‘Unfinished Portrait’ (1934) peeks into Christie’s life
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): It’s not Christie’s most twisty or polished piece of literature, but it’s perhaps her most autobiographical.
Family Drama
‘Unfinished Portrait’ (1934) peeks into Christie’s life
‘A Christmas Story Christmas’ won’t be a classic like the original
Movie reviews: Watching “A Christmas Story” and the new sequel back-to-back illustrates the greatness of the first and weaknesses of the latter.
‘Await Further Instructions’ (2018) a solid ‘What’s going on?’ flick
Frightening Friday (Movie review): A young man and his girlfriend find themselves trapped with his dysfunctional family – but that’s not the scariest part.
‘Elf’ (2003) is worth taking off the shelf every Christmas
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Pure of heart without being schmaltzy, Will Ferrell’s classic is like a spiritual palette cleanser.
‘Everyone Says I Love You’ (1996) celebrates heart’s desires
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): While still recognizably an Allen film, this one focuses on the positive side of love enough to make you want to sing and dance.
‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ a ripping critique of religion
TV review: One of 2022’s best murder-mystery miniseries is also an honest study of how religion shapes people’s minds and lives.
Donner, Murray add nutmeg to a classic in ‘Scrooged’ (1988)
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): An unusual but effective blend of dark and light tones, Richard Donner’s film ultimately succeeds because of Bill Murray.
‘Don’t Drink the Water’ adapted poorly (1969) and, well, better (1994)
Woody Wednesday (Movie reviews): Neither version is outstanding, but if you watch one, definitely track down the 1994 movie that comes directly from Allen.
‘Giants’ Bread’ (1930) a tragedy of love, creative drive
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): We take a temporary break from sleuthing to examine Agatha Christie’s excellent first Mary Westmacott novel.
‘Anna and the Apocalypse’ (2017) is fun … until the end
Frightening Friday (Movie review): “High School Musical” meets “The Walking Dead” in this riff that starts off fun but chooses the wrong tone later.