Movies

John’s top 10 movies of 2019

These were my 10 favorite movies of 2019, a year when superheroes continued to dominate but when we also got prime slices of action, comedy

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The 30 biggest entertainment trends of the 2010s

These were the 30 biggest trends in movies, television, books, music and pop culture in the 2010s: Superheroes The zeitgeist of the 2010s can be

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John’s 20 favorite movies of the 2010s

In chronological order, these were my 20 favorite movies of the 2010s: “Machete” 2010, directors: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez, writers: Rodriguez, Álvaro Rodríguez The best

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‘Happy Christmas’ (2014) is low-budget and low-key

Writer-director Joe Swanberg, as he did the previous year with “Drinking Buddies,” delivers a slice of life in “Happy Christmas” (2014), titled with purposeful inaccuracy.

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30 observations about ‘Christmas Vacation’ (1989)

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” came out 30 years ago this month, and it has only grown in status as a holiday classic since. Here are

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‘Kick-Ass 2’ (2013) finds its groove

Writer-director Jeff Wadlow, taking the reins from Matthew Vaughn, delivers a funnier and more focused “Kick-Ass 2” (2013). It’s formulaic, but that makes it better

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‘Knight Before Christmas’ is more empty calories from the Netflix holiday machine (Movie review)

“The Knight Before Christmas” (November, Netflix), like most of TV’s recent holiday movie catalog, is so uninspired that I wonder if the sets, locations, casting

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‘Let It Snow’ is a light but watchable Gen Z X-mas gathering (Movie review)

“Let It Snow” (November, Netflix) comes from a 2008 novel co-written by coming-of-age chronicler John Green. It’s adapted by Kay Cannon (“Pitch Perfect”) and two

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‘Lethal Weapon’ (1987) shouldn’t be overshadowed by ‘Die Hard’

“Lethal Weapon” (1987) introduced the masses to writer Shane Black (and his penchant for setting his films at Christmastime) and gave director Richard Donner a

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‘Rambo: Last Blood’ shrinks the scope for a brutally efficient rescue/revenge tale (Movie review)

“Rambo: Last Blood” is an efficient, brutal, gritty and appropriate capper (if it is indeed the capper) to Sylvester Stallone’s five-film series. It poetically marks

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