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3.5/4
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Desert Hearts
(1985)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts was a rare thing in 1985 and, sadly, still a rare thing in 2017; it's a grown-up drama about two flawed, intelligent women who fall in love, and maybe get to be happy in the end.
Posted Oct 13, 2025
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3/4
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Megadoc
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Looking at these actors and images and the work that went into making it, made me appreciate it even more and made me want to see it again.
Posted Sep 24, 2025
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3/4
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Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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'Spinal Tap II' isn't uproariously funny, nor particularly edgy, and it will be entirely useless to anyone who is not already a fan, but darned if it isn't rather sweet and pleasant. That's not exactly a metal thing to say, but it's true.
Posted Sep 17, 2025
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3.5/4
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Caught Stealing
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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An adrenaline-fueled, twisty action flick that may have been inspired by Tarantino... Yet it doesn't feel frivolous. It feels grounded, and violence has consequences. There is loss and grief, and there is kindness and love.
Posted Sep 05, 2025
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3.5/4
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The Roses
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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What's remarkable about 'The Roses' is how thoroughly different it is from DeVito's film; it could barely even qualify as a remake, which is refreshing.
Posted Sep 05, 2025
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3.5/4
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Weapons
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It builds a mystery story that is constantly gripping, and thrilling.
Posted Sep 05, 2025
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4/4
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Ace in the Hole
(1951)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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One of the most powerfully cynical movies ever made, and one that feels ever more relevant today.
Posted Aug 11, 2025
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3/4
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The Fortune Cookie
(1966)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Though it unfolds with sitcom logic, Matthau in particular gives an outstanding performance, loading up his grandstanding with quietly hilarious little moments.
Posted Aug 11, 2025
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3/4
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Kiss Me, Stupid
(1964)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It doesn't make much sense, but Wilder's beautiful use of the black-and-white widescreen frame, dazzling casting and crisp pace make it an interesting oddity.
Posted Aug 11, 2025
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3.5/4
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Fedora
(1978)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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'Fedora' is, in its way, even more deeply cynical than its cousin ('Sunset Boulevard'), much closer to the abyss. It looks in and sees the end.
Posted Aug 10, 2025
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2.5/4
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps is easily the best Fantastic Four movie yet made, but this is a very low bar. This one is merely… OK. Hardly fantastic. It makes one wonder if there's something about this specific comic book title that resists adaptation.
Posted Jul 25, 2025
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3.5/4
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Superman
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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This is a terrific film, finding just the right balance between character, humanity, action, humor, and lore.
Posted Jul 11, 2025
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3.5/4
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Shanghai Blues
(1984)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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A silly, lovable screwball comedy. (It even pays homage to Howard Hawks's 'Bringing Up Baby.')
Posted Jun 21, 2025
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4/4
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Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
(1993)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It shows a clear example of how those kinds of movies can be made, not only how they can break out of their rut, but how they can be drastically improved upon.
Posted Jun 21, 2025
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3.5/4
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Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
(1988)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The portrait that emerges is one of genius, sadness, and a certain withdrawn forlorn-ness.
Posted Jun 21, 2025
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4/4
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The Life of Chuck
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The movie is a miracle for some of the same reasons that 'The Shawshank Redemption' means so much to so many.
Posted Jun 06, 2025
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3.5/4
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Up!
(1976)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Russ Meyer's 'Up!' (1976) is full of sex, but it's not especially erotic; it's silly, fun, funny sex, which is kind of refreshing.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3.5/4
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Motorpsycho
(1965)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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One of Russ Meyer's black-and-white "Gothic" films, 'Motorpsycho' is down-and-dirty, but looks great and has a pulse-pounding energy.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3.5/4
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The Legend of Ochi
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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This movie is tactile; you feel you could live in it.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3.5/4
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Pink Floyd at Pompeii
(1972)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Clearly conceived as a piece of cinema, to be enjoyed on a screen, which is not something that filmmakers regularly thought about back then; usually a filmed concert was just a filmed concert.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3/4
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Sneakers
(1992)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Goes down easy and leaves you feeling satisfied.
Posted May 23, 2025
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4/4
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Manon of the Spring
(1986)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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'Manon of the Spring' is the real masterwork here.
Posted May 23, 2025
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4/4
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Jean de Florette
(1986)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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A classical, simple film, full of sunshine and flowers and actors in nifty hats.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3/4
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Lilo & Stitch
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Might actually be in the equation someday when viewers try to decide which version they'd like to see. In almost every other case, the original animated version is better, and no decision is necessary. In this case, they are both nearly equally good.
Posted May 23, 2025
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3.5/4
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In the Heat of the Night
(1967)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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These are two great performances that are strikingly opposite but snap perfectly together.
Posted May 12, 2025
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4/4
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Caught by the Tides
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It may seem like a collection of "B" sides more than a cohesive album, but the more we stick with it, the more it comes together as a masterful movie of Jia's themes and concerns.
Posted May 12, 2025
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3/4
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Final Destination
(2000)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The dialogue, by Glen Morgan, James Wong and Jeffrey Reddick, is, for the most part, thoughtful and the death scenes are delightfully gruesome. A
Posted Apr 23, 2025
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3/4
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What's Cooking?
(2000)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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What's Cooking? (2000) is so nicely balanced and fine-tuned by director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) that it turns into an honest holiday film, filled with plenty of delicious-looking shots of Thanksgiving dishes being prepared and served.
Posted Apr 23, 2025
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3/4
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Supervixens
(1975)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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This is another Meyer film through and through, with zany cutting, and weird commentary throughout, but strangely funny and transfixing.
Posted Apr 10, 2025
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3.5/4
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Black Bag
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Its setup is quite intriguing. Its development is enticingly complex. Its conclusion is rather simple, but it so thoroughly delivers the tingles, that it still feels like a rousing success.
Posted Apr 04, 2025
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3/4
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Captain America: Brave New World
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It tries a little too hard to get things moving in the first act, and it does feel fairly slight overall, a Minor Marvel. But for the majority of its running time, it soars, largely thanks to Anthony Mackie's potent presence.
Posted Apr 04, 2025
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2.5/4
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Love Hurts
(2025)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Like Marvin, I choose to look at the bright side, and 'Love Hurts' does offer enough to celebrate: effective fights, fun characters, and DeBose and Quan in the limelight.
Posted Apr 04, 2025
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3.5/4
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The Damned
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The freezing, desolate arctic winter is the most important thing in the movie, the thing that makes everything work so well.
Posted Jan 24, 2025
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3.5/4
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We Live in Time
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The movie handles the theme of grief in an indirect manner, never shoving it down our throats; rather than gruesome hospital scenes, we merely get poetic suggestions of absence.
Posted Dec 25, 2024
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4/4
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Look Back
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The movie is meticulously designed, focusing on quiet details like the girls' drawing spaces, the weather, and time passing. It's a small miracle.
Posted Dec 25, 2024
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3.5/4
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My Name is Alfred Hitchcock
(2022)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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I'm not sure a newcomer to Hitchcock's work should start here, given that it gives away so many of his little secrets, but die-hard fans (whether or not they've actually seen 'Juno and the Paycock') will enjoy it.
Posted Nov 03, 2024
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3.5/4
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The Apprentice
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The job of Iranian-born director Ali Abbasi and American screenwriter Gabriel Sherman is to find that shred of something in Trump that we can identify as human. It's not an easy one, but they pull it off.
Posted Oct 11, 2024
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3/4
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The Outrun
(2024)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Centered around a deeply committed, soul-searing performance by Saoirse Ronan.
Posted Oct 11, 2024
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4/4
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Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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This is a thorough and loving portrait, a mini-film school all in itself, and a must-see for anyone who already loves these films, or for anyone who is interested in learning more about what the cinema has to offer.
Posted Oct 11, 2024
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Kill, Baby... Kill!
(1966)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Bava has never presented his moods so vividly and with such effervescence.
Posted Sep 27, 2024
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3/4
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Kingdom of the Spiders
(1977)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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The movie mostly stays at ground level, never becoming too absurd, and the actors seem game, so it actually comes together. (It's less campy than you might think.)
Posted Sep 27, 2024
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2/4
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Frogs
(1972)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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It's pretty dumb and not very scary.
Posted Sep 27, 2024
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3/4
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Transformers One
(2024)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Exciting and spellbindingly gorgeous, like a slick, well-tuned machine whose pieces slide and snap together with satisfying precision.
Posted Sep 27, 2024
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4/4
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Close Your Eyes
(2023)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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A gift from the cinema gods, and a spot of refuge in this otherwise sparse movie year.
Posted Sep 27, 2024
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3/4
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
(2024)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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[Micheal Keaton is] putting on the Beetlejuice makeup a full 36 years after the original movie. Does he still have it? Yes he does.
Posted Sep 06, 2024
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3.5/4
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Dìdi
(2024)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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Frequently hilarious. But what lingers are the film's touching moments.
Posted Aug 01, 2024
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3.5/4
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Deadpool & Wolverine
(2024)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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What makes 'Deadpool & Wolverine' worth talking about is the fact that it rattles cages... That might not be much, and it likely won't change much of anything, but it feels so good.
Posted Jul 24, 2024
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4/4
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Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
(1957)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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This masterpiece by Frank Tashlin may be his greatest film.
Posted Jul 21, 2024
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3/4
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The Lemon Drop Kid
(1951)
|
Jeffrey M. Anderson
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I'm surprised this halfway decent Bob Hope movie hasn't become a Christmas classic. It's silly and fun, with just the right combination of big city-savvy and sentimental sweet.
Posted Jul 21, 2024
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3.5/4
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The Slumber Party Massacre
(1982)
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Jeffrey M. Anderson
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One of the best, smartest, and funniest slasher movies of its time.
Posted Jul 20, 2024
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