Splash (1984) – Ron Howard

Splash remains a magical, enjoyable and funny experience, though some of it hasn’t aged as well as it could have. What it does have is able direction by Ron Howard, wonderful comedic turns by Tom Hanks, John Candy and Eugene Levy, and a beguiling role for Daryl Hannah. It’s a fun little love story that…

The Shadow (1994) – Russell Mulcahy

I remember taking this one home from work at the video store when it came out. And I enjoyed it. Sure that was some thirty years ago (how is that possible?), would I still like it if I watched it today? Apparently the answer is yes. A pulpy blend of special effects, characters and production…

Dark Skies (1996) – Dark Days Night, and Dreamland

Its 1964, and the British Invasion is underway, and The Beatles are days away from their iconic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and The Hive are planning on using that opportunity to induce mass suicide by the show’s viewers by using hypnotic suggestion, and subliminal messaging in the television image. Dark Days Night was…

The Bone Collector (1999) – Phillip Noyce

Denzel Washington brings Jeffrey Deaver’s brilliant detective Lincoln Rhymes to life in Phillip Noyce’s big-screen version of The Bone Collector. Haunted by the moment he became a quadriplegic, Rhymes is an ex-homicide detective who is planning for his final transition, an assisted suicide, much against the wishes of his caregiver, Thelma (Queen Latifah). When one…

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) – Blu-ray

I’ve been with the Ghostbusters since before the first movie came out, forty years ago. I remember seeing the advertising for it on the back of my comic books, I also tried writing my own version of the story before I even knew what it was or what it was about. I had a little…

The Equalizer (1988) – Last Call, and Regrets Only

Mickey (Keith Szarabajka) finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when he’s in a bar for last call and trouble walks in the door in the form of Lewis (Joe Maruzzo) and his brother Frank (Michael Ceveris). Written by Robert Crais this episode first debuted on 23 March, 1988. Frank and Lewis…

The Equalizer (1987) – Inner View, and The Rehearsal

McCall (Edward Woodward) and Harley (Richard Jordan) – and again this could have been Keith Szarabajka’s Mickey – find themselves helping Karen Alden (Katherine Cortez), who may or may not be psychic. It seems she’s being haunted by visions of the Shadow Man (Terrence Mann) who is stalking New York City for his next victim….

The Equalizer (1987) – Solo, and A Place to Stay

McCall (Edward Woodward) squares off against a dirty cop, Cole (Kevin Spacey), who is pursuing a woman, Sarah (Lindsay Crouse) for the murder of his partner in Solo, things become increasingly complicated when McCall becomes romantically involved with her. Written by Carleton Eastlake, Solo first debuted on 18 February, 1987. Sarah approaches McCall after he…

Cloverfield (2008) – 15th Anniversary 4K

I remember seeing Cloverfield opening weekend in the theatre. I was very excited to dig into a monster movie that saw a kaiju trampling New York City, and I loved that it was being told from the viewpoints of a group of survivors who recorded everything with their videocamera. Unfortunately, I forgot my previous experience…

The Brothers McMullen (1995) Edward Burns

In the mid-90s it seemed every studio was trying to find the next big little indie title, so there were lots of smaller character-driven films being foisted upon the audience, and while a lot of the studios have eschewed that for sure-things and tentpoles, some studios still take chances. But in the 90s it seemed…