Film Critic
Chief film critic for The Wrap and co-host of the podcast Linoleum Knife
PROFILE
Alonso Duralde
Guest
FROM Alonso Duralde
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What to watch at Outfest? Outfest opened at the Orpheum Theatre downtown on Thursday night, and continues through July 22. The film festival features LGBTQ-oriented stories. This year, two-thirds of the movies are by people of color, transgender filmmakers, and women.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Josh Brolin starts a 'war with everyone' in 'Sicario: Day of the Soldado' Our critics review “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” in which drug cartels are trafficking terrorists across the US-Mexico border; “Uncle Drew,” a street basketball comedy; and “Leave No Trace,” about a father and his daughter whose idyllic lives in Oregon are changed.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Another week, another Marvel movie Our critics review “Deadpool 2,” an action comedy sequel about a sarcastic crime-fighter; “Book Club,” a feel-good movie about four lifelong friends who make bold life choices after reading “Fifty Shades of Grey;” and “First Reformed,” a drama about a former military chaplain struggling with the death of his son.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What's up with the giant flying wolf in 'Rampage?' Our critics review “Rampage,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a primatologist who shares a strong bond with a gorilla; “Truth or Dare,” another horror film from Blumhouse Productions; “The Rider,” which won the Art Cinema Award at Cannes, and follows a rodeo cowboy who suffers a near-fatal head injury.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How well does Alicia Vikander pull off Tomb Raider? Our critics review the “Tomb Raider” remake, this time starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft; “Love, Simon,” starring Nick Robinson as a gay, still-closeted high school kid; and “Ramen Heads,” a documentary about ramen in Japan.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Transgender woman takes the lead in 'A Fantastic Woman' Our critics review the Oscar-nominated “A Fantastic Woman,” about a transgender cabaret singer in Santiago who’s dealing with the death of her lover, and is barred from the funeral; “On Body and Soul,” the only Oscar nominee with a woman director; “Winchester,” a horror film based on the mystery house in San Jose. Also just announced: Tom Hanks will play Mr. Rogers in a biopic.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What movies should you watch this Christmas? Christmas movies are hard to avoid on TV, even if you don’t celebrate the holiday. You know the classics, such as ”It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story.” There are less traditional Christmas favorites like “Home Alone” and “Love Actually.” But maybe you’re looking for something more obscure to get you in the spirit.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What does 'Call Me By Your Name' contribute to queer cinema? Our critics review Pixar’s “Coco,” which follows young musician Miguel as he enters the Land of the Dead; “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” about how author Charles Dickens created “A Christmas Carol;” “Call Me By Your Name,” an Italian summer love story between two men; and “Darkest Hour,” starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in 1940 during WWII.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
In 'Brad's Status,' is Ben Stiller a loveable sad sack? Our critics review “Brad’s Status,” which stars Ben Stiller as Brad, who has a midlife crisis as his son tries getting into Harvard; “Strong Island,” a Netflix documentary about the filmmaker’s brother who was killed in 1992; the Belgian film “The Unknown Girl;” and “Mother!,” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a married couple.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is it worth seeing 'The Dark Tower' if you haven’t read the Stephen King books? Our film critics discuss “Detroit,” which centers on the Detroit riots of summer 1967 the Algiers Motel incident that left three black men killed; “The Dark Tower,” adapted from the series by Stephen King and starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey; and “Kidnap,” an action flick with a female lead.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What's new in Despicable Me 3? Our movie critics talk about the return of the Minions, Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler building an illicit casino in “The House,” and the story of a gigantic pig that made a big showing at the Cannes Film Festival.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Captain Jack Sparrow returns, and Netflix gets booed at Cannes Our critics review the fifth franchise of “Pirates of the Caribbean;” “War Machine,” in which Brad Pitt plays General McMahon and Ben Kingsley portrays Hamid Karzai; and “Baywatch,” a film adaptation of the old David Hasselhoff series. We also look at what’s been going on at the Cannes Film Festival.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Katherine Heigl memorable as a psycho ex in 'Unforgettable?' Our critics review “Unforgettable,” a thriller starring Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson; “A Quiet Passion,” a costume drama about poet Emily Dickinson; and a film about one of the first celebrity chefs, “Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How does 'Logan' stack up to previous X-Men films? Our critics review the next X-Men film “Logan;” the teen melodrama “Before I Fall;” and “The Last Word,” which stars Shirley MacLaine as a curmudgeon who wants approval of her obituary before she dies.
Recommended
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Accusations of lying fly between James Comey and White House During his testimony Thursday, former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump and other White House officials of lying when they said the FBI was in disarray and its staff had lost confidence in him. President Trump’s lawyer said Comey was wrong -- that the president never asked for his loyalty, and never asked him to back off the investigation into former NSA director Michael Flynn.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How do Trump supporters feel about the Paris Accord? Globally and around the U.S., there are strong opinions whether or not the Paris Climate Accord is a good idea. The American exit is either a horrifying abdication of American leadership or a forceful and long overdue statement about U.S. sovereignty.
Bookworm
Morgan Parker: There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyoncé Morgan Parker says that the poems in her book There Are Things More Beautiful than Beyoncé take a stand against the clichés of the dominant culture.
The Business
In 'Speechless,' Scott Silveri combines comedy, family & disability Scott Silveri has written and produced sitcoms for more than 20 years. In all that time, he never encountered a TV family that looked anything like the one he grew up in -- with a mom, a dad...and a brother with cerebral palsy. He changed that with his show Speechless on ABC. Silveri tells us about looking to his own past for stories, and why he was determined to make a family comedy and not just a "disability show."