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‘Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure’ (2003) has few laughs

The most interesting thing about “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure” (2003) is that it exists. Impress your friends with the trivia:

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Sutin’s ‘Divine Invasions’ (1989) is definitive PKD bio

Beware before you crack open Lawrence Sutin’s “Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick” (1989). It’s considered the elite PKD biography for good reason:

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Cute ‘Christmas Chronicles 2’ could use more humor

Like the 2018 original, “The Christmas Chronicles 2” (Netflix) feels like an instant family-friendly holiday staple with its colorful filmic magic, broad messages, and warm

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P&C’s ‘Brimstone’ (2004) a devilishly fun read

For a 700-plus-page doorstop, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s “Brimstone” (2004) is a fun read; you can knock off 100 pages in a sitting without

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‘X-Men’ finale ‘New Mutants’ taps into old story

Fox’s two-decade run of 13 “X-Men” films and two TV series ends in understated and underwhelming fashion with “The New Mutants,” which was originally supposed

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Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ (1960) a masterpiece of tension

We all go a little mad sometimes, so from Nov. 27-Dec. 11 we’ll be dragging the swamp behind the Bates Motel for insight into the

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‘Pieces of April’ (2003) a harsh, sweet tear-jerker

A near-perfect movie about an imperfect family, “Pieces of April” (2003) could serve as a template for how to make a low-budget film. Writer-director Peter Hedges,

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‘Dutch’ (1991) focuses on characters, not laughs

John Hughes’ other Thanksgiving movie, “Dutch” (1991), has that “other” status for a reason: It’s not as funny as “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987). However, as

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‘Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick’ (1995) collects odds and ends

Lawrence Sutin follows up his excellent biography of Philip K. Dick, 1989’s “Divine Invasions,” with a peek at his research materials as he curates “The

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‘Still Life with Crows’ (2003) a small-town chiller

“Still Life with Crows” (2003) is “merely” a standalone Agent Pendergast novel, but it features the introduction of Corrie Swanson, the evocative cornfields and caves

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