Joeblade

Short reviews

  1. John Wick: Chaper 2

    A sillier, more self-indulgent sequel that’s still a stupid amount of fun, set in an intriguing world of assassins and rules.

  2. Underworld: Blood Wars

    As with all other films in the Underworld series, this one strives for adequacy and generally just about reaches it.

  3. Okja

    I’d like to say I loved it but, while I had fun watching, in the end I was left unmoved.

  4. Insomnia (2002)

    Chris Nolan’s least-remarkable film is still a solid, tense, enjoyable thriller with some meaty performances.

  5. The Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers

    Slow-burning, unsettling, completely baffling. Worth a look!

  6. The Red Turtle

    A perfectly-drawn, expertly-told fairy tale that somehow left me unmoved & a little bored. Not sure which of us is to blame.

  7. Rear Window (1998)

    About as good as a TV remake of Rear Window (1954) ever could be, but post-accident Christopher Reeve keeps it interesting.

  8. Memento

    Endlessly watchable and gripping even when you know how the story unfolds. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it.

  9. Vampires

    It’s good, but James Woods and Daniel Baldwin are such unsympathetic leads I was rooting for the vampires for the whole film.

  10. The Fabulous Baker Boys

    Bit of a hum-drum, soppy story, but with warm, genuine performances from Jeff & Beau Bridges and Michelle Pfeiffer.

  11. Southland Tales

    Something of an acquired taste, but one I’m very thankful to have acquired. Silly and surreal throughout.

  12. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

    Serviceable Saturday morning fare but not exactly Disney at its best. Fine, but forgettable.

  13. Phantasm

    Veered wildly between slapstick comedy and genuinely unsettling horror. Angus Scrimm an astonishing screen presence.

  14. The Underneath

    Underrated Soderbergh noir with a solid Peter Gallagher performance and a sliced-up narrative that keeps things interesting.

  15. Highlander

    The only good thing to have come out of the Highlander franchise. Trashy and lurid and ridiculous and fun.

  16. Atlantic City

    A career-best performance by Burt Lancaster, but everyone here does great work. Darkly comic, occasionally moving.

  17. Fat City

    A film of unassuming despair, of characters trapped in their own lives. Hopper-esque cinematography adds to the quiet bleakness.

  18. Warcraft: The Beginning

    It’s flawed, but it’s better than you’ve heard and worth a look.

  19. Fright Night (1985)

    Much to love; gory effects, Chris Sarandon’s seductive vampire, & Roddy McDowall’s constantly baffled & horrified expressions.

  20. Subway

    Peculiar early work from Luc Besson with a bleached-blonde Christopher Lambert and an amazing soundtrack. Energetic, weird stuff.

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