• Star Trek: First Contact

    Star Trek: First Contact

    ★★★½

    Bigger Starfleet time travel-created headache: Ben Sisko is now the hero of the Bell Riots, or Zefrem Cochrane’s co-pilots on the most important flight in human history are now Will Riker and Geordi LaForge?

  • Fargo

    Fargo

    It is AMAZING how much the Coens squeeze in, in terms of plot and character and tone, in under 100 minutes.

    Also, this is the first time I noticed Marge primping as she enters the Radisson bar for her awkward encounter with Mike Yanagita. I don't think she's actually interested in him in any way — she adores Norm, and seems confused by Mike's initial call even after she gets over the feeling of being woken by it — but it's…

  • Casino Royale

    Casino Royale

    ★★★★

    I will never forget watching this in a theater 19 years ago, because in the row in front of us was a dad with a little boy and girl who were both under 5. When the movie got to the scene where LeChiffre tortures a naked Bond, we could see the kids really squirming. When the movie ended and the lights came up, we saw the dad looking mortified, plastering on a smile to tell them, "Boy, that was some intense movie, huh, kids?"

  • My Old Ass

    My Old Ass

    The movie is much less about the high concept than I was expecting, leaning on Mandy Stella and deploying Aubrey Plaza very strategically. But Stella is so endearing and charismatic, and when the film needs Plaza to destroy, she does exactly that. What an incredible actor she has revealed herself to be over time. That’s the stuff.

    (God, and right after I published this, someone told me the awful news about Plaza’s husband, which I had missed during recent travels. Deepest condolences.)

  • Snack Shack

    Snack Shack

    What a fun, confident coming of age hangout movie this was! Gabriel LaBelle is already on his way to big things, and I’ll be very surprised/disappointed if Conor Sherry doesn’t join him in that rarefied air. Such great chemistry, so funny, so sweet together. Excellently retro in every sense.

  • Alien

    Alien

    The Weyland-Yutani corporation seems to engage in some unethical business practices, I think.

  • Duel

    Duel

    That kid who directed the Joan Crawford part of the Night Gallery pilot, and the first regular Columbo episode, sure can shoot!

  • The Town

    The Town

    After reading the umpteenth article about how the coach of the Celtics watches this movie four times a week, I realized I hadn't seen it since it was in theaters, and decided to fire up a borrowed copy of the extended edition. I had forgotten an awful lot, including virtually everything from Fenway Park on, but it played very well. Not Joe Mazzulla obsession-level well, but given the periods in my life where I have watched Midnight Run, The Martian, Apollo 13, or Shawshank on what felt like a loop, I can't exactly judge him, either.

  • GoldenEye

    GoldenEye

    My kid had never seen a James Bond movie, and while I do t think they’re mandatory viewing, I thought it might be a fun way to see out 2024. As entry points go, I considered Casino Royale, but the genital torture scene nixed that. And I wanted something reasonably modern. So I went with the other Martin Campbell, and by far the best Brosnan. 

    In terms of pure action, Brosnan is arguably the best Bond, though Craig and Lazenby…

  • The Holdovers

    The Holdovers

    ★★★★½

    Paul Giamatti. Man.

  • It's a Wonderful Life

    It's a Wonderful Life

    ★★★★★

    Two things can be true: It’s a Wonderful Life is a great movie that will still make me cry no matter how many times I see it, and Mary’s terrible alternate reality fate being that she works in a library and wears glasses is unintentionally hilarious.

  • Carry-On

    Carry-On

    This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

    A fun movie that largely maintains its tension and air of vague plausibility, then starts doing a whole bunch of dumb stuff in the final act that you just have to shrug your shoulders and go with. (Among others: a character is IN AN AIRPORT, and knows they are in danger, and the only place they can think to go to find someone to protect them is... the parking deck?)

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