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The Exorcist
(1973)
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Christopher Kelly
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It's still the same old schlock -- a deeply cynical, morally corrupted, often utterly senseless work that has somehow been raised to the status of greatness.
Posted Sep 28, 2023
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The Exorcist
(1973)
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Elston Brooks
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The Exorcist has arrived in all its grim, gory and gruesome glory, and, like a dreaded trip to the dentist's office, isn't nearly as bad a trip as the wary were fearing. What it is, in fact, is a superb shocker.
Posted Sep 27, 2023
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5/5
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Y tu mamá también
(2001)
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Christopher Kelly
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Cuarón is obviously working in well-trod territory, the coming-of-age genre. But everything about the film is so vibrantly conceived that nothing seems familiar.
Posted Sep 09, 2023
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4/5
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Lone Star
(1996)
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Michael H. Price
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A large-ensemble mystery of a scope far greater than the mere question of whodunit.
Posted Sep 06, 2023
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3/5
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Traffic
(2000)
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Christopher Kelly
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That's Traffic's problem in a nutshell. Soderbergh has grabbed onto fascinating material. But for some reason he seems afraid to give his audience a real high.
Posted Sep 06, 2023
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3.5/5
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Selena
(1997)
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Todd Camp
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In a performance captivating enough to lend validity to some of the more heavy-handed "message" dialogue, Lopez emerges as a talent to watch.
Posted Sep 06, 2023
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3/5
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When a Man Loves a Woman
(1994)
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Michael H. Price
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Meg Ryan's soul-in-torment portrayal is transcendent a consistently excellent performance that keeps the film on course more often than not.
Posted Sep 01, 2023
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6/10
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White Men Can't Jump
(1992)
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Michael H. Price
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Nearly two hours' running time accommodates a flabby screenplay in need of a merciless editor. Saving pleasures are generous, though, especially appealing star turns by Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes.
Posted Aug 31, 2023
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2.5/5
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Moulin Rouge
(2001)
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Christopher Kelly
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[Luhrmann] fills Moulin Rouge with startling images and deliciously weird performances... But there is nothing holding this movie together -- not a compelling story, and certainly not enough original ideas.
Posted Aug 30, 2023
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Moscow on the Hudson
(1984)
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Jeff Guinn
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Moscow on the Hudson is the kind of film that delivers exactly what its audience will expect -- laughs, satisfying emotional trauma and a logical conclusion.
Posted Aug 17, 2023
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5/10
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Batman
(1989)
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Michael H. Price
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Tim Burton's film is precision machinery... But the film loses sight of plain storytelling. It is ultimately as unsatisfying as any numbers of pictures that have sought and failed to translate comic-book narrative to cinema.
Posted Jul 25, 2023
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Macbeth
(1971)
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Perry Stewart
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Without a shred of "modernization," Polanski has created a film which is as contemporary and as relevant as The Godfather.
Posted Jul 21, 2023
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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
(1987)
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Michael H. Price
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Chuck Russel displays a command for both character development and suspenseful pacing.
Posted Jul 18, 2023
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3.5/5
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Spirited Away
(2001)
|
Scott Von Doviak
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Spirited Away is no secondhand fairytale retread; it's a fully imagined universe, populated by wondrous beings and haunting landscapes.
Posted Jul 17, 2023
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5/5
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In the Mood for Love
(2000)
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Christopher Kelly
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This is Wong's seventh film, and his work grows more intoxicating each time around. Little happens in his movies, and yet you can't tear your eyes away from them.
Posted Jul 15, 2023
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4/5
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The Matrix
(1999)
|
Elvis Mitchell
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It's rare, and kind of touching, really, to see a lushly financed studio spectacular work so hard to keep everyone's attention. And with enough symbolism to keep online chat rooms busier than the day Babylon 5 was cancelled.
Posted Jul 13, 2023
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3.5/5
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10 Things I Hate About You
(1999)
|
Robert Philpot
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Who knew that Shakespeare dude could be so entertaining? References to him abound in this messy but enjoyable movie right down to the use of a remake of Nick Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind." But you don't have to be a fan of the Bard to like this affable film.
Posted Jul 12, 2023
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4.5/5
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Mulholland Dr.
(2001)
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Christopher Kelly
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Even if all is not immediately apparent the film is still addictively entertaining -- as arresting, playful and creepy as anything in Lynch's Twin Peaks or Blue Velvet.
Posted Jul 11, 2023
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3/5
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Magnolia
(1999)
|
Robert Philpot
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In its radically flawed, aggravating way, Magnolia is something of a miracle itself
Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Emmanuelle
(1974)
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Perry Stewart
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The end product just isn't all that red-hot.
Posted Jun 27, 2023
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Phantom of the Paradise
(1974)
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Perry Stewart
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As a showcase for Williams' music, Phantom of the Paradise should be entertaining for rock fans and those on the square side of the spectrum as well. As a right-on satire of the rock-pop culture, the film is little short of brilliant.
Posted Jun 27, 2023
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2/5
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Armageddon
(1998)
|
Elvis Mitchell
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This kind of bravura, pumped-up filmmaking is the stuff of great trailers; the coming attraction spots take the top of our head off. But it's exhausting, and you begin to feel that the movie runs on a special clock in which every minute lasts 90 seconds.
Posted Jun 22, 2023
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5/10
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The Great Outdoors
(1988)
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Michael H. Price
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A generally good time for the viewer who is willing to swallow a dose of slapstick hooey.
Posted Jun 16, 2023
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4/10
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Patriot Games
(1992)
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Michael H. Price
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Patriot Games has a commonplace feel, a going-through-the-motions attitude that makes the story not only forgettable but also unexciting, even while the suspense is supposed to be building.
Posted Jun 06, 2023
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4/4
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The Color Purple
(1985)
|
Anne Marie Biondo
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The Color Purple is easily the best movie of the year.
Posted May 31, 2023
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3/4
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A Chorus Line
(1985)
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Perry Stewart
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Is it good? Yes. But is it, in the words of the finale, a "singular sensation?" Well, no, it isn't.
Posted May 25, 2023
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Girlfriends
(1978)
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Perry Stewart
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Claudia Weill handles all this sensitively in her directorial debut, but Girlfriends remains a low-key "little" picture with limited appeal.
Posted May 17, 2023
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4/10
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An American Tail
(1986)
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Michael H. Price
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More forcibly precious than appealingly rendered, Fievel accounts for much of what is wrong with An American Tail.
Posted May 16, 2023
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7/10
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Crossing Delancey
(1988)
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Michael H. Price
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Amy Irving makes Izzy a compellingly confused but determined figure in Crossing Delancey, an appealing stage-into-screen adaptation.
Posted May 15, 2023
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2/4
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Yentl
(1983)
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Terry Hiller
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Yentl lays up a feast of Streisand for her hardcore admirers, but for those less inclined to swoon, the magic formula needs adjusting.
Posted May 12, 2023
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4/4
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Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1981)
|
Elston Brooks
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In the main, it's not acting or acting direction that makes "Raiders" such a fascinating attraction. It's action and action direction. It never abates.
Posted May 04, 2023
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8/10
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(1989)
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Michael H. Price
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If you have especially vivid memories of the Jones films that have gone before, see if you don't find this one an improvement in all regards.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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The Bitter Tea of General Yen
(1933)
|
Mary Sears
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The war scenes are sufficiently exciting to stir most anyone's blood. On the whole, it is good film entertainment, with only a thin plot to hold together the picturesque scenes.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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3/4
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(1984)
|
Terry Hiller
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Temple of Doom is slicker than the original Indiana Jones film and faster-paced. Spielberg announces right off what the audience can expect.
Posted Apr 17, 2023
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2/5
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(2008)
|
Christopher Kelly
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Instead of reinventing Indiana Jones for a new era, Spielberg just makes it seem like every other summer movie cluttering the multiplex.
Posted Apr 12, 2023
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3 Women
(1977)
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Perry Stewart
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It's a brilliantly crafted film, and it includes some of the best acting you'll see this year.
Posted Apr 07, 2023
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8/10
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Army of Darkness
(1992)
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Michael H. Price
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Army of Darkness is quite simply the best Bob Hope comedy Bob Hope never made.
Posted Mar 31, 2023
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8/10
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Evil Dead 2
(1987)
|
Michael H. Price
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Bruce Campbell, more gifted an actor than his infrequent screen assignments indicate, here turns visceral shock to slapstick ballet -- achieving revulsion through delicacy of motion.
Posted Mar 29, 2023
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2.5/4
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The Evil Dead
(1981)
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Michael H. Price
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A handily told scare-story which employs splatter effects in a caricatured way to accent a relentless mounting tension.
Posted Mar 24, 2023
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The Black Pirate
(1926)
|
Mabel Gouldy
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Marvelous beyond words!
Posted Mar 23, 2023
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The Devil Horse
(1926)
|
Mabel Gouldy
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The great black horse dominates the film, but there is a real story told and the human supporting cast is good; setting and photography are also excellent.
Posted Mar 21, 2023
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Enter the Dragon
(1973)
|
Perry Stewart
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As martial arts films go, "Dragon" leads the pack so far.
Posted Mar 20, 2023
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3.5/5
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Boys on the Side
(1995)
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Michael H. Price
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A deceptively conventional looking buddies-on-the-road movie, Herbert Ross' unexpectedly profound Boys on the Side detours into areas of drama and emotional resonance that... Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes left unexplored.
Posted Mar 14, 2023
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The Dark Angel
(1935)
|
FWST Staff
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The finesse and the warm, human way in which their story is told make it one of the season's outstanding films.
Posted Mar 09, 2023
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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
(1953)
|
Ann Jones
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Perhaps the best number in the show is Lorelei's fight song, Diamonds are a Girl's best friend. She almost convinces you that they are.
Posted Mar 09, 2023
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6/10
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Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
(1992)
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Michael H. Price
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The finished product is a mixed blessing, heavier on pluses than on minuses. Devotees of Japanese animation will take the revamped Nemo especially to heart.
Posted Mar 07, 2023
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3/4
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9 to 5
(1980)
|
Perry Stewart
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Its farcical script wears a little thin at times, but director Colin Higgins scrambles adroitly.
Posted Mar 03, 2023
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8/10
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Thelma & Louise
(1991)
|
Michael H. Price
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Thelma & Louise works a pleasing change on a storytelling recipe that's usually the province of male characters.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
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Flower Drum Song
(1961)
|
Elston Brooks
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Beats out solid, tuneful film.
Posted Feb 25, 2023
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Safety Last
(1923)
|
FWST Staff
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It is called Harold Lloyd's greatest picture, and no one who sees It will be disposed to quarrel with that characterization.
Posted Feb 21, 2023
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