Greg Hammond

Fede Alvarez’ Alien: Romulus, starring Caelly Spaeny and David Jonsson, is little more than a horror film that borrows from the Alien mythos.

Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams, is a solid thriller, though one of Nolan’s weakest films to date.

Christopher Nolan’s Memento, starring Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie-Anne Moss, is Nolan’s second feature film, and a glimpse at his future genius.

The Castle of Cagliostro marks Hayao Miyazaki’s feature-length film debut, and it points to a solid future.

James Cameron’s Aliens, starring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn, takes its source material and ups the ante across the board.

Ridley Scott’s Alien, starring Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt, is still riveting even though it is better at sci-fi than horror.

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, still packs a wallop four-and-a-half decades after its release.

Robert Benton’s Kramer vs. Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, is a heart-wrenching drama that deserves every award it received.

Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and a stellar ensemble cast, is easily one of the greatest films ever made.

Goes Like This, by J. Crane, is a wonderful presentation of stories and prints from the past 25 years.

Alex Braverman’s Thank You Very Much is likely to be the most in-depth documentary about the life of Andy Kaufman we will ever see.

Paddington 2, directed by Paul King, and with truly great performances by Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleason, is a fun adventure for the entire family from beginning to end.

Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, breathes new life into an almost dead series.

Jake Kasdan’s Christmas/action film, Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, tries hard to be fun but continuously misses the mark.

Milos Forman’s Best Picture winner, Amadeus, is a must see for music lovers, movie lovers, and lovers of a grand tale.

Francis Lawrence’s Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz is supernatural fun from beginning to end.

Werewolves, starring Frank Grillo, is a fun addition to the werewolf mythos.

John Turturro’s Romance & Cigarettes, starring James Gandolfini and Susan Sarandon, is a jukebox musical with a surprisingly serious undertone.

Massimo Mattioli’s Joe Galaxy is a wonderful collection full of Tom & Jerry style shenanigans with a hefty dose of sexuality and wonderfully “low” humor.

Robert Harmon’s The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, is a competent thriller with plenty of scares.

Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an exciting, funny addition to the growing franchise.

John Ford’s The Searchers, starring John Wayne, is an okay piece of Western Americana that searches for a heart.

Victor Fleming’s version of Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind, starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable as Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, stands as one of the most impressive films ever made.

George Roy Hill’s The Sting, co-starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Robert Shaw is an absolute classic that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Allan Arkush’s Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, starring P. J. Soles and The Ramones is a classic “B”-movie that includes all the extras.

Joe Sacco’s War on Gaza, produced by Fantagraphics, is a painful, important read about the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7th raid into Israel.

The Palette and the Sword: Book 1 by Milo Manara is a beautifully drawn
and depicted story about Caravaggio’s first important foray into Rome.

Scott B. Smith’s and Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan is a perfect little bit of darkness in the midst of small-town America.

Life Sucks by Jessica Abel is a mishmash of Clerks and Reality Bites that, except for the artwork, completely misses the mark.

Brandon Vietti’s Watchmen Chapter 2 continues a visually remarkable re-telling of the classic twelve-part limited comic book series.

Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise as part of an ensemble cast in a historical drama, delivers excitement without any of that bothersome characterization.

Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Vols. 1 – 4 is a great place to start for those who would like to begin a stellar Looney Tunes collection.

Bill and Ted’s Most Triumphant Trilogy from Shout! Studios brings the laughs from over three decades of space-time.

Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories is an excellent addition to any horror aficionado’s collection.

Errol Morris’s Separated elucidates the recent government policy of separating parents from their children at the U.S. – Mexico border.

Brandon Vietti’s Watchmen Chapter 1 is a visually remarkable re-telling of the classic twelve-part limited comic book series.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Manu Larcenet is a stellar adaptation of McCarthy’s brilliantly bleak novel.

The Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning, is a strong directorial debut for Ishana Night Shyamalan.

Knuckles the six-episode tv show is a great springboard from the hilarious Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to the to-be-released at Christmas, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein co-directed Game Night, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, and created a hilarious game of cat and mouse.

Benjamin Marra’s What We Mean by Yesterday, Vol. 1 is a drug-fueled trip through one man’s life on the edge.

John Krasinski’s IF is too scary for the very young, too boring for teens, and a complete disaster to any discerning adult.

Jody Hill’s Observe and Report stars Seth Rogan and Anna Faris in a comedy that relies on Ray Liotta to tell all its jokes.

Paul Brickman’s Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, is a coming-of-age story that helped create a mega-celebrity.

Billy Wilder’s The Long Weekend, starring Ray Milland, is a beautifully made vision of the hell that is alcoholism.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), starring Michael Keaton, is a wonderful film about love, loss, fame, and fading into obscurity.

Rebecca, Alfred Hitchcock’s only Academy Award winner for Best Picture, and first American-produced film, is a showcase of the greatest talents of the era.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey is a top-tier entry in the Predator universe.

Jay Olivia’s Justice League Dark doesn’t earn its R-rating, but has a compelling, adult story all about demons good and demons bad.

Sam Liu’s Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is an action packed thriller with a fast script and intelligent characterizations.