Greg Hammond

Stephen Frears’ The Grifters, starring John Cusack, Anjelica Houston, and Annette Bening, is a spectacularly fun neo-noir/thriller.

James Ivory’s Howards End, starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins, is a daring, phenomenal glimpse at Edwardian England.

Ti West’s X Trilogy (X, Pearl, and MaXXXine), starring Mia Goth as both a young and old Pearl, as well as Maxine, want to be horror/thriller films but fall short every time.

The Curse of Frankenstein, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, is one of the strongest versions of the Frankenstein mythos to date.

Zack Cregger’s Weapons, starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, has its merits, but it is exceedingly hard to ignore its problems.

Michael Chaves directs The Nun II, starring Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet, but fails to live up to the standards of The Nun.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, directed by Michael Chaves and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, begins to strain the credibility of the franchise.

Annabelle Comes Home, directed by Gary Dauberman, and starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, brings the terror directly into the Warren household.

The Nun, directed by Corin Hardy, and starring Damian Bichir and Taissa Farmiga, is a strong, scary start to a new sub-franchise of the Conjuring Universe.

Annabelle: Creation, directed by David F. Sandberg and starring Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto, and Stephanie Sigman, constantly falls flat.

James Wan’s The Conjuring 2, starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, is a strong sequel that points to a horrifying future.

Annabelle, directed by John R. Leonetti, starring Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton, is a mostly scary, and promising start to a new series in The Conjuring franchise.

With entertaining action sequences, interesting characters, and a treasure trove of thoughtful Bonus Features, Jurassic World Rebirth is reminiscent of the first Jurassic Park with its beautiful vistas, hungry dinosaurs, and great sense of wonder.

PAW Patrol: Fire Rescue brings over two hours of action and adventure from the PAW Patrol team as they break in their brand new fire station.

When We Went MAD! The Unauthorized Story of MAD Magazine, directed by Alan Bernstein, is a pleasant enough introduction to a story you likely already know.

James Wan’s The Conjuring, starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, will keep your attention because of the acting and direction – all that is missing is a horror story.

The Palette and the Sword: Book 2 by Milo Manara continues the swashbuckling story begun in Book 1, and proves again that Milo Manara is a top-tier graphic artist.

Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita, starring James Mason and Peter Sellers, is filled with humor, charm, cringe-worthy moments, and scads of conflict.

Todd Solandz’s Palindromes, starring eight different actors as the main character, hides what may be an interesting story within unconventional storytelling.

Ricky Gervais’ and Matthew Robinson’s The Invention of Lying, starring Gervais, Jennifer Garner, and Louis C.K., is startlingly funny from the first scene to the last.

Fantagraphics’ Atlas Comics Library No. 6: Shiver As You Read is filled with weird tales from the 1950’s, and the pages of Amazing Detective Cases and Men’s Adventures.

Final Destination Bloodlines, the sixth installment in the series, follows a new path that is both better and worse than the old path.

Steven Quale’s Final Destination 5, starring Tony Todd and Nicholas D’Agosto, raises the stakes and is easily the strongest entry in an already strong series.

David R. Ellis’ The Final Destination, starring Bobby Campo and Mykelti Williamson, has its moments but lacks the surprises and fun of the first three films.

James Wong’s Final Destination 3, starring Elizabeth Winstead, is another solid entry in the Final Destination universe.

James Wong’s Final Destination, starring Ali Larter, is an exciting opener to a strong series.

David R. Ellis’s Final Destination 2, starring A. J. Cook and Ali Larter, Is a fun amalgamation of horror and humor.

Christopher Landon’s Drop, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar, is a tight-knit thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Clay Tweel’s documentary Andy Kaufman Is Me should be the final say on the life and career of Andy Kaufman.

David Lynch’s The Straight Story, starring Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek, is a must-watch gem.

David Fincher’s feature film debut, Alien 3, starring Sigourney Weaver, is the first of the Alien franchise to not reach its potential.

James DeMonaco’s The Purge, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, tries its best to amuse and scare, but falls just short.

Bruce Robinson’s How to Get Ahead in Advertising, starring Richard E. Grant and Rachel Ward, is a fascinating mix of humor and body horror.

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, starring Malcolm McDowell, is a genuine masterpiece.

Mission: Impossible 2, directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise, is one of the least interesting movies in the franchise.

David Lynch’s Eraserhead, starring Jack Nance and Charlotte Stewart, is a surreal delight of complex, interesting sights and sounds.

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.