Movies

‘Dial ‘M’ for Murder’ (1981) remains gripping in Plummer’s TV movie

“Dial M for Murder” (1954) didn’t need to be remade, but since it was – in 1981’s quote-mark-enhanced “Dial ‘M’ for Murder” – it’s illustrative

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‘The Gorge’ can’t clear the gap to greatness

Scott Derrickson has developed a reputation as a fine filmmaker, but for me he’s leaning toward safe filmmaker. Though his resume includes the excellent “Exorcism

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‘Cat o’ Nine Tails’ (1971) a few whiskers short of Argento’s debut

After the twist ending in his directorial debut, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage” (1970), Dario Argento’s follow-up “The Cat o’ Nine Tails” (1971) was

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‘Tron’ (1982) is groundbreaking, but a chore to watch

“Tron” (1982) is a touchstone movie in the history of digital effects, as it uses about 15 minutes of computer-created graphics to represent the inside

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‘Avanti!’ (1972) not among Wilder’s elite, but it certainly avoids cliches

“Avanti!” (1972) is a Billy Wilder film that misfires on one cylinder. It gets you to your destination, but it’s not the smoothest ride. I

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Enter giallo gallery in ‘Bird with the Crystal Plumage’ (1970)

Thank goodness for film historians and geeks. I now enter the third phase of a journey taken by many Gen X and millennial slasher fans.

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‘Karate Kid’ (2010) and the problem with sticking to the script

The last 15 years or so have proven that returning characters mean more to audiences than reusing the title. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” with the original characters,

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‘Seven Year Itch’ (1955) had me itching for more laughs

Billy Wilder usually tickles my funnybone, but “The Seven Year Itch” (1955) – for all its creative presentation and fame for Marlyn Monroe’s dress being

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‘My Bloody Valentine’ (2009) adds dimension to the franchise

“My Bloody Valentine” (2009) – as endemic to 2009 as the original is to 1981 — is a generic, gory slasher movie, but it embraces

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‘The Net’ (1995) is a scarier, computer-age ‘North by Northwest’

Uber-producer Irwin Winkler, when in director mode, might not have the career of Alfred Hitchcock, but he knows how to borrow from him. “The Net”

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