- John Hansen
- June 11, 2021
‘The Ring’ (2002) creepily brings J-horror to US
When I saw “The Ring” (2002) in theaters, people openly gasped at the moment when Samara (Daveigh Chase) crawls through the TV screen. That’d be
‘The Ring’ (2002) creepily brings J-horror to US
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- John Hansen
- June 10, 2021
‘Solaris’ (2002) fails to find purpose of its existence
Writer-director Steven Soderbergh’s “Solaris” (2002) tries to do something different 30 years after the classic Russian adaptation of the Stanislaw Lem novel. It fails in
- John Hansen
- June 7, 2021
Crichton’s ‘Airframe’ (1996) reaches new heights
“Airframe” (1996) is the last Michael Crichton novel (under his own name) that I read for the first time. In the wake of “The Lost
- John Hansen
- June 6, 2021
Poirot, dog sniff out Christie’s ‘Dumb Witness’ (1937)
“Dumb Witness” (1937, also published as “Poirot Loses a Client”) is a straightforward Agatha Christie mystery in its construction. But it stands out as a
- John Hansen
- June 4, 2021
‘Devil Made Me Do It’ cursed by high ‘Conjuring’ bar
The first two “Conjuring” films ranked in my top 10s in 2013 and 2016. Despite a bevy of spinoff films in the interim, expectations were
- John Hansen
- June 3, 2021
With 2 episodes left, 10 ‘Cruel Summer’ questions
Freeform is pushing the hashtags #IBelieveJeanette and #IBelieveKate in its “Cruel Summer” (Tuesdays) promotions. But I believe it’s unlikely that one is the villain and
- John Hansen
- May 30, 2021
‘Cards on the Table’ (1936) shows closed-room mystery mastery
“Cards on the Table” (1936) starts with a weird premise and a weird hobby: A socialite, Mr. Shaitana, likes to throw parties where he invites
- John Hansen
- May 27, 2021
Depressive ‘Solaris’ (1972) is the anti-‘2001’
Watched today, “Solaris” (1972) requires a pact with the viewer beforehand. It offers none of the things we look for in modern space films, such
- John Hansen
- May 24, 2021
‘Rising Sun’ (1992) makes trade pacts thrilling
I was ambivalent about reading “Rising Sun” (1992), since I’m mainly into Michael Crichton for his sci-fi works. But I found it thoroughly engrossing as
- John Hansen
- May 23, 2021
Poirot all business in ‘Murder in Mesopotamia’ (1936)
“Murder in Mesopotamia” (1936) is entertaining, but it doesn’t hold up to a close analysis the way Agatha Christie’s top-shelf novels do. In a way,