The Dark Tower (2017)

The Dark Tower (2017)

Teenager Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) is psychologically disturbed by the death of his father and by his dreams of another world where a Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) and his minions are trying to destroy a tower that holds the universe together and are opposed by the last gunslinger (Idris Elba). After some mind-numbing family

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Here is the beginning of a backstory we never asked for and never should have been given. Even good movies detailing Darth Vader’s history would have damaged the character and the original films, and these were not good movies. What is good about this entry? It is a very pretty film with great art design

The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)

The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)

The queen of France has twin sons, later named Louis XIV and Philippe. The second is kept secret and sent off to be raised by the musketeer D’Artagnan (Warren William), with the aid of three godfathers: Parthos (Alan Hale), Aramis (Miles Mander), and Athos (Bert Roach). The young prince grows to be an evil king

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)

A sequel to the old TV episode Space Seed, Wrath of Khan sees the return of the genetic supermen that Kirk left on planet to make their own way. Things didn’t work out well for them and Khan has slipped from megalomania into just being crazy. Star Trek: The Motion Picture aimed high, and missed.

D.O.A. (1950)

D.O.A. (1950)

Frank Bigelow (Edmond O’Brien) is a rather bland businessman with commitment issues and a very clingy girlfriend, Paula (Pamela Britton)—really, really clingy. He heads to San Francisco for a sudden vacation. After a night of wild partying, he discovers he’s been poisoned by a “luminous” substance and has between a day and a week to

The Gamera Trilogy (1995/1996/1999)

The Gamera Trilogy (1995/1996/1999)

Gamera had always been the also-ran of Japan’s giant monster film industry. Made in the wake of Godzilla’s success, the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle started as most of the big critters did of that era, following The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. Humans messing with what they shouldn’t wake the sleeping monster in the arctic and

Batman Ninja (2018)

Batman Ninja (2018)

Batman interrupts Gorilla Grodd’s time-travel plot with the result that the gorilla, Batmaan, Robins 4, Alfred, Catwoman, Joker & Harley, and a bunch of other villains who get little screen time, are sent back to Japan. Batman shows up two years later than the rest. In that time the criminals have taken over with Joker

The Admirable Crichton (1957)

The Admirable Crichton (1957)

Lord Loam (Cecil Parker) does his best to be progressive with regard to the equality of man, though his butler Crichton (Kenneth More) will have none of it. When the two of them, along with the lord’s three daughters, Mary, Catherine, and Agatha (Sally Ann Howes, Mercy Haystead, Miranda Connell), two of the girl’s suitors

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

A cruel Marquis tortures and imprisons a beggar. Many years later a beautiful servant is tossed in with the beggar who rapes her. She later kills the Marquis and escapes, and is taken in by Don Alfredo Carrido (Clifford Evans), where she gives birth and dies. The child is cursed, an evil spirit entering him

November (2017)

November (2017)

In a bleak Estonian village, the peasants survive with the help of witchcraft and folk magic, which is as much a part of everyday life as the tree bark they eat. The most notable magic takes the form of “kratts,” automatons made from wood, bone, straw, farm implements, and eventually even snow, and animated by

Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)

Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)

Jed Towers (Richard Widmark) is an angry, crude man, dumped by Lynn, his hotel singer girlfriend (Anne Bancroft). Nell Forbes (Marilyn Monroe) is the troubled—very troubled—niece of Eddie, the elevator operator (Elisha Cook Jr.). Eddie arranges for Nell to babysit a wealthy couple’s daughter at the hotel as they attend a banquet downstairs. Jed hits

Hellboy (2019)

Hellboy (2019)

In this reboot of the franchise, Hellboy (David Harbour), is a grumpy and grungy half-demon who is sent by his adopted father (Ian McShane) to battle supernatural enemies. After a series of such fights, he’s joined by psychic Alice (Sasha Lane) and hard-ass soldier Major Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim) to stop the resurrection of Nimue