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2/4
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Ten Little Indians
(1975)
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Wesley Lovell
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While Ten Little Indians may not have worked in this particular location or with these specific actors, it seems more the fault of Towers and Collinson than the material or the characters.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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Murder, She Said
(1961)
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Wesley Lovell
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at least the opening salvo is worth the time of any murder mystery fan who likes the way Christie weaves stories, even when they are altered in many ways for the visual medium.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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Murder at the Gallop
(1963)
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Wesley Lovell
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While Murder at the Gallop is mostly as clever as the source material, that’s likely to both please and frustrate Christie’s fans
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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2.5/4
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Murder Most Foul
(1964)
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Wesley Lovell
|
With Murder Most Foul, the pacing is off, the mystery isn’t terribly exciting, and Rutherford seems adrift in the proceedings and that’s even giving some leeway for her capabilities.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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Murder Ahoy!
(1964)
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Wesley Lovell
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Murder Ahoy! is certainly a clever little trifle, but probably shouldn’t have been a Miss Marple film. Turning the series into a more farcical event is as far removed from Christie’s legendary works as it can get, but damned if it isn’t entertaining.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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And Then There Were None
(1945)
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Wesley Lovell
|
I admire what they did with the film, but also feel it inferior to the next major adaptation...
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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Ten Little Indians
(1965)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
It might not have the limited faithfulness of its predecessor nor all but two of the subsequent adaptations, but it’s no less ingenuous and inventive.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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2/4
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Gumnaam
(1965)
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Wesley Lovell
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Gumnaam is one of those films that exists as a compelling trifle, but whose content is cheesy at best and strange at worst. Check out the film if you’re curious, but don’t expect something revelatory.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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The Deep Blue Sea
(2011)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
...it has a stuffy air that dampens its thematic energy, which might help explain its lack of appreciation by American audiences
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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The Help
(2011)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
As a piece of entertainment, it works. As a historical document, its contents are too sanitized in an effort to avoid inflaming old tensions and that mutes its impact.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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The Tree of Life
(2011)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
There are two distinct films being made here and while the opening frames of The Tree of Life are some of the finest in memory, there’s little in the middle-to-late section of the film worth noting.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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Michael Clayton
(2007)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Michael Clayton has an important story to tell, but is sometimes overly stifling in its stuffy pretenses.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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2.5/4
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Mad Max
(1979)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Mad Max is the work of a director with a strong vision starting out on a career that would ultimately impress.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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2/4
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Tales From the Darkside: The Movie
(1990)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
For horror fanatics, this one needs to be seen, especially in tandem with other ’80s efforts like it, but on the whole, it’s not one worth catching if you have better options.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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Midnight in Paris
(2011)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
If the viewer is able to set aside their personal distaste for the creator, the film is a wonderful sit. If they cannot, then it steadily reminds them of the personality Allen curated for decades and that might just be a bridge too far.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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Werewolf by Night
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
It’s nice to see Disney striking out in unique directions, especially when the big screen universe is struggling to regain its inventive stride.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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3/4
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The Bad Guys
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The humor is sometimes quite juvenile, but who doesn’t enjoy well executed fart jokes?
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
While there are elements of the film that stand out as compelling, the mystery at the core is not one of them.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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2.5/4
|
Minions: The Rise of Gru
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Apart from the notion of individuality and discrediting age as a barrier to success, Minions: The Rise of Gru rides entirely on the fumes of its inept yellow punchlines
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3.5/4
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The film’s biggest issues come down to the choice of animation techniques for fight sequences, which makes the events feel a little choppy and overly stylized
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3.5/4
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Bros
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
While the film does a fine job taking romantic comedy tropes and giving them the gay treatment, they remain tropes.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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2.5/4
|
Black Adam
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
One of the most notable issues with Johnson as an actor is his constant mugging for the camera.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The story, which tries to maintain its connection to the Collodi, while differentiating itself from the Disney version, latches onto the Nazi angle. While that is a largely fertile ground from which to grow a story, it feels tired by the film’s end.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
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Love and Death on Long Island
(1997)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Hurt gives such a stirring performance that it’s hard to imagine him in any other role.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
The Horse Whisperer
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Other than the opening sequences with the horse in the sand and the horse and the truck, the rest of the film is rather unoriginal.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Sliding Doors
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The paralleling of stories is well done, but at times not enough.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
The Mask of Zorro
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“The Mask of Zorro” is easily the best action adventure film of the summer. It has everything you could desire, great acting, great romance and an exciting plot.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a step in the right direction for Disney and Marvel, but the excitement of the franchise has dimmed just enough to make it a pyrrhic victory.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3.5/4
|
Deep Impact
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The film portrays very well the human element and does something I rather enjoy. It plays on the emotions of the audience and creates sympathy for the characters and makes heroes out of the most unlikely of people.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3.5/4
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The Spanish Prisoner
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“The Spanish Prisoner” is the kind of film that makes you glad you went...
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Ever After: A Cinderella Story
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
This is a fun film that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys medieval literature or motion pictures and especially those out there who love fantasy.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
The Sword in the Stone
(1963)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Those who enjoy Disney animation, as I do (I have all but seven of Disney’s animated features on video cassette), may take special liking to this feature with its crazy villainess, but may feel a bit let down in the plot area.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Antz
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“Antz” is a fun movie for adults and for children, but occasionally lacks originality. The animation is definitely fine, but still nothing compared to what Disney can and has done.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
American History X
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Making social statements is important, but so is quality writing. The film lacks too much in one area to be brilliant, but is successful enough in other areas that it is easily a good movie.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3.5/4
|
The Gold Rush
(1925)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The film captures the humor and the tragedy of one man’s life in the gold rush era and the end is inspirationally poetic.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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3/4
|
Easy Rider
(1969)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“Easy Rider” is a socially conscious film and a great debut for actor-writer-director Dennis Hopper, but it is extremely slow and really lacks a stable plot.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3.5/4
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A Bug's Life
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Disney has triumphed yet again and “A Bug’s Life” is easily their best computer-generated effort yet. “A Bug’s Life” is a film for the entire family. Both adults and children alike will be thrilled and delighted.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3.5/4
|
Living Out Loud
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“Living Out Loud” is one of the most fun romantic dramedies of the year.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3.5/4
|
Pleasantville
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
If the ending had been more ironic than predictable, the film might have been able to beat the similarly themed “The Truman Show” in this year’s “best of” race.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/4
|
Rushmore
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Rushmore” is an interesting movie that will appeal to a very small audience, but will nonetheless impress.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/4
|
Rope
(1948)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The film’s biggest strength is in its tantalizing plot. “Rope” is a very good movie that suffers only from its somewhat false sense of editing, but overall benefits from Hitchcock’s masterful direction.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/4
|
Hilary and Jackie
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
It is a nice little film that resembles 1996’s “Shine” in many ways and in some ways outdoes it, but overall lacks a little sentiment that is desperately needed at times.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/4
|
Days of Heaven
(1978)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“Days of Heaven” is a good movie with a lot of artistic elements, but at times feels like it is a little lost in its intended journey.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3.5/4
|
The Black Cauldron
(1985)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
“The Black Cauldron” is an intriguing medieval film to be shared by a family or any group of fantasy role-players.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3.5/4
|
Saving Private Ryan
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Not for the squeamish, “Saving Private Ryan” is a film that does not shy away from realistic violence and paints the most vivid portrait of war on film that I’ve seen.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/4
|
Babylon
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Outside of these production moments, the film feels like it’s toiling away at revealing plot threads that aren’t nearly as engaging as they could be.
Posted Feb 27, 2023
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3.5/4
|
There's Something About Mary
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
Who would have guessed that the brothers who created the stupid gross-out comedy film “Dumb and Dumber” would be able to change tracks and make an enjoyable, yet still gross, motion picture?
Posted Feb 23, 2023
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3/4
|
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(2022)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
...is certainly unique. Exploring the idea of family, existential crises, and other obvious philosophical concepts, the film uses its quasi-futuristic narrative to delve into these topics in ways not often seen in film.
Posted Feb 23, 2023
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1.5/4
|
Armageddon
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
In a cross between “Independence Day” and “Apollo 13,” “Armageddon” leans more heavily toward the former. Piles of visual effects with a weak plot to keep it all tied together and give them the excuse to make the film.
Posted Feb 13, 2023
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4/4
|
The Truman Show
(1998)
|
Wesley Lovell
|
The film is assuredly one of the most defining and best films of the 1990s and ranks high up there in film history.
Posted Feb 13, 2023
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