John Hansen

Poirot Season 3

Suchet’s ‘Poirot’ gets classier in Season 3 (1990-91)

Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): Along with 10 short-story adaptations, this lavish season features an outstanding translation of Christie’s debut novel.

Behind the Mask

‘Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon’ (2006) a smart but thin satire

Frightening Friday (Movie review): This B-grade slasher answer to “American Psycho” can only ride its single joke so far.

‘The Good Girl’ (2002) illustrates danger of obsession with one person

Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Mike White riffs on “Catcher in the Rye,” but this Holden’s worldview is tragically narrower.

Young and Innocent

‘Young and Innocent’ (1937) a simpler, sweeter ‘39 Steps’

On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): Hitchcock tackles a story similar to “The 39 Steps” in a would-be star-making turn for Nova Pilbeam.

The Running Grave

‘Running Grave’ (2023) is Rowling’s literal cult classic

Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Robin shows there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the sake of this job as she goes undercover in a powerful but secretive church.

A Simple Plan book

‘A Simple Plan’ (1993, 1998) chillingly shows how easily things can spiral

Book club book report (and movie review): Smith’s book and Raimi’s film show good people’s disturbingly mundane descent into evil.

Napoleon Dynamite

Idiosyncratic ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ (2004) is still flippin’ sweet

Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Jared and Jerusha Hess find laughs via presentation in this postmodern high school outsider comedy classic.

Man in the Attic

‘Man in the Attic’ (1953) not quite ready to be psych-horror

On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): Still, this Jack Palance-starrer takes enough of a different angle from Hitchcock’s “The Lodger” to be worth a peek.

Poirot Season 2

‘Poirot’ Season 2 (1990) finds groove with Christie-Exton mash-ups

Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): David Suchet’s Poirot further branches into his own thing, and – while it’s not for die-hard purists — he finds an audience.

Ghost World

‘Ghost World’ (2001) gets more substantial on repeat viewings

Throwback Thursday (Movie review): The best movie of the first year of the millennium works on additional levels as time goes by.