Throwback Thursday (Movie reviews): “The Night Before” and “Office Christmas Party” make for a solid double bill of modern Christmastime comedy.
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): The interspersed stories don’t strike a viewer with bold conclusions. But the film has subtle appeal.
Movie review: This horror-thriller is served well by its minimalism, not so much by its reductionism as it comments on the inertia of awful marriages.
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): If you want to know where “24’s” creators (maybe) got their ideas, check out the eighth John Lange novel.
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): The reliable whodunit elements are in place, but this Christmas-set tale is unusually cold – not always in a good way.
Frightening Friday (Movie review): The third version of “Black Christmas” explores themes of its time and boasts a great lead heroine.
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): “Take the Money and Run” uses jokes Allen would repurpose for later classics. But maybe this one is a classic too.
Movie review: “No Time to Die” is a little better than 2015’s “Spectre,” but the best of the Craig Bonds remain in the past.
Michael Crichton Monday (Movie review): In faithfully adapting his own novel, Crichton makes a film with historical heft but little zest.
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): “Double Sin and Other Stories” collects four Poirots, two Marples and a couple supernatural yarns.