- John Hansen
- July 2, 2021
Gory ‘Evil Dead’ (2013) strips away humor
“Evil Dead” (2013) is the fourth entry in the “Evil Dead” series (following Sam Raimi’s trilogy from 1981-92), but like many 21st century sequels, it’s
Gory ‘Evil Dead’ (2013) strips away humor
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- John Hansen
- July 1, 2021
At 50, Roundtree’s ‘Shaft’ (1971) is still a cool cat
If nothing else, “Shaft” (1971) – which led to four sequels and a TV series – has style. Director Gordon Parks opens on Richard Roundtree’s
- John Hansen
- June 30, 2021
‘Café Society’ (2016) beats ‘La La Land’ to punch
“Café Society” (2016), Woody Allen’s beautiful-looking ode to Old Hollywood, was overshadowed by “La La Land” a few months later. This is understandable, as “La
- John Hansen
- June 28, 2021
‘13th Warrior’ (1999) a mellow take on ‘Eaters of the Dead’
“Eaters of the Dead” (1976) took the longest of any Michael Crichton novel to be adapted to film, likely because it’s the least commercial. But
- John Hansen
- June 27, 2021
Odenkirk’s ‘Nobody’ is somebody worth watching
Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman finds clever ways out of scrapes. He’s not wired to fight back physically or with gunfire. At first blush, “Nobody’s” Hutch
- John Hansen
- June 25, 2021
‘Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth’ (1992) expands canvas
“Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth” (1992) breathes more than the first two films. Rather than the claustrophobia of a single house (“Hellraiser”) or an unrelatable
- John Hansen
- June 24, 2021
Besson’s ‘Fifth Element’ (1997) an art-design paradise
“The Fifth Element” (1997) requires a pact with the audience that they’ll be up for something stylistically and tonally different from the average SF space
- John Hansen
- June 23, 2021
‘Wonder Wheel’ (2017) a stagy, gorgeous drama
I’m a sucker for movies set in amusement parks, which makes me both adore “Wonder Wheel” (2017) and judge it harshly. The colorful 1950s Coney
- John Hansen
- June 22, 2021
‘In the Heights’ not quite great, but hard to hate
“In the Heights” (HBO Max and theaters), the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2005 stage musical, asks a viewer to commit to the NYC neighborhood
- John Hansen
- June 18, 2021
‘Deep Rising’ (1998) is weird, watery, wild
All I remembered from my 1998 viewing of “Deep Rising” was Famke Janssen in a sexy red dress; Anthony Heald explaining that the tentacled sea