Dann Gire
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Futuristic film 'Equals' suffers from lethargy, indifferenceJul 21, 2016 5:15 am - The one thing that Drake Doremus' cautionary, futuristic drama "Equals" never catches is its own deadly disease, Switched On Syndrome - SOS - a severe, debilitating cond...
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'Lights Out' a monster mash-up of clever innovations, horror conventionsJul 21, 2016 5:00 am - Turn the light off. You see the frightening silhouette of a crazed female brandishing Wolverine fingernails in the next room. Turn the light on. Nothing there. Turn the ...
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Gire remembers late Garry Marshall: 'I like to make people laugh'Jul 20, 2016 1:00 am - "I rose to great heights of mediocrity in many different fields." That's how TV producer/movie director Garry Marshall described his career during our first interview in...
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Readers 'pet'-rified by negative film reviewJul 14, 2016 5:00 am - My review last week detailing the skewed moral compass of "The Secret Life of Pets" filmmakers didn't fare all that well with some Daily Herald readers. I called "Pets" ...
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Well-acted domestic drama not quite 'Fantastic'Jul 14, 2016 5:00 am - The sharply crafted domestic drama "Captain Fantastic" propels home-schooling into "home-higher-education." Radical individualist dad Ben Cash (a fiercely committed Vigg...
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Who ya gonna call? Maybe not these 'Ghostbusters'Jul 12, 2016 11:00 pm - Not as clever as the 1984 “Ghostbusters.” Funnier than the 1989 sequel. Paul Feig's bold female reboot of the beloved Ivan Reitman comedy qualifies as a disappointment a...
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'Incredibly hyper' Crystal Lake native loves casting movies, TVJul 12, 2016 5:00 am - Growing up in Crystal Lake, Brittani Smith knew what she wanted to do with her life. Become a casting director. You know, the person who finds the right actors and match...
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Bryan Cranston makes fact-based 'Infiltrator' workJul 11, 2016 11:00 pm - Bryan Cranston breaks good in "The Infiltrator." So good that his complex, in-the-moment portrait of real-life undercover drug agent Robert Mazur compensates for the def...
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'Pets' peeve: Engaging kids film glorifies bullyingJul 07, 2016 5:45 am - The moral compass of the people behind the animated "The Secret Life of Pets" needs a serious tuneup. This cartoonish series of action vignettes glorifies bullying and t...
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'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' a joyously humanistic adventure filmJul 07, 2016 5:45 am - Every narrative thread in Taika Waititi's joyously humanistic, sweetly endearing New Zealand adventure leads to one seemingly minor gesture, a simple hug. But in this gl...