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The Conjuring “franchise” rolls on, with another cash-grab further tarnishing the reputation of what offered one of the best one-two punches of any horror duo. Monetization of James Wan’s universe has led to a large number of subpar spin...

With Apocalypto, Mel Gibson has proven it's possible to create a compelling action/adventure film in almost any setting. Gibson's theme (which is only partially developed), as revealed in an opening caption, is that all great civilizations fail wh...

For those too young to recall the tragic events of November 22, 1963, one of the most stark and enduring images of a lifetime came on a frigid afternoon in January 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up while skyrocketing heavenward. By th...

Aquaman is a reminder of the meager pleasures that can be gained from a generic superhero movie. Devoid of the complex plotting, comprehensive world-building, and narrative twists that defined Marvel’s two big 2018 superhero movies, Black Pa...

Ten years ago, with much fanfare, the DC Extended Universe was born. Warner Brothers, riding the wave of success from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, decided that rather than stick with stand-alone titles featuring their best-loved supe...

Everyone has their own coming-of-age story. For most, it has meaning for only one person; it’s rare that a coming-of-age experience translates into a universal story. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is an example of one that does. James Gray’s Arm...

For a current-day viewer to contemplate how Around the World in 80 Days won the 1957 Best Picture Oscar (in addition to four other statuettes), either imagination or time-travel is required. (The latter being more appropriate for H.G. Wells th...

As Good as It Gets is a perfect Christmas release, not because the story takes place during the Yule season, but because many of the plot elements are straight out of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. There's more than just a little Scrooge in M...

One of the longest films of the fall (both in terms of title length and running length) is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It seems every bit as long or longer than its 160 minutes. Parts of the movie are brilliant in a ...