All Posts

‘Tuck Everlasting’ (2002) an ageless children’s classic

I want to love “Tuck Everlasting” (2002). It has a meticulously beautiful look under the lens of James L. Carter and a delicately crafted score

READ MORE

‘He’s All That’ a cute modern riff on the old story

“He’s All That” (Netflix) is a cute riff on 1999’s “She’s All That” – which was itself a riff on “My Fair Lady.” It includes

READ MORE

‘September’ (1987) digs into the change of life’s seasons

“September” (1987) is a small gem buried in Woody Allen’s rich catalog, filmed entirely in a country house built on a soundstage and improving on

READ MORE

‘Prey’ (2002) predicts chilling end for humanity

In “Jurassic Park” (1990), Michael Crichton shows that bringing back dinosaurs is a scary proposition. But how hard is that? Dinosaurs were already scary. “Prey”

READ MORE

Marple says ‘trust no one’ in ‘Body in the Library’ (1942)

Miss Marple goes a surprising 12 years between her first and second novels, returning in “The Body in the Library” (1942). I’m struck by how

READ MORE

‘Candyman’ saga spoils with ‘Day of the Dead’ (1999)

Slasher sequels have a reputation for being unoriginal, but “Candyman: Day of the Dead” (1999) is a particularly blatant case. Coming out even after the

READ MORE

‘Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh’ (1995) covers old ground

“Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” (1995) takes a long time to make an argument that it needs to exist. Director Bill Condon (the “Twilight” saga)

READ MORE

‘Candyman’ (1992) makes beautiful art out of hopelessness

“Candyman” (1992) has one of the most aggressively effective scores I’ve heard. Philip Glass’ organ-driven theme evokes beautiful churches (even though there’s no church in

READ MORE

‘Congo’ (1995) taps into old-fashioned adventure

After “Jurassic Park” (1993), Hollywood wanted to get back into the Michael Crichton business. The first big-budget sci-fi title after that, the long in-development “Congo”

READ MORE

‘Reminiscence’ unspools noir plot against cli-fi backdrop

“Reminiscence” (theaters and HBO Max) imagines a future where the coasts are being drowned by rising sea levels. It’s supposed to be foreboding, but it’s

READ MORE