded eccentric who is as fascinated by people as his is offended by them. When casting Daniel (Ghost World) Clowes’ popular graphic novel about a middle-aged curmudgeon trying to find a reason in life by tracking down his ex-wife, and then the adult daughter he never knew he had, director Crai

Alice Through the Looking Glass ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (2016) Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Rhys Ifans, Matt Lucas, Lindsay Duncan, Leo Bill, Geraldine James, Andrew Scott, Richard Armitage, Ed Speleers, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, Stephen Fry, Barbara Windsor, Michael Sheen and Matt Vogel. Screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Directed by James Bobin. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.  11

Into the Woods INTO THE WOODS (2014) Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, Mackenzie Mauzy, Chris Pine, Billy Magnussen, Christine Baranski, Lucy Punch, Johnny Depp, Tracey Ullman, Tammy Blanchard, Mackenzie Mauzy, Simon Russell Beale, Annette Crosbie, Richard Glover and Frances de la Tour. Screenplay by James Lapine. Directed by Rob Marshall. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.  124 minutes.  Rated PG. Director

Keira Knightley in “Pride & Prejudice.” KEIRA KNIGHTLEY DUAL IDENTITIES by Brad Balfour Though she could easily coast on her adorable smile and refined good looks, twenty-year-old British actress Keira Knightley likes challenges. Within the space of a few days she had to shift from playing the brainy yet biting heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, in the 18th century period drama Pride and Prejudice to the close-cropped gun toting bounty hunter Domino Harvey. And within a matter of mon

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (2005) Starring Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Adam Godley, Franziska Troegner, Annasophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz, Blair Dunlop, Liz Smith, Eileen Essell, David Morris, Nitin Ganata and Shelley Conn. Screenplay by John August. Directed by Tim Burton. Distributed by Warner Brothers Picture

Johnny Depp In Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Master Actor Gets Deep Into the Role of Willie Wonka by Brad Balfour Though often nominated as one of the world’s best looking men as well as for various Oscars [Finding Neverland, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl], the 40-something Johnny Depp inspires fascination. But it’s not for his looks or love life but for his attraction to the offbeat roles that he does that play against his star qualities. And

Breakfast With Hunter BREAKFAST WITH HUNTER  (2004) Featuring Hunter S. Thompson, George Plimpton, Ralph Steadman,  P.J. O’Rourke, Jann Wenner, Robert Chalmers, Alex Cox, Roxanne Pulitzer, George McGovern, Johnny Depp, Benecio Del Toro, Matt Dillon, Terry Gilliam, Warren Zevon, George Plimpton and John Cusack. Written by Wayne Ewing. Directed by Wayne Ewing. Distributed by Wayne Ewing Films and Gonzo International.  91 minutes.  Not Rated. Even in his heyday, Dr. Hunter S. Th

From Hell FROM HELL  (2001) Starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson, Jason Flemyng, Katrin Cartlidge, Terence Harvey, Susan Lynch, Paul Rhys, Lesley Sharp and Estelle Skornik. Screenplay by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias. Directed by The Hughes Brothers. Distributed by 20th Century Fox.  121 minutes.   Rated R. The hardest thing about making a film from such a familiar story as that of Jack the Ripper is the expectations.  The story ha

Blow BLOW  (2001) Starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ray Liotta, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens, Franka Potente, Jordi Molla, Miquel Sandoval, Max Perlich, Bob Goldthwait, Michael Tucci and James King. Screenplay by David McKenna and Nick Cassavettes. Directed by Ted Demme. Distributed by New Line Pictures.  124 minutes.  Rated R. There is a long tradition in Hollywood of films that celebrate crime while claiming to speak out against it.  Blow is in its own way as glitzy an

Chuck E. Weiss Chuck E. Weiss Chuck E.’s In Love by Jay S. Jacobs “How come he don’t come and p.l.p. with me down at the meter no more…” With that opening line to a hit song in 1979, singer/songwriter Chuck E. Weiss was introduced to American popular culture. Problem was he didn’t write the song – or even sing it. In fact, “Chuck E.’s In Love” was about him, a tribute written by friend Rickie Lee Jones. No one really ever expected the song to become a smash hit. But it did, w