John Hansen

Wonderfalls

‘Wonderfalls’ (2004) is a sad show that makes me happy

One-season wonders (TV review): Of course this would end up being a one-season wonder. But the Jaye-Eric romance and wise stuffed animals can’t be forgotten.

Bullet Train

Leitch’s ‘Bullet Train’ (2022) barely stays on the rails

Movie review: Action director David Leitch delivers good choreography in “Bullet Train,” but it’s ultimately too ridiculous to make an impact.

Unfinished Portrait

‘Unfinished Portrait’ (1934) peeks into Christie’s life

Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): It’s not Christie’s most twisty or polished piece of literature, but it’s perhaps her most autobiographical.

Movies 2022

John’s top 10 movies of 2022

2022 movies: The horror genre enjoyed a particularly strong year, but I rallied toward the comedies as I ranked my favorites.

TV 2022

John’s top 10 TV shows of 2022

2022 television: The landscape of TV is being flattened – fewer episodes, but more shows. That makes narrowing this list to a mere 10 quite a challenge.

Black Adam

‘Black Adam’ a goofily fun but hypocritical superhero romp

Movie review: The Rock is nicely understated as a rare Middle Eastern superhero, but the setting feels more like a computer than reality.

Rifkin's Festival

‘Rifkin’s Festival’ (2020) sees romance as ageless

Woody Wednesday (Movie review): Allen’s writing and directing skills are still sharp in his seventh decade of filmmaking.

Glass Onion

Craig’s Blanc joins a newly loaded cast for ‘Glass Onion’

Movie review: Rian Johnson continues with what worked on “Knives Out” in this twisty romp of a mystery that gets a little overblown by the end.

Violent Night

‘Violent Night’ isn’t always naughty, but it’s definitely bad

Movie review: The latest non-traditional Christmas film stuffs in as many awful characters as possible. It’s as unappealing as you’d assume.

A Christmas Story films

‘A Christmas Story Christmas’ won’t be a classic like the original

Movie reviews: Watching “A Christmas Story” and the new sequel back-to-back illustrates the greatness of the first and weaknesses of the latter.