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Colorful caricatures drive ‘Venom Business’ (1969)

Due to its 384-page length, I dreaded “The Venom Business” (1969), Michael Crichton’s fifth novel under the pseudonym John Lange. If it had been as

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‘And Then There Were None’ (1945) dreary but compelling

The 1945 movie adaptation of “And Then There Were None” by director Rene Clair and writer Dudley Nichols shows how the piece can play well

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‘Sinister 2’ (2015) snuffs out creepy saga’s momentum

Many successful horror films spawn a long series of diminishing returns. But the “Sinister” saga – based on a demon who enjoys screening snuff filmstrips

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SMG, Baldwin transcend age gap in ‘Suburban Girl’ (2007)

“Suburban Girl” (2007) is a hidden gem among the catalogs of both Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alec Baldwin. At first blush, I thought they must

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‘Crimes and Misdemeanors’ (1989) mulls murder, heartbreak

In “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989), Woody Allen makes such a personal thesis statement on two of his favorite topics – heartbreak and the inner price

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‘Blade Runner’ makes stylish move to TV with ‘Black Lotus’

“Blade Runner: Black Lotus” (midnight Eastern Saturdays, Cartoon Network) puts dystopian future L.A. – in 2032, but it looks the same as the original movie,

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MCU machine rolls into China for ‘Shang-Chi’

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is a successful product from the offices of Marvel Studios. The special effects showcase Chinese cultural imagery

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‘Pocket Full of Rye’ (1953) a pocket full of tropes

“A Pocket Full of Rye” (1953) is a novel full of tropes, but I mean that in a good way. If the previous Agatha Christie

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Scares diminish, but ‘Grudge 3’ (2009) is rather sweet

“The Grudge” films continue to be oddly conservative in their storytelling with “The Grudge 3” (2009). At a point where the series desperately needs a

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‘The Air I Breathe’ (2007) is short on filmmaking oxygen

The quality of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s post-“Buffy” work is debatable, but she at least chose interesting looking projects. “The Air I Breathe” (2007) in fact

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