Romance

Child’s ‘Death Match’ (2004) invigorates ‘scary AI’ trope

From my first read, I remembered “Death Match” (2004) as being too similar to other works — dating back to the HAL-9000 portion of “2001”

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‘Love and Monsters’ keeps apocalypse upbeat

“Love and Monsters’ ” cast and crew are filled with people who have done apocalypses before, so perhaps having gotten the doom and gloom out

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Allen finds neurotic match in ‘Annie Hall’ (1977)

As a kid, I knew “Annie Hall” (1977) as the movie that beat “Star Wars” for Best Picture, so I vaguely hated the movie without

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‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ loses magic in Part 4

I gave decent marks to the previous seasons (which this series calls “parts”) of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” but in retrospect it was because I imagined

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Hughes’ ‘Career Opportunities’ (1991) slacks off

“Career Opportunities” (1991) is an often likable but ultimately unfocused entry in writer John Hughes’ oeuvre. Like the two armed robbers being distracted by Josie

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John’s top 10 movies of 2020

The Oscars are expanding the 2020 movie year by two months in order for more films to get released and compete for statuettes. That’s a

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‘Wonder Woman 1984’ an overwrought ‘Monkey’s Paw’ riff

“Wonder Woman 1984” has automatic goodwill by being released straight into our homes for free (if we already have HBO Max), and director/co-writer Patty Jenkins

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‘Last Christmas’ (2019) has its heart in right place

Everyone gets along merrily in “Last Christmas” (2019), director Paul Feig and co-writer Emma Thompson’s holiday trifle inspired by the bittersweet George Michael song of

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‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994) has spirit and schmaltz

John Hughes wrote five Christmas or Thanksgiving films between 1987-92, but with their adult humor and – in the case of the “Home Alones” —

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DuVall’s ‘Happiest Season’ makes the Yuletide gay

A cut above the typical Christmas flick shoveled out by streaming and cable, “Happiest Season” (Hulu) is a heartfelt and impressive breakthrough from director/co-writer Clea DuVall

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