On my first trip to LAIKA, for “The Boxtrolls,” they told me their mantra was “No straight lines, no right angles, no perfect circles.” The world of that film was sooty, steampunk, Victorian. I visited again to learn about their new film, “Kubo and the Two Strings.” For this “fantasy-action-adventure quest story” they have moved …

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“The BFG” stands for Big Friendly Giant, and it is a new movie from Steven Spielberg, based on the book by Roald Dahl. There are no big-name stars in the film, but there are some familiar faces, with some of the world’s best character actors. After you’ve seen “BFG,” try some of their other films. …

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Johnny Simmons has the title role in The Phenom, an exceptionally intelligent and insightful film about a troubled young major league pitcher and the therapist who helps him understand the impact his abusive father has had on him. Simmons is one of my favorite young actors and it was a treat to get to talk …

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The 2016 AFI Docs festival is over and the audience award winner was “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” which will be featured on the PBS “American Masters” series. This year’s AFI DOCS attendees included renowned filmmakers Judd Apatow, Ramin Bahrani, Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Rachel Grady, Werner Herzog (this year’s AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim …

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Want to see some movie miracles? Check out this list of Beliefnet-recommended movies with inspiring stories of divine interventions. Watch for a glimpse of the angel’s wings in this delightful dance number from John Travolta’s “Michael.”