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Austin American-Statesman

Tomatometer-approved publication.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
The Howling (1981) Patrick Taggart Thanks to a hokey story and an unremarkable screenplay that somehow requires the efforts of two writers, "The Howling" is never as good as it should be.
Posted Mar 18, 2026  Edit critic review
1/4
RoboCop 3 (1993) Michael MacCambridge Another series that looks to be dying with a whimper rather than a bang.
Posted Mar 16, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
Waiting for Guffman (1996) Tom O'Connor The real fun of this movie comes from the personalities of the characters and knowing that the actors are drawing from their own imaginations rather than a script.
Posted Mar 10, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
RoboCop 2 (1990) Patrick Taggart Irvin Kershner keeps the action zipping along, but not so fast that you can't take it all in.
Posted Mar 10, 2026  Edit critic review
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Patrick Taggart The rebellion of the late 60s wasn't all that wonderful, but it opened some minds and eyes, and the book, the play, and now this glorious film, lay it in our laps. It's a tribute to filmmaking at its finest.
Posted Mar 06, 2026  Edit critic review
RoboCop (1987) Kevin Phinney RoboCop is straightforward comic-book storytelling, and as such, as thrill-packed and savory as any popcorn-muncher.
Posted Mar 05, 2026  Edit critic review
Nashville (1975) Steve Hogner It is to American film what William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" is to American literature -- an epic definitive statement of the natural undercurrents shaping this nation.
Posted Mar 05, 2026  Edit critic review
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) John Bustin And with special credit to Miss Hepburn, who's both kookie and wistful, and to Director Edwards' good touch, the film is uniquely entertaining and thoroughly engaging. Like Holly herself, it's completely offbeat but lots of fun.
Posted Mar 04, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
Sense and Sensibility (1995) Ann Hornaday Thompson and Lee have taken precious few liberties with Austen's text, which gives Sense and Sensibility the authentic ring of a "Masterpiece Theatre" adaptation but also loses something in pure energy.
Posted Feb 26, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The Postman (1994) Russell Smith A blessed tonic for an age in which "post-literate culture" is viewed as inevitable and "art is over" is a cliche among intellectual pundits.
Posted Feb 23, 2026  Edit critic review
3/5
THX 1138 (1971) John DeFore The movie boasts some anti-establishment humor and an atmospheric soundscape. There's a good deal to admire, and even something to enjoy, in this starkly composed piece of sci-fi.
Posted Feb 20, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
Chocolat (2000) Alison Macor In Chocolat, director Lasse Hallström assembles a handsome and accomplished cast for a movie that often feels more like a high school play.
Posted Feb 17, 2026  Edit critic review
Pretty in Pink (1986) Patrick Taggart John Hughes has made the kind of miscalculation in his story that all but ruin the fun.
Posted Feb 13, 2026  Edit critic review
2/4
Bride of Re-Animator (1990) Michael MacCambridge Like most sequels it lacks the snap and bite of its predecessor.
Posted Feb 12, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Chris Garcia A fine historical action-romance that for all its vaunted martial arts swashbuckling is curiously stiff and stuffy.
Posted Feb 11, 2026  Edit critic review
Blonde Venus (1932) Ruth Lewis Dietrich never performed better, and "Blonde Venus"...is really an attraction.
Posted Feb 04, 2026  Edit critic review
Days of Heaven (1978) Patrick Taggart There is as much hell in this story of farm laborers as there is the bliss of pastoral life. But Malick... has a flair -- no, make that a genius -- for setting moods that are, in fact, heavenly.
Posted Feb 04, 2026  Edit critic review
Arabesque (1966) John Bustin It's a deftly done romp all the way through (not the least of the credit going to director Stanley Donen, let me add), and viewers will find it a most engaging entertainment in which gaiety and thrills combine to delightful effect.
Posted Feb 04, 2026  Edit critic review
Camille (1936) Ruth Lewis Camille is magnificently produced... with a generous supporting cast.
Posted Feb 04, 2026  Edit critic review
My Bloody Valentine (1981) Patrick Taggart It is utterly predictable, utterly average, utterly forgettable.
Posted Jan 29, 2026  Edit critic review
1.5/4
North (1994) Michael MacCambridge All in all it's a pretty depressing spectacle.
Posted Jan 24, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The American President (1995) Ann Hornaday Annette Bening is just such a star, and The American President belongs entirely to her.
Posted Jan 22, 2026  Edit critic review
2/4
Misery (1990) Michael MacCambridge Misery never succeeds at the crucial task of finding its tone and sticking to it.
Posted Jan 21, 2026  Edit critic review
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) John Bustin For those who need more action to snap up their film fare, there are impressive moments of suspense and a constant feeling of imminent terror, which cannot fail but furnish still another exciting element of interest to an already top-grade film.
Posted Jan 15, 2026  Edit critic review
Bite the Bullet (1975) Patrick Taggart In addition to Brooks' script, stylish direction and some of the prettiest horses ever put before a camera, there also happens to be a cast that seems to have been assembled in a moment of divine inspiration.
Posted Jan 15, 2026  Edit critic review
The Magnificent Seven (1960) John Bustin This story, sprawling over two full hours, takes too long to tell and pauses too frequently to analyze its characters and their motives, but it stirs up considerable interest, some vigorous action and flashes of humor...along the route.
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Chris Garcia You need stamina for long droughts of tedium amid the explosions of enchantment. The movie is three and a half hours long. Mostly it moves. And when it's speeding ahead it does so with witty zest and a visual brilliance that sometimes overpowers.
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
Stand by Me (1986) Patrick Taggart The performances are a revelation.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Chris Garcia Jackson seems to acknowledge the material's stodgy crust of familiarity, and the master visualist cracks it with astonishment. The movie's payoff is grand and marvelous.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Chris Garcia A near-paragon of how fantasy books should be plucked from the page and draped across the screen. Jackson and a fully engaged cast conjure a robustly imagined universe of enveloping enchantment that looks, sounds and moves just right.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
4/4
The Princess Bride (1987) Elise Gibson Check your cynicism at the door, but bring your funny bone and sense of wonder when you go see The Princess Bride.
Posted Jan 07, 2026  Edit critic review
The Sure Thing (1985) Patrick Taggart Reiner is aided enormously by the persuasive performances of Zuniga and Cusack.
Posted Jan 07, 2026  Edit critic review
3.5/4
A Few Good Men (1992) Michael MacCambridge An independent production might have avoided rounding off so many edges on Sorkin's script, but neither would it be able to match the entertainment provided by the raw star power of Nicholson, Cruise and the rest of the impressive cast.
Posted Jan 06, 2026  Edit critic review
Death Race 2000 (1975) Lisa Tuttle It's a comic-book story with a comic-book plot, characters and morality, and since it has no pretensions of being anything more meaningful, it can't be faulted.
Posted Dec 21, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
Hook (1991) Michael MacCambridge It's a nice try, and there are some enchanting moments. But Hook winds up straining under the weight of Spielberg's grand vision. It's a fairy tale that's been shot like a battle epic, and it's lost much its magic in the making.
Posted Dec 19, 2025  Edit critic review
Christine (1983) Patrick Taggart Just as King's novels has assumed a kind of assembly line superficiality, Carpenter's realization of "Christine" is merely dutiful, as if the mass-production sameness of the story has rubbed off on Carpenter's style
Posted Dec 16, 2025  Edit critic review
Big Top Pee-wee (1988) Patrick Taggart Forget about whether it's good or not; what's mystifying here is why Pee-Wee/Reubens chose this direction.
Posted Dec 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
The Abyss (1989) Patrick Taggart The interaction among the many supporting players lends humor and heart to a movie dominated by hardware and technical jargon.
Posted Dec 10, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
The Abyss (1989) Michael MacCambridge The film remains a breathtaking technical achievement, buoyed by strong performances from both Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
Posted Dec 09, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
True Lies (1994) Michael MacCambridge The teaming of Schwarzenegger and Curtis is an inspired one, and Cameron proved once again that no director in filmmaking today has a grander contemporary vision.
Posted Dec 09, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Michael MacCambridge Cameron delivers some stunning sequences and Arnold has become a joy to watch; but T2 can't match its original.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
A Christmas Carol (1984) Diane Holloway It should become a genuine classic.
Posted Nov 26, 2025  Edit critic review
Journey Back to Oz (1974) Steve Hogner The makers of this animated feature have forgotten what made the original so good.
Posted Nov 25, 2025  Edit critic review
The Wiz (1978) Charles Baumhauer The characters move through an increasingly high-powered environment without believingly touching each other or us in more than routine fashion.
Posted Nov 18, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
The Running Man (1987) Patrick Taggart The "satire" on the television age that this movie attempts is incredibly heavy-handed and more than a little mean-spirited.
Posted Nov 06, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
Predator 2 (1990) Michael MacCambridge Predator 2, like its predecessor, is a slick, competent, well-paced action film that is limited in its effectiveness because it never bothers to flesh out the details of its horrific story.
Posted Oct 31, 2025  Edit critic review
Predator (1987) Patrick Taggart Predator is nothing more than Commando all over again, only without the sunny presence of Rae Dawn Chong as a beacon of humor and softly stated feminism.
Posted Oct 30, 2025  Edit critic review
Dracula (1979) Patrick Taggart John Badham's timid direction leaves us with a Technicolor, Dolby stereo version of a 1930s movie, complete with creaking doors that slam after they are opened.
Posted Oct 21, 2025  Edit critic review
Re-Animator (1985) Patrick Taggart The movie has a terrific sense of humor.
Posted Oct 16, 2025  Edit critic review
Desert Hearts (1985) Patrick Taggart The performances are what carry the film, especially that of Patricia Charbonneau as Cay. She's a flesh-and-blood creature of the kind we've been getting fewer and fewer of lately.
Posted Oct 12, 2025  Edit critic review
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