Ricci’s ‘The Gathering’ (2003) is well-meaning, cliched church horror
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Writer Anthony Horowitz (“Poirot”) teases out an original theme from a too-familiar package.
Foreign Films
‘The Third Man’ (1949) doesn’t even need a third man to be great
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Starring Cotten and Welles, this is one of the definitive film noirs, elevated by great dialog and fascinating oddities.
‘Number Seventeen’ (1932) shows Hitch’s skill at action
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): But oddly, the director’s sixth sound film is too confusing to rank as a masterful exercise in suspense.
‘The Manxman’ (1929) explores all sides of love triangle
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): Three emotionally honest and gripping performances make this remake of a 1916 film worth doing.
Hitchcock takes a swing at boxing in ‘The Ring’ (1927)
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): This silent film has some light comedic punch as it chronicles rivals for a title belt and a woman’s affections.
‘Young and Innocent’ (1937) a simpler, sweeter ‘39 Steps’
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): Hitchcock tackles a story similar to “The 39 Steps” in a would-be star-making turn for Nova Pilbeam.
‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023) is Japan’s ‘Independence Day’
Movie review: Takashi Yamazaki’s character-driven prequel to 1954’s “Godzilla” illustrates the changing Japanese culture after WWII.
‘Grave Encounters 2’ (2012) goes humorously meta
Frightening Friday (Movie review): The Vicious Brothers write a smart sequel commenting on their own work and the genre as a whole, but scares are sacrificed.
Hitchcock’s protagonist gets beaten ‘Downhill’ (1927) by life
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): In a prototype for “I Confess,” Hitch asks how much societal BS one person can absorb before it’s too much.
‘Grave Encounters’ (2011) a suitably scary tour of an abandoned asylum
Frightening Friday (Movie review): This might be a pretty obvious premise for found-footage horror, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one.