‘Parenthood’ (1989) learns to walk so the stories can run on TV
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Ron Howard gives us a cross-section of parental approaches in this understated dramedy.
Teen Drama
‘Parenthood’ (1989) learns to walk so the stories can run on TV
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III’ (1993) and the multiverse that might’ve been
Turtle Tuesday (Movie commentary): “TMNT” came tantalizingly close to creating a cross-media multiverse the likes of which hadn’t been seen before.
‘TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze’ (1991): Was Shredder almost Michael Myers?
Turtle Tuesday (Movie commentary): Eastman and Laird themselves made sure “TMNT” didn’t drift too close to “Halloween.”
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (1990) and the art of great dialog
Turtle Tuesday (Movie commentary): Little-known screenwriters Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck hit the sweet spot of lines that kids can quote and adults can chuckle at.
‘It: Welcome to Derry’ expands from King’s work in King-y way
TV review: But there’s a reason why the author didn’t go this deep into the Pennywise mythology. It strains under its convolutions.
‘Go’ back to 1999 for a night of Xennial cool
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Doug Liman shows “Swingers” was no fluke with another core piece of Nineties indie attitude and style.
‘Freakier Friday’: Some things don’t change with age
Movie review: The game cast and good gags make this sequel worth watching, but unfortunately it has no new insights.
‘House of Wax’ (2005) doesn’t melt under pressure to be a good romp
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Though the events are far from plausible, this remake serves up effective chills in the “weird small town” vein.
Character exploration takes a backseat in rompish ‘Chucky’ Season 2 (2022)
‘Child’s Play’ flashback (TV review): The show is filled with pop-culture riffs but isn’t interested in going deep into the soul of its many Chuckies and humans.
‘Chucky’ makes a killer move to prestige TV in Season 1 (2021)
‘Child’s Play’ flashback (TV review): Falling short of the writing and acting of influences like “Hannibal” and “Cobra Kai,” these eight episodes are nonetheless bizarrely watchable.