Ron Howard

Freeze Frame: “Bullet Train” (R), “Thirteen Lives” (PG-13), “Easter Sunday” (PG-13), “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” (PG-13)

Brad Pitt is a charismatic, Oscar-winning actor. His considerable efforts and some outstanding stunt choreography aren't enough to save the over-the-top action comedy, "Bullet Train." Pitt plays an assassin sent to Japan to recover a mysterious briefcase on the world's fastest train, only to find himself confronting an assortment of colorful...

Freeze Frame: “Mank” (R), “Hillbilly Elegy” (R), “Sound of Metal” (R), “Collective” (NR), “Vanguard” (NR), “The Last Vermeer” (R), “Christmas on the Square” (NR), “I Am Greta” (NR)

Gary Oldman stars in David Fincher’s outstanding showbiz drama, “Mank.” Filmed in glorious black-and-white, “Mank” showcases the difficulties that infamous alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz experienced while writing Orson Welles’ classic, “Citizen Kane.” It’s a shrewd, top-notch Hollywood biopic that crackles with great dialogue. “Mank” is pure Oscar bait.   “Hillbilly Elegy”...

Freeze Frame” “Upside-Down Magic” (Not rated), “Summerland” (Not rated), “Rebuilding Paradise” (PG-13)

“Upside-Down Magic” is a “Harry Potter” wannabe aimed at an even younger demographic. This Disney Channel movie, based on the Scholastic book series, is about students who attend a school for kids with the gift of magic, but the story concentrates on the struggles of four misfits who are ostracized...