A dozen random observations about ‘Jaws’ for its 40th anniversary
Movie commentary: Here are some things you might’ve forgotten about Steven Spielberg’s classic.
Horror Movies
10 movies John wouldn’t mind seeing this summer (Commentary)
Here are my picks for 10 movies to check out this summer: “Maggie” (May 8) – This could be what “Cop Land” was to Sylvester Stallone years ago: The movie where critics respect Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting […]
‘Lazarus Effect’ a tidy little 90-minute horror riff (Movie review)
“The Lazarus Effect,” a horror flick that recently hit the cheap theaters, is arguably not even as good as one of the weaker Season 1 “X-Files” episodes. In that episode, titled “Lazarus,” two people switch bodies […]
‘It Follows’ masterfully blends horror and coming-of-age genres (Movie review)
“It Follows,” the first great horror film of the year, mixes nightmare imagery with a poignant coming-of-age drama with a travelogue of economically depressed Detroit. The end result is something greater than the sum of its […]
John’s top 10 movies of 2013
These were my 10 favorite movies of 2013: 1. “The Way Way Back” — The title could refer to filmmakers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash looking back at their childhoods in the 1980s or to the rear-facing […]
‘Machete Kills’ and 9 other films to consider seeing this fall (Movie commentary)
Here are nine movies I might consider seeing this fall, plus “Machete Kills,” which I might consider seeing about 10 times. (Links to trailers provided for your convenience.) 1. “Machete Kills” (Oct. 11) — Danny Trejo’s title character […]
‘The Conjuring’ effectively delivers standard scares
Movie review: James Wan’s film doesn’t conjure up new surprises, but it’s still scary.
‘Mama’ a solidly creepy, if not groundbreaking, middle-of-the-night horror flick (Movie review)
If you’re looking for a good flick to watch in the middle of the night with the lights out, you could do a lot worse than “Mama,” which is now available for rent from Redbox. Directed by […]
‘The Way, Way Back’ and 12 more summer movies I’m looking forward to (Commentary)
Even as soulless and redundant superhero movies headline the summer movie schedule, a deeper look at the lineup reveals some really smart-looking smaller flicks hiding beneath the surface. Perhaps the cynicism of the expensive movies […]
John’s top 10 movies of 2012
Here are my picks for the top 10 movies of 2012: 1. “This Is 40” — Writer-director Judd Apatow’s first great film in five years, rather than being one long joke about getting older, instead chronicles a […]