Josh Bell

Story Archive

Pixar mostly succeeds with the gorgeous ‘Coco’: Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017; It’s a welcome original story from a studio that has been a little too focused on mediocre sequels in recent years.
‘Three Billboards’ can’t help overstating its case: Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017; Writer-director Martin McDonagh’s third film has more genuine humanity than his first two, but the British playwright still overwrites nearly every line of dialogue.
A stand-up star is born in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’: Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017; It takes a special kind of talent to handle the lightning-fast patter of Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Five thoughts: Guns N’ Roses at T-Mobile Arena (November 17): Monday, Nov. 20, 2017; The band played for a marathon three and a half hours, ending right around the time one of their concerts might have started back in the ’90s.
Periphery and Animals as Leaders show heavy metal's range: Friday, Nov. 17, 2017; The two bands are both notable in their own right. Together, they promise an unforgettable night.
Molotov: A perfect storm: Friday, Nov. 17, 2017; One of Latin America's most successful bands brings its singular sound to the House of Blues.
‘Justice League’ delivers minor comic-book competence: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017; The action is rote, the special effects are surprisingly poor and the character interactions are only occasionally entertaining.
Netflix’s ‘Godless’ stretches its simple Western story until it breaks: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017; Like too many prestige TV shows, the seven-episode limited series is basically a feature film dragged out over multiple episodes.
‘The Punisher’ and ‘Runaways’ mark Marvel’s latest uneven TV efforts: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017; So far neither captures the excitement and creativity of the best Marvel movies (or comic books).
‘Lady Bird’ tells a smart and funny coming-of-age story: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017; The title character is the kind of role writer/director Greta Gerwig might have played a decade ago.
$uicide Boy$ create a new order: Friday, Nov. 10, 2017; New Orleans rap duo thrives in the age of streaming.
Great White, Slaughter join for a rocking night: Friday, Nov. 10, 2017; Heavy metal bands bring classic hits to Vegas.
There’s no mystery left to ‘Murder on the Orient Express’: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017; Part of the problem is the general fustiness of Poirot’s adventures, which are often more like word problems than narratives.
The Florida Project explores the lives of Orlando’s forgotten: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017; Although the inexperienced cast and extensive improvisation give the movie a gritty naturalism, it isn’t depressing or pessimistic.
‘Wonderstruck’ uses movie magic to convey childlike astonishment: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017; The story takes place during two eras, both of which filmmaker Todd Haynes re-creates with the look of movies that were released contemporaneously.
Teenagers kill for likes in ‘Tragedy Girls’: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017; At its best, it’s a smart, cynical high school satire, but at its worst it’s merely cynical.
Common Kings create a well-rounded vibe: Friday, Nov. 3, 2017; Group blends an appealing mix of reggae, rock, pop and R&B.
The Front Bottoms climbing toward the top: Friday, Nov. 3, 2017; Duo takes punk/indie aesthetic higher and higher.
Thor returns in the colorful, funny 'Ragnarok’: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017; Director Taika Waititi gets to play with the established MCU format a bit, without deviating significantly from what Marvel movies do best.
Weezer slides back into glossy pop with ‘Pacific Daydream’: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017; “Feels Like Summer” sounds like Maroon 5’s recent dance-pop efforts.
‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ tells a dark but unaffecting story: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017; It’s a sort of modernized folk tale with all of the unsparing brutality of an unfiltered Brothers Grimm tale.
Netflix’s ‘Alias Grace’ explores the mind of a notorious murderer: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017; The six-episode show gradually questions its own narrative integrity, turning into a story about the unknowability of events whose participants have conflicting views on the truth.
The first-ever Sin City Horror Fest makes a promising start: Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017; Starting up any new film event, especially in Las Vegas, is an uphill battle.
LANY winds down its own path: Friday, Oct. 27, 2017; Indie band build success through multipronged efforts.
Bayside Carries On: Friday, Oct. 27, 2017; Emo stalwarts celebrate 10-year anniversary of 'Walking Wounded.'
Screen screams: What to watch over the Halloween weekend: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017; The Sin City Horror Fest, Stranger Things Season 2 and more.
There’s nothing worth watching in the dull ‘All I See Is You’: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017; Director Marc Forster uses ominous sound cues and skewed camera angles to create an atmosphere of low-level dread.
Soldiers struggle to readjust in ‘Thank You for Your Service’: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017; It’s an admirable effort that never quite transcends its hokey educational trappings.
Kelly Clarkson shakes up her approach on ‘Meaning of Life’: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017; The highlight is the attitude-filled “Whole Lotta Woman,” featuring members of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Five thoughts: Nine Inch Nails at the Joint (October 20): Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017; The show never felt rushed, and the band never sounded anything but polished, whether on new songs or slightly tweaked versions of old favorites.
Disjointed crime thriller ‘The Snowman’ should be left out in the cold: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017; Michael Fassbender plays Harry Hole, a brilliant but self-destructive Oslo police detective
Hollywood Undead breathes new life into rap-rock: Friday, Oct. 20, 2017; Group's newest album keeps the elements that made it popular.
‘Only the Brave’ fails to translate real-life heroism into effective cinema: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017; The tribute to the firefighters who died in 2013’s Yarnell Hill wildfire is honorable and well-intentioned.
Watergate whistleblower Mark Felt gets a dull biopic: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017; Known for decades only as “Deep Throat,” he revealed his identity in 2005.
Stephen King story ‘1922’ explores murder in the heartland: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017; It’s a solid, straightforward thriller that gets the job done without much fuss.
In This Moment evolves its sound: Friday, Oct. 13, 2017; With newest album, band shows how far it’s come.
The intense vulnerability of Stone Sour: Friday, Oct. 13, 2017; Founder Corey Taylor continues to pour his emotions into the music.
Noah Baumbach delivers another sharp, witty dramedy with ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017; Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller play brothers who’ve been messed up in different ways by their overbearing, narcissistic father (Dustin Hoffman).
The entertaining ‘Marshall’ makes for a better courtroom drama than a biopic: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017; The entire arc of Marshall’s life probably deserves a lengthier and more sophisticated treatment, but this minor episode still makes for an appealing primer.
Horror movie ‘Happy Death Day’ makes the most of its goofy premise: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017; A spoiled sorority girl relives the day of her own murder multiple times.
Billy Corgan adopts his full name for the forgettable ‘Ogilala’: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017; It’s an improvement over 2005’s muddied, electronic-heavy solo debut, at least.
‘Professor Marston’ explores the kinky origins of a comic-book icon: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017; Wonder Woman is a bondage fantasy of sorts, but Robinson depicts the characters’ interest in BDSM in a positive, understanding way.
Evanescence’s grand sound: Friday, Oct. 6, 2017; Amy Lee is back for the band’s forthcoming fourth album.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ infuses sci-fi with style and philosophy: Friday, Oct. 6, 2017; Anyone looking for an action-packed sci-fi blockbuster will instead find a slow rumination on what it means to be human.
The Church is always exploring new horizons: Friday, Oct. 6, 2017; Expect to hear an eclectic mix of straightforward rock and experimental compositions.
Cutesy biopic ‘Victoria and Abdul’ lets its subjects down: Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017; The screenplay by Lee Hall treats the dynamic like something out of Perfect Strangers, with goofy fish-out-of-water comedy.
Kate Winslet and Idris Elba get lost in ‘The Mountain Between Us’: Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017; They don’t have enough chemistry to justify the kind of sweeping, fateful love that the film tries to convey.
Megadeth is still a creative force: Friday, Sept. 29, 2017; Metal pioneers pick up their first-ever Grammy award.
Kings of Leon make it a family affair: Friday, Sept. 29, 2017; Sound is rooted in their Tennessee upbringing.
Tom Cruise plays a freewheeling smuggler in ‘American Made’: Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017; It’s fun to watch at first, thanks largely to one of Cruise’s most purely enjoyable performances in a while, but it eventually becomes repetitive.