The fantastic Kathryn Bigelow directs Jamie Lee Curtis in this crisp, occasionally brutal thriller. Megan Turner (Curits) is a rookie cop, who on her first day on the job shoots and kills an armed thief (Tom Sizemore) in a supermarket showdown. When the thief’s weapon isn’t found at the scene, Turner finds herself suspended, and…
Tag: abusive
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) – John Sherwood
And just like that, my time with the Universal Monsters comes to an end. The final film to round out my viewing was The Creature Walks Among Us. Unlike some of the other Universal Monster movies this one actually works as a sequel to the previous films, picking up the narrative thread from Revenge of…
Whiplash (2014) – Damien Chazelle
I am well aware that I’m playing catch-up on this title, but I knew this one would have to be one that I was ready and in the mood for, and wow, a fantastic film. The first half of the film is a huge stress-watch for me, but what an amazing ride and one that…
Renfield (2023) – Chris McKay
Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, and Awkwafina star in Chris McKay’s bloody, hilarious, and over-the-top love letter to the supporting character of the original Dracula story, Renfield, including some wonderful homages to the original 1931 film. It’s modern-day America and Renfield (Hoult) has relocated Dracula (Cage) yet again to hide him from those who would hunt…
The Equalizer (1986) – Torn, and Unnatural Causes
Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) is Torn in this episode written by Carleton Eastlake from a story by Maurice Hurley and Joel Surnow. It first aired on 5 February, 1986. McCall is asked by a young girl, Laura (Melissa Joan Hart) to help her and her mother, Jessie (Caitlin Clarke) from her abusive father, O’Toole (Robert…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2014) – Orders, An Old Friend, and The Rise of Clovis
“The popular belief isn’t always the correct one.” Katie Lucas finishes the Tup arc started last week with Orders. This episode first debuted on 7 March, 2014. Fives (Dee Bradley Baker) is still searching for answers about what happened to Tups, and whether the chip in his head, in all the clones’ heads, which was…
Ju Dou (1990) – Yimou Zhang and Fengliang Yang
The beautiful, romantic and tragic Ju Dou is the next title on the What Else to Watch list as I continue to work my way through the immensely enjoyable The Movie Book from DK Canada. Following my screening of Raise the Red Lantern, this was one of the book’s recommendations. Starring Li Gong as the…
Cujo (1981) – Stephen King
This week’s visit to the Book Shelf brings me another early King classic. Apparently he wrote this one quickly, and was under the influence while he did, and doesn’t even remember it. Unlike some of his other earlier works, this one didn’t wow me, and for the first time I came across a King story…
The Twilight Zone (1963) – The Old Man in the Cave, Uncle Simon, and Probe 7, Over and Out
My journey through the iconic television series, The Twilight Zone, continues this week as I delve into another three episodes of The Complete Series on blu-ray, available now from Paramount Pictures. First up is The Old Man in the Cave. This episode had a broadcast date of 8 November, 1963, and was written by series…
Broken Blossoms (1919) – D.W. Griffith
I continue to explore some of the key works of D.W. Griffith with DK Book’s The Movie Book, and this time I dive into a fascinating tale that is perhaps best told through the silent format that marked Griffith’s time. Be warned there is a lot of racism in this film. It’s in the title….
The Mind Reels 