A brief – at times not-so-brief – look at movies old and new.
McLintock! (movie 1963): Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, this reactionary comedy Western marked the final pairing of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
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Hondo (movie 1953): John Farrow’s 3D Western provided future Best Actress Oscar winner Geraldine Page with her first major big-screen role. John Wayne costars as a ‘Shane’ type.
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Track of the Cat (movie 1954): William A. Wellman’s family drama is notable for its mostly prestigious cast and for its unconventional use of color. Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright star.
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Gunga Din (movie 1939): George Stevens’ adventure pays homage to British colonialism while revamping The Front Page. Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. star.
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The Alternate (movie 2022): Partly set in a seemingly rosier parallel universe, Alrik Bursell’s sci-fi thriller is both clever and gripping. In the cast: Patrice Binaisa and Phillip Caires.
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Sylvie of the Sunshine State (movie 2022) review: Sasha Levinson’s mother and daughter documentary depicts the difficulties of parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Pandemic Pillow Talk (series 2022): Summer Moore’s nutty and hilarious nine-episode web series revolves around the difficulties of dating during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Solo: A Star Wars Story (movie 2018) review: Ron Howard adventure is kneecapped by The Force of (Disney’s) Corporate Pressure. Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke star.
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Black Panther (movie 2018) review: Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan star in Ryan Coogler’s history-making entry in the superhero genre. Also in the cast: Angela Bassett.
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Trouble Is My Business (movie 2018) review: Tongue-in-cheek film noir homage evokes memories of classic Hollywood crime dramas like The Maltese Falcon.
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The Doll (movie 1919) review: Ernst Lubitsch satire features incredibly inventive production design. Ossi Oswalda (‘the German Mary Pickford’) and Hermann Thimig stars.
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Alien: Covenant (movie 2017) review: An outstanding Michael Fassbender (in a dual role) costars in Ridley Scott’s creepy thriller that recaptures some of the original’s horror.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (movie 2017) review: Despite Chris Pratt, this particular Marvel franchise is already starting to feel a bit stale. James Gunn directed.
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The Great Wall (movie 2016) review: Matt Damon and Zhang Yimou’s Sino-American monster thriller gives globalization a bad name. Also in the cast: Jing Tian and Pedro Pascal.
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Barry (movie 2016): Former U.S. President Barack Obama and the author have a number of things in common, as discussed in this film commentary. Devon Terrell stars.
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Sully (movie 2016) review: Tom Hanks personifies the ‘all-American hero’ as idealized by director Clint Eastwood in this drama that distorts real-life events. Laura Linney costars.
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Star Trek Beyond (movie 2016) review: Justin Lin’s action sci-fier is the new series’ most satisfying entry, but John Cho’s gay Sulu is a problem. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto star.
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Mothers of Men (movie 1917) review: Remarkable women’s suffrage tale asks whether the female right to vote would destroy American society. Dorothy Davenport stars.
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The Strongest (1929) movie review: The first feature (co-)directed by Alf Sjöberg is a visually splendid Arctic adventure that moves at glacial speed.
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It’s So Easy and Other Lies (movie 2016) review: Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan is the subject of the biographical documentary geared to fans.
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X-Men: Apocalypse (movie 2016) review: Despite Bryan Singer, latest entry is marred by a cartoonish villain and an overabundance of superheroes.
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Money Monster (movie 2016) review: Jodie Foster thriller is marred by a phony social conscience, but George Clooney and Julia Roberts are stellar.
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The Boss (movie 2016) review: Melissa McCarthy wastes her talent in dreary comedy directed by husband Ben Falcone. Kristen Bell and Peter Dinklage costar.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (movie 2016) review: Zack Snyder adds grim smugness to the DC Universe. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill star.
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Around China with a Movie Camera (film 2015) review: British Film Institute compilation offers a magical window into long-gone Chinese sights.
I Remember Mama (movie 1948): George Stevens’ nostalgic immigrant family drama provided veteran Irene Dunne with one of the best roles of her career. Barbara Bel Geddes costars.
The Forty-Year-Old Version (movie 2020): Making her directorial feature debut, Radha Blank also stars in midlife-crisis tale that evokes memories of Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky.
Detroit (movie 2017) review: Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s skillfull and well-intentioned docudrama is unsatisfying as both cinema and history. John Boyega and Will Poulter star.
Logan (movie 2017) review: Wolverine Hugh Jackman is at the embittered heart of James Mangold’s adult-oriented superhero film – one of the very best in the genre.
Don’t Breathe (movie 2016): Don’t wet your seat while watching Stephen Lang and Dylan Minnette in Fede Alvarez’s clever and creepy Detroit-set horror thriller. Jane Levy costars.
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Kriemhild’s Revenge (movie 1924) review: Semi-historical Fritz Lang epic fantasy is a cinematic masterpiece. Paul Richter stars.
Captain America: Civil War
(movie 2016) review: Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr star in Joe and Anthony Russo’s clever take on superhero warfare.