By Jim Tortolano Most true spy stories are not very pulse-pounding. They involve routine, even tedious collection of seemingly innocuous information that somebody else makes sense of. But every once in a […]
I spy a tedious “The Courier”
Don’t mess with a “Nobody”
By Jim Tortolano Ever have a revenge fantasy? Anything from wanting to punch out the bully from fifth grade, or launching a devastating response to the fashion insults launched at you […]
OC’s big attractions will return
This summer will look a little more normal as three of Orange County’s top attractions plan to be reopened, but don’t expect the experience to match up precisely with your memories. Yes, […]
Bird Talk: some high-flying wings
By Jim and Marilyn Tortolano You’ve heard – or maybe used the term – “just wing it.” That usually means to improvise quickly or carelessly, the outcome of the finished product […]
A bird … a plane … a mistake
By Jim Tortolano Comic book iconoclast Howard Chaykin once quipped that the “Golden Age of comics is … 12.” By that, he meant that the art of sequential story-telling was forever trapped […]
“Coming 2 America” reprises well
By Jim Tortolano In an especially giggle-worthy part of the new “Coming 2 America” sequel to the 1988 Eddie Murphy film about an African prince who journeys to America to find a […]
Radicalism on trial in “Trial”
By Jim Tortolano Any movie or television show written and/or directed by Aaron Sorkin is bound to be literate, thought-provoking and timely. But his work sometimes gets mired in the left-lane […]
“Mank” a companion to “Kane”
By Jim Tortolano How do you make a great film about the making of a historically great motion picture that hardly anyone under the age of 60 remembers? Well, start with a […]
This “One Night” pucks a punch
By Jim Tortolano These black lives mattered a lot. And how they saw the future for themselves and their people makes the new Amazon Original film “One Night in Miami” a riveting […]
“Little Things”: little originality
By Jim Tortolano OK, so imagine The Equalizer vs. The Joker. Now you have the heart of the new crime film, “The Little Things” starring Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek […]
