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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022) has heart, not enough soul

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) knows it misses the late Chadwick Boseman’s O.G. Black Panther. The opening Marvel Studios banner loads up on images of

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‘Road House’ (1989) a gleeful mix of Western, fantasy, action

A friend of mine claims that the ridiculousness of “Road House” (1989) can be chalked up to it being an Eighties movie. But I contend

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‘John Wick’ (2014) is lean, brisk, and now a classic

Part homage to classic action films, part serious postmodern take, and skillfully dodging the ripoff label, “John Wick” (2014) reinvigorated the genre nine years ago.

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‘Firefly’ books show ‘Life Signs’ (2021) in Lovegrove’s latest

James Lovegrove has shepherded “Firefly” into books, writing four of the first five. Books six, seven and the upcoming eighth, though, are by different authors.

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‘Buffy: Big Bad’ (2022) a fun alternate-dimension romp

“Big Bad: A Novel” (September 2022) announces up front that it’s set in an alternate “Demondale” in 1999. It’s obviously a fun novel from the

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‘John Dies at the End’ (2009) a passion project, despite myriad influences

Like Joss Whedon loves penning dialog and Shane Black enjoys dodging action-movie cliches, David Wong (real name Jason Pargin) clearly has a blast writing insane

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Blake’s ‘Buffy’ books continue with ‘One Girl in All the World’

With her second “Frankie the Vampire Slayer” entry, “One Girl in All the World” (January, hardcover), Kendare Blake again delivers a novel that’s partly appealing

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King stirs brew of tropes, imagination in ‘Fairy Tale’ (2022)

Stephen King goes into full fantasy adventure mode for “Fairy Tale” (September, hardcover), a 599-page doorstop he wrote during the height of the pandemic, driven

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‘Yoga Hosers’ (2016) colorful but utterly uninspired

It’s been said that it’s hard for adults to understand the younger generation, and that’s accidentally but clearly illustrated in “Yoga Hosers” (2016). This horror-comedy

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Smith proves he can do brutally great horror in ‘Red State’ (2011)

I’m a horror fan, but sometimes I watch a movie that makes me say “Wait, do I really like horror?” Writer-director Kevin Smith’s “Red State”

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