Despite trying to give the iconic book series, and other King works a little nod and a wink, this version of The Dark Tower seemed doomed from the get-go. How can you compress a multi-series journey into a film that runs less than half an hour? It doesn’t have a chance to delve into the…
Tag: runtime
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) – Chad Stahelski
I have served. I will be of service. I love these films so much. Each one has taken what we have learned in the previous film and builds on it. And John Wick (Keanu Reeves) gets pulled back, completely into the underworld of assassination that he left for five years. When the film opens, he…
A Bridge Too Far (1977) – Richard Attenborough
A Bridge Too Far is a solid and amazing film. It also suffers from the time it was made, and the films that followed it. It’s packed with big names. It is literally an all-star cast in a way that doesn’t happen anymore. All of them working to bring the story of Operation Market Garden…
Good Boy (2025) – Ben Leonberg
Mr. Loenberg, you had me at a horror movie told from a dog’s perspective. What I didn’t epect was a proto-Spielbergian ghost story that hits all the feels with its unique storytelling. There is a lot to dissect and discuss for this wonderful film that is getting great word of mouth. In fact, talking about…
The Woman in Green (1945) – Roy William Neill
Man, I really liked how this Sherlock Holmes adventure started out, but the second half kinda lost me. Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, and despite some goofy narration to set up the tale at the beginning, instead of letting the film tell the story, I was really engaged with the idea….
The House of Fear (1945) – Roy William Neill
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back for their tenth outing together in The House of Fear. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Five Orange Pips, this one leans into using the Universal Monsters sets and, consequently has a very gothic feel to it. When a gathering of gentlemen, known as the…
TIFF 25: Kokuho dir. Lee-Sang Il
Kokuho is an epic tale, a decades-long story that takes us inside the world of kabuki, and features some outstanding performances. Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa) has always had a talent as an onnagata. These are the female characters in kanubi shows, all played by men. He’s taken in by Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe!!), who will serve…
The Pearl of Death (1944) – Roy William Neill
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are deep in it again this week as the take on The Pearl of Death. Using Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Six Napoleons as its basis, this tale ends up being a lot of fun. After Holmes foils Naomi Drake’s (Evelyn Ankers) attempt to steal the famous Borgia…
The Scarlet Claw (1944) – Roy William Neill
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) find themselves in Quebec, Canada (read as the Universal backlot) for their next adventure, The Scarlet Claw. An original story, this adventure sees the dogged duo working to solve a murder that may or may not have paranormal trappings. While Watson is played up for humor again,…
The Spider Woman (1944) – Roy William Neill
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is back! By his side, the redoubtable Watson (Nigel Bruce)! Despite the (once again) short runtime, I really liked this one. It got the series back on track to solving mysteries and while the War was still going on I liked the fact that it decided to be more escapism than…
The Mind Reels 