‘A Return to Salem’s Lot’ (1987) a sequel that sucks
Stephen King flashback (Movie review): The popular miniseries gets a film sequel. But it has little in common with the original beyond its name.
Author: John Hansen
‘A Return to Salem’s Lot’ (1987) a sequel that sucks
Christie, Marple still sharp in ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ (1962)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): The author and her detective lament the new Development near St. Mary Mead, but crime-solving principles remain unchanged.
‘Salem’s Lot’ miniseries (1979) sucks life out of King’s book
Stephen King flashback (TV review): King adaptations have a proud history in the miniseries format, but the first one doesn’t stand the test of time.
‘Ordeal by Innocence’ (1958) badgers the bystanders
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Agatha Christie shows that when everyone is a suspect, the guilty person catches a break, and the innocent suffer.
‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ (1990) not as bizarre as its rep
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Despite the great “Key & Peele” sketch, “Gremlins 2” isn’t a uniquely strange sequel; its bigness is typical for the era.
Affleck, de Armas keep ‘Deep Water’ from sinking
Movie review: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas keep us engaged as a psychologically off-kilter rich couple, but “Deep Water” is too simple to achieve greatness.
‘Scream 5’ smartly illustrates fan feedback loop
Movie review: The “Scream” franchise returns to the big screen to examine the creator-fan feedback loop that has emerged in the past decade.
‘Blade Runner 2029’ gets more generic with ‘Echoes’ (2021)
PKD flashback (Comic book review): The second volume of “Blade Runner 2029” is oddly intent on making its antagonist particularly villainous.
‘Adam Project’ adds Reynolds’ riffing to kiddie plot
Movie review: Ryan Reynolds’ charm is in place, but the time-travel plot is so basic one wonders if this was conceived as a kids’ film.
‘West Side Story’ (2021) an ugly tale presented with false beauty
Movie review: Steven Spielberg grandly resurrects the classic stage musical, and it’s unclear if its lack of fresh appeal is accidental or intentional.