Author Archives: Larry Sanderson

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Food, Inc. 2
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, News | Directed by Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo
Directed by Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo, the sequel about food production in the U.S. is, in some ways, a more hopeful film.


“Food, Inc. 2,” Directed by Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo, begins by describing how the last few years have shown the risks of letting a handful of mega-suppliers dominate the market.
By BEN KENIGSBERG

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy | Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus
Wade Allain-Marcus has directed a rollicking update of the 1991 cult favorite.


Donielle Hansley Jr. and Simone Joy Jones in “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.”
By AMY NICHOLSON

In Flames
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama, Horror | Directed by Zarrar Kahn
Set in Pakistan, the story of a young woman and her family, hemmed in by men, shifts from realism to genre, with heart-pumping consequences.


Ramesha Nawal in “In Flames.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Civil War
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Action | Directed by Alex Garland
In Alex Garland’s tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at war with itself.


Kirsten Dunst plays a war photographer in Alex Garland’s “Civil War.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

It’s Only Life After All
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Music | Directed by Alexandria Bombach
The director Alexandria Bombach benefited from the musician Amy Ray’s archivist instincts in this warm, compelling new documentary.


Amy Ray and Emily Saliers were routinely mocked for being too earnest, too poetic, too folky, too lesbian. The documentary “It’s Only Life After All” takes a look at their legacy.
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

Food! Glorious Food!

36 HOURS
36 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bar-hop in an old quarter, explore a street splashed with murals and fly kites on the lawn of a fortress in this Caribbean capital.
By LUISITA LOPEZ TORREGROSA

WHERE TO EAT
The 25 Best Restaurants in Chicago Right Now
We scouted the city’s vast food scene, from stellar hot dogs and renowned Italian beefs to refined tasting menus. (And we’re here for your comments.).
By KEVIN PANG, PRIYA KRISHNA and BRIAN GALLAGHER

Yes, You Can Wash Cast Iron: 5 Big Kitchen Myths, Debunked
A veteran food journalist digs into some common misconceptions about salting pasta water, browning meat and more.
By JULIA MOSKIN

Asparagus Season Is Fleeting. This Easy Recipe Is Forever.
After the heaviness of winter, this miso-infused dish from Yotam Ottolenghi is a breath of fresh air.


By YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

Where to Drink Wine in Chicago
Great wine lists abound in this fascinating city. Here are eight places with distinctive lists that stand out.
By ERIC ASIMOV

The Bumpy Gourd That’s Winning Over Bartenders
In bars from Hong Kong to Vancouver, the medicinal tang of bitter melon is making its way onto drinks menus.
By BECKY COOPER

10 Red Wines to Drink Now: Austria Edition
There’s more to Austrian wines than grüner veltliner. Its reds range from juicy and refreshing to satisfyingly complex.


Many of Austria’s red wines are made with blaufränkisch or zweigelt grapes.
By Eric Asimov

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Yannick
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Quentin Dupieux
Audience members revolting against bad art isn’t a new thing, but Quentin Dupieux puts a fresh twist on that theme in his surreal new comedy.


Raphaël Quenard in “Yannick.”
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

Housekeeping for Beginners
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Goran Stolevski
Sad news forces a diverse group of friends to take unorthodox action in this volatile, affecting drama.


Mia Mustafa in “Housekeeping for Beginners.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

The First Omen
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Horror | Directed by Arkasha Stevenson
A prequel to the original franchise, this debut feature from Arkasha Stevenson is a thrilling mash-up of horror tropes that gives the story new life.


Sônia Braga, left, with Nell Tiger Free in “The First Omen.”
By BRANDON YU

Chicken for Linda!
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Animation, Comedy, Musical | Directed by Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta
In this madcap film, a mother’s apology leads to a delightful misadventure that begins with mourning and ends with a father’s favorite recipe.


A scene from “Chicken for Linda!”
By LISA KENNEDY

The Beast
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Bertrand Bonello
Bertrand Bonello’s latest film, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as lovers in three different eras, is an audacious sci-fi romance.


Léa Seydoux in “The Beast,” a film directed by Bertrand Bonello.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

The Old Oak
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama | Directed by Ken Loach
A family of Syrian refugees connects with a once-thriving mining town in Ken Loach’s moving drama.


Ebla Mari, left, and Dave Turner in “The Old Oak.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Música
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Comedy, Romance | Directed by Rudy Mancuso
Rudy Mancuso stars in and directs an inventive debut feature about a man with synesthesia who tries to manage his complicated life and relationships.


Rudy Mancuso in “Música,” a film that’s confidently, intentionally overwhelming.
By AMY NICHOLSON

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

The Truth vs. Alex Jones
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Dan Reed
| Directed by Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”), the documentary offers a lesson in how conspiracy theories work and shows how parents confronted Jones in court.


The documentary shows how, just as the parents were dealing with unfathomable grief, Alex Jones, through his Infowars broadcasts, began promoting the idea that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax.
By BEN KENIGSBERG

La Chimera
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance | Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
In her latest dreamy movie, the Italian director Alice Rohrwacher follows a tomb raider, played by Josh O’Connor, who’s pining for a lost love.


Josh O’Connor, center, in “La Chimera,” the latest from Alice Rohrwacher, who has quickly become a must-see filmmaker on the international circuit.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

DogMan
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Crime, Drama, Thriller | Directed by Luc Besson
An electrifying Caleb Landry Jones plays the damaged heart of this oddly wonderful tale of resilience and revenge.


Caleb Landry Jones in “DogMan.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

— Of Possible Interest —

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Adam Wingard
The latest in the Warner Bros. Monsterverse franchise shows signs of an anemic imagination.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Food! Glorious Food!

36 HOURS
36 Hours in Cape Town
The spectacular South African city is shedding its Eurocentric identity and emerging as a culturally rich African hub.
By JOHN ELIGON

Ready, Set, Garçon! Paris Waiters Race as Storied Contest Returns
Contestants rushed through the streets with croissant-laden trays in a moment for the French capital to showcase its cafe culture ahead of the Summer Olympics.
By AURELIEN BREEDEN

An Easter Loaf Baked With Fruit, Spices and Caribbean Sun
This classic Jamaican treat is bold, bright and vibrant, and central to the holiday.

An overhead image of a loaf on a platter, partly sliced to show its insides full of dried fruit.
At Easter, Jamaican spice bun gets a lift from raisins and cherries.
By Brigid Washington

A GOOD APPETITE
The Egg Dish You Need to Make Right Now
A fragrant mash-up of shakshuka, eggs in purgatory and egg curry, this easy one-pan recipe can be made with pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand.

An overhead image of eggs tucked into a bright red, tomato-based sauce, scattered with herbs.
This heady, aromatic meal goes well alongside toast or nestled on a bed of rice.
By Melissa Clark

FRONT BURNER
Learn ‘Modernist’ Bread Making Basics With This Free Online Course
Peruse vintage home goods from Provence, pick up chocolate-dipped matzo and more food news.


By FLORENCE FABRICANT

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

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Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Comedy | Directed by Radu Jude
In Radu Jude’s shambling, acidly funny movie set in Bucharest, a foul-mouthed gofer named Angela tours the troubled heart and soul of her country.


The sneakily charismatic Ilinca Manolache plays Angela in “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Immaculate
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Horror | Directed by Michael Mohan
The actress stars as a fresh-faced nun who, by the end of this erotic thriller-horror mash-up, runs amok in her convent.


In “Immaculate,” Sydney Sweeney plays an American nun at a creepy Italian convent where danger is lurking for her.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

— Of Possible Interest —

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
PG-13 | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Directed by Gil Kenan
This overstuffed entry in the franchise is an eclectic, enjoyable barrage of nonsense.
By AMY NICHOLSON

Femme
Not Rated | Thriller | Directed by Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
In this white-knuckle thriller set in London, a drag performer seduces his attacker, an intensely closeted hustler played by George MacKay.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Limbo
Not Rated | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller | Directed by Ivan Sen
Long on atmosphere and short on plot, this stylish Australian noir pulls through thanks to a haunted performance by Simon Baker.
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

You Can Call Me Bill
PG-13 | Documentary | Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe
A documentary on the “Star Trek” actor unboldly goes where other profile movies have gone before.
By BEN KENIGSBERG

Food! Glorious Food!

Belgium or Brooklyn? 5 Bold New Places to Eat in Brussels.
Exciting young chefs wielding a palette of spices from places like Korea, Latin America and Morocco are turning the capital of Europe into a culinary upstart.
By ALEXANDER LOBRANO

An Old Trick to the Crispiest Tofu
Why fry when you can freeze?


Freezing, then roasting tofu yields a crisp result without deep frying.
By Eric Kim

Margaret Grade, Whose California Inn Was Beloved by Stars, Dies at 72
Her Manka’s Inverness Lodge drew actors and writers who dined at Ms. Grade’s farm-to-table restaurant and reveled in her eccentric flair.


Margaret Grade, the owner of Manka’s Inverness Lodge in Inverness, Calif., in 2011. “I didn’t know the term ‘working capital,’” she said of her early days as an innkeeper, “and as a result I had none.”
By KIM SEVERSON

Serge Raoul, Whose SoHo Bistro Glittered With Stars, Dies at 86
Raoul’s, which he founded, was a celebrity magnet and a neighborhood institution in the 1970s and ’80s. But he had never planned on a life in the restaurant business.


Serge Raoul outside his SoHo restaurant, which opened in 1975. A filmmaker by trade, he had set out to find and run a restaurant where his younger brother could be the chef.
By PENELOPE GREEN

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus’: A Parting Gift From a Master Musician
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Music | Directed by Neo Sora
The final concert of the Japanese virtuoso is captured in an aching meditation on mortality and legacy.


The musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in the film.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

The Tuba Thieves
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Drama | Directed by Alison O’Daniel
In this film, the artist Alison O’Daniel uses the theft of tubas from Southern California high schools as a central hub in a wheel with many spokes.


A scene from Alison O’Daniel’s film, “The Tuba Thieves.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Knox Goes Away
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Thriller | Directed by Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is quietly compelling as a beleaguered hit man in this downbeat thriller.


Michael Keaton in “Knox Goes Away.”
By Jeannette Catsoulis

Snack Shack
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy | Directed by Adam Rehmeier
Performances from the two main characters elevate this boisterous teen comedy to the level of raunchy art.


Gabriel LaBelle, left, and Conor Sherry in “Snack Shack,” directed by Adam Rehmeier.
By CALUM MARSH

— Of Possible Interest —

Glitter & Doom
Not Rated | Musical, Romance | Directed by Tom Gustafson
Songs by the Indigo Girls soundtrack a musical romance.
By WESLEY MORRIS

The Animal Kingdom
Not Rated | Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi | Directed by Thomas Cailley
This French sci-fi tale plunges us into a world where a mysterious sickness turns humans into strange, sometimes terrifying part-animal creatures.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Food! Glorious Food!

A GOOD APPETITE
A Weeknight Skillet Chicken Dinner, Rich With Greens
This forgiving and adaptable weeknight dinner stars tender chicken thighs, braising greens and whole garlic cloves.


Serve this skillet meal alongside crusty bread, rice or noodles, anything that will sop up all the savory, schmaltzy sauce.
By Melissa Clark

Five Easy Dill Dinners
Ginger-dill salmon, skillet chicken with orzo, dill and feta and (frozen) fava bean stew are herbaceously springy.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

Pantry-Friendly Persian Lentil Rice With Dates
More weeknight dishes that wow: herby pork larb, sticky chicken with brussels sprouts and shrimp in purgatory.
By MELISSA CLARK

Max Hardy, 40, Dies; Helped Bring Chef-Driven Cuisine to Detroit
With his unique blend of Lowcountry and Caribbean influences, he ranked among the best of a new generation of Black culinary wizards.


Hardy prepared roasted snapper with coconut grits and a spicy coconut sauce for a Black History Month dinner this year in Detroit. He opened a string of high-profile restaurants there beginning in 2017.
By CLAY RISEN

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Love Lies Bleeding
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller | Directed by Rose Glass
In this neo-noir, the ever reliable, always watchable actress plays a small-town loner who’s struck by the unexpected arrival of a mysterious drifter.


aty O’Brian and Kristen Stewart in “Love Lies Bleeding.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

— Of Possible Interest —

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