The Cotton Club: Encore (6.5/10)

It's been a long time since I saw the original Cotton Club , but I liked it at the time and decided to revisited via Coppola's "new and improved" version.

I can't say that this cut helps the film. A notoriously "troubled production", The Cotton Club is a picture ...

I'd go to the movies...if there was something worth seeing.

Poltergeist (8.5/10)

Tonight's viewing choice for my friends to whom I showed Jaws a few weeks ago.

This movie is a classic -- and it holds-up today. Yes, there are things that "date" it (the National Anthem sign-off opening, landline phones, the cars, the home decor) yet the film doesn't feel ...

A few weeks ago I showed Jaws to a couple of friends of mine in their early 30s who had never seen it. They got a real kick out of it.

And Ben Gardner's corpse gets 'em every time!

^^ Siskel complains that a key shot from the final scene is missing. Well, it's not hard to see what Universal trimmed that sequence...



And can anyone explain why the shark sounds like The Munsters' pet dragon, Spot?

Excellent article, and kudos to the author for giving John Williams' score the attention in deserves.

Still, I don't go with this comparison...

"Unlike the first film, which is known for perfectly executing
the slow-burn buildup to its monster reveal, the sequel gives
us the creature ...

7.5/10

On your recommendation, Andy, I returned to Howard for a later look.

I agree it's very entertaining. But I think it could have been trimmed -- we didn't need the tawdry massage parlor sequence. That gave the film an uneven tone. I'm not familiar with the comic (which I understand was ...

What's next? Remakes of Warriors of Virtue and Baby's Day Out?

No doubt they'll go with different IPs but retain the same message.

I'm overdue to revisit Howard . Although very silly, I thought it was loads of fun when I saw it in the theater. A lot of people looked at me like I was some kind of anti-social weirdo when I said I thought it was entertaining -- but of course none of those people had actually seen it!


Paul ...

Monterey Jack wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 8:36 pm What...in the name of the Lord...did Jenna Ortega do to her face?!

I put it down to her simply growing up and losing the baby fat in her face.

Thanks for posting!

I must confess Kagemusha is hit and miss with me. I agree it looks amazing...but I find it clunky. I feel Kurosawa was out-of-practice when he made this one.

It's got great moments to be sure, most of them the introspective, character scenes involving the thief and his attempts to masquerade as the ...

Highlander (8/10...no, 8.5/10!)

I showed this two a couple of friends in their 30s who had never seen it. One thought it was good, but nothing special. The other got a huge kick out of it.

This movie is such a trip, and never gets old. In fact -- like good Scotch -- it just gets better with age ...

So is this movie completed?