Dramas with a war-time backdrop and Tom Hanks continue to be a crackerjack combination with GREYHOUND, the new WWII thriller that premieres on Apple TV + this…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: TOM HANKS COMMANDS A TENSE AND TAUT THRILLER IN “GREYHOUND””

  Ostensibly, the new French-language film THE TRUTH is about the relationship between an aging mother and her adult daughter, but really, it’s about actors. The way…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: DENEUVE & BINOCHE SEARCH FOR “THE TRUTH” IN FAMILY MATTERS & SHOW BIZ”

Some documentaries have such a dramatic subject, they don’t need any filmmaking bells or whistles. Such is the case with the new Netflix documentary ATHLETE A, directed…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “ATHLETE A” EARNS AN “A” AS ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST DOCUMENTARIES”

Jon Stewart is arguably the greatest political satirist of the last 20 years, so why does his new film IRRESISTIBLE feel like such a pulled punch? He’s…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “IRRESISTIBLE” RESISTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE POLITICALLY SCATHING”

Trying to tell a single-setting story in real-time is asking for trouble. Such narrative handcuffs limit the arsenal of a filmmaker and the new Amazon release 7500…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: THE NEW HIJACK THRILLER “7500” FAILS TO MAKE ITS STORY SOAR”

Original caricature by Jeff York of filmmaker Spike Lee flanked by his cast of DA 5 BLOODS. (copyright 2020) In any other week, the opening of Spike…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: BLACK SOLDIERS’ LIVES MATTER IN “DA 5 BLOODS””

Is the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film SHOWGIRLS worthy of a deep dive of analysis? Is it worthy of a 92-minute documentary, one that doesn’t include a single…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “YOU DON’T NOMI” PROBES THE CINEMATIC FAILURE OF “SHOWGIRLS””

Original caricature by Jeff York of the cast of MRS. AMERICA (copyright 2020). It seemed almost fitting that MRS. AMERICA, the FX/Hulu miniseries about the struggle to…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “MRS. AMERICA” DRAMATIZED OUR NATION’S PENCHANT FOR OPPRESSION”

Scooby-Doo, the gangly Great Dane, and his four, teen friends have been entertaining kids, and quite a few adults as well, since 1969. Originally, the Hanna-Barbera production…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: SCOOB! UPDATES THE CARTOON FRANCHISE WITH FROTHY FUN”

Original caricature by Jeff York of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in NORMAL PEOPLE. (copyright 2020) Love stories are a rare find these days on the big…… Read more “New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “NORMAL PEOPLE” IS A SEARING EXAMINATION OF LOVE AND PAIN”