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Dragonslayer (1981)

Directed by: Matthew Robbins

Starring: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, John Hallam

Rated: PG

Running Time: 1 h 49 m

TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Story, Production Design, Tone

WEAKNESSES: Annoying Protagonist, Predictability (?)

Dragonslayer (1981)

December 20, 2018

A young sorcerer’s apprentice is recruited by knights from a distant land to slay a dragon. 

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In Action, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Romance, Thriller Tags Dragonslayer, 1981, Matthew Robbins, Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, John Hallam, 3.5 Stars, PG
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Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

Directed by: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Liv Schreiber, Chris Pine

Rated: PG for Frenetic Sequences of Animated Action Violence, Thematic Elements, and Mild Language

Running Time: 1 h 57 m

TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Animation, Story, Meta-Writing, Crazy Freaking Visuals

WEAKNESSES: -

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

December 18, 2018

After Peter Parker is killed, a device opens a portal between multiple dimensions, allowing multiple versions of Spider-Man into new Spider-Man Miles Morales’s version of New York. 

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In Action, Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Epic, Mystery, Sci Fi, Thriller Tags Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Liv Schreiber, Chris Pine, PG, 5 Stars
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La Strada (1954)

Directed by: Federico Fellini

Starring: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart

Rated: NR (Suggested PG-13 for Suggestive Content and Brief Violence)

Running Time: 1 h 48 m

TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting

WEAKNESSES: -

La Strada (1954)

December 12, 2018

A jovial girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, and learns to endure life with all it’s ups and downs. 

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In Adventure, Art House, Cinema World Tour, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Foreign Film, Romance Tags Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart, La Strada, 1954, Federico Fellini, NR, 4.5 Stars
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The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark

Rated: R

Running Time: 2 h 19 m

TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Directing, Writing, Editing, Cinematography, Acting, Unconventionality

WEAKNESSES: -

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

December 10, 2018

An alien poses as a human in an attempt to return to his dying planet, but the distractions of a human woman and the greed of man continually complicate things.

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In Art House, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Sci Fi, Thriller Tags Nicolas Roeg, David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, R, 1976, 5 Stars
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Some Like It Hot (1959)

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

Rated: Nr (Suggested PG-13 for Risque Humor)

Running Time: 2 h 1 m

TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting, Soundtrack

WEAKNESSES: -

Some Like It Hot (1959)

November 30, 2018

Two down on their luck male musicians must fleet Chicago after witnessing a mob hit, disguising themselves as two females for an all girls band playing in Florida. 

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In Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Musical, Mystery Tags Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Some Like It Hot, 1959, Billy Wilder, NR
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Westworld (1973)

Directed by: Michael Crichton

Starring: Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Yul Brynner

Rated: PG

Running Time: 1 h 28 m

TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Story, Influence, Meta-Aesthetic

WEAKNESSES: Some Drawn Out Moments

Westworld (1973)

November 28, 2018

Two wealthy friends take a vacation at Westworld, an adult theme park where visitors can live out their fantasies by interacting with robots. Once there, the machines begin to malfunction, and the friends struggle to stay alive. 

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In Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Sci Fi, Thriller, Western Tags Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Yul Brynner, Michael Crichton, PG, 4 Stars
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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Directed by: Kevin Reynolds

Starring: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Brian Blessed, Nick Brimble, Sean Connery

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 2 h 35 m

TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Fun, Story, Cinematography, Alan Rickman

WEAKNESSES: Some Acting, Some Cheesy/ Farfetched Moments

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

November 26, 2018

A retelling of the legend of Robin Hood. 

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In Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Epic Tags Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Brian Blessed, Nick Brimble, Sean Connery, 1991, PG-13, 3 Stars
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The Princess Bride (1988)

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Starring: Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal

Rated: PG

Running Time: 1 h 38 m

TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Pretty Much Everything

WEAKNESSES: -

The Princess Bride (1988)

November 23, 2018

While home sick from school, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a book titled, The Princess Bride.

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In Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance Tags Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, 1988, The Princess Bride, 5 Stars
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Kin(2018)

Directed by: Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker

Starring: Myles Truit, Jack Reynor, Zoe Kravitz, Dennis Quaid

Rated: PG13

Running Time: 1h 42m

TMM Score: 3 Stars

STRENGTHS: Acting, Style, and Themes

WEAKNESSES: A Terrible Ending

Kin (2018)

November 20, 2018

When his older brother gets out of jail with a heavy debt on his head, Eli hits the road with him, not knowing that Jimmy has some huge secrets he’s keeping. Eli has his own secret though; a devastating high tech weapon of mysterious origin.

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In Drama, Action, Adventure, Crime, Sci Fi Tags mjamesmcdonald, kin, 2018, Josh Baker, Jonathan Baker, Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor, Zoe Kravitz, PG13, 3 Stars, Dennis Quaid, James Franco
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Waits

Rated: R for Some Strong Violence

Running Time: 2 h 12 m

TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Coen Bros Flair, Irreverence and Poignancy, Clever Writing

WEAKNESSES: Some CGI and Sets Look A Little Cheap

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

November 20, 2018

Six stories set in the Coen Brothers’ Wild West. 

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In Action, Adventure, Anthology, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Musical, Western, Romance Tags Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Waits, R, 4.5 Stars
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Overlord (2018)

Directed by: Julius Avery

Starring: Wyatt Russell, Jovan Adepo, Mathilde Ollivier

Rated: R for Strong Bloody Violence, Disturbing Images, and Brief Sexual Content

Running Time: 1 h 50 m

TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Action, Story, Fun, Writing

WEAKNESSES: Somewhat Predictable Third Act, Some Plotholes, Some CGI

Overlord (2018)

November 19, 2018

A group of American soldiers stumble upon a Nazi experiment after being dropped behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day. 

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In Action, Adventure, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci Fi, Thriller Tags Overlord, 2018, Julius Avery, Wyatt Russell, Jovan Adepo, Mathilde Ollivier, R, 3.5 Stars
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Ferrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller

Rated: PG-13 for Some Fantasy Action

Running Time: 2 h 13 m

TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: World-Building, Characters, Production Design, Effects

WEAKNESSES: Scatterbrained Story, Pacing

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

November 16, 2018

A wizard named Newt Scamander journeys to New York in the 1926, only to accidentally become involved with a group of Wizards. Meanwhile, the evil Grindelwald wrecks havoc around the wizarding and muggle worlds alike.

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In Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance Tags Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016, 3 Stars, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Colin Ferrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller, PG-13
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The Meg (2018)

Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

Starring: Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose

Rated: PG-13 for Action/Peril, Bloody Images and Some Language

Running Time: 1 h 53 m

TMM Score: 1.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: The Crazy Beach Scene

WEAKNESSES: Predictability, Dialogue, Acting, Special Effects

The Meg (2018)

November 13, 2018

Jonas Taylor squares off against a Megladon. 

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In Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Thriller Tags Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Jon Turteltaub, 1.5 Stars, 2018, PG-13
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A Passage to India (1984)

Directed by: David Lean

Starring: Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee, Peggy Ashcroft, James Fox, Alec Guinness

Rated: PG

Running Time: 2 h 44 m

TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Production Design, Acting, Directing

WEAKNESSES: Cultural Appropriation, Pacing

A Passage to India (1984)

November 7, 2018

A commentary on cultural mistrust and British colonialism. A high-class English woman travels to India for adventure (and possibly love), but things go awry when she takes an expedition to the Marabar caves with a local named Aziz. 

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In Adventure, Drama, Crime, Epic, Mystery, UK Series, Cinema World Tour Tags David Lean, Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee, Peggy Ashcroft, James Fox, Alex Guinness, 1984, PG, 3 Stars
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Brazil (1985)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Ian Holm, Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent

Rated: R for Some Strong Violence

Running Time: h m

TMM Score: stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Foresight, Writing, Directing, Production Design, Acting

WEAKNESSES: -

Brazil (1985)

November 5, 2018

An everyman of an oppressively bureaucratic future becomes entangled in a conspiracy after a clerical error. 

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In Adventure, Art House, Coming of Age, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Sci Fi, Thriller Tags Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Ian Holm, Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent, R, 5 Stars, Terry Gilliam, Brazil, 1985
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Warwick Davis, John Hurt, Mathew Lewis, Tom Felton, John Cleese, Alan Rickman, David Bradley

Rated: PG for Some Scary Moments and Mild Language

Running Time: 2 h 32 m

TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Story, Some Production Design, World Building

WEAKNESSES: Some Production Design, Some Acting, Directing, Pacing

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

November 5, 2018

An orphaned boy learns he is famous in the wizarding world for once having bested an evil wizard as a baby. Upon rejoining the world of wizards, the boy joins a wizard school. 

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In Adventure, Children's Movies, Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Mystery, Sports, Thriller Tags Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Warwick Davis, John Hurt, Mathew Lewis, Tom Felton, John Cleese, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, 2001, 3 Stars, PG
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The Fisher King (1991)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl

Rated: R

Running Time: 2h 18m

TMM Score: 5 Stars

STRENGTHS: Acting, Cinematography

WEAKNESSES: Length

The Fisher King (1991)

November 5, 2018

When a disc jockey on the verge of blowing up causes a tragedy by giving some bad on-air advice, his entire life is thrown into chaos as he copes with being the cause of suffering and seeks redemption by helping a homeless man who is suffering from his own dementia fueled disfunction.

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In Adventure, Art House, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Tags mjamesmcdonald, 5 Stars, R Rated, Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Terry Gilliam, 1991, The Fisher King
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The Mummy (1932)

Directed by: Karl Freund

Starring: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners

Rated: Approved

Running Time: 1 h 13 m

TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Production Design, Old Hollywood Charm

WEAKNESSES: Pacing, Reuse of Shots, Expositional Dialogue, Dues Ex Machina

The Mummy (1932)

October 31, 2018

A resurrected mummy searches for the reincarnation of his lost love.

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In Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller Tags Karl Freund, Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, 3 Stars, 1932, Universal Monsters, Approved
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Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Directed by: Jack Arnold

Starring: Richard Carlson, Whit Bissell, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Ricou Browning, Ben Chapman, Antonio Moreno

Rated: G

Running Time: 1 h 19 m

TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Story, Cinematography, Creature Design, Old Hollywood Charm

WEAKNESSES: Some Melodramatic Moments

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

October 31, 2018

A group of scientists travel to the Amazon in search of a missing link in evolution, only to be terrorized by a fearsome beast that dwells there.

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In Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci Fi, Romance, Thriller Tags Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954, 4 Stars, Jack Arnold, Richard Carlson, Whit Bissell, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Ricou Browning, Ben Chapman, Antonio Moreno, G
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Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E Grant, Cary Elwes, Tom Waits

Rated: R for Sexuality and Horror Violence

Running Time: 2 h 8 m

TMM Score: 2.5 stars out of 5

STRENGTHS: Production Design, Gary Oldman, Takes Chances

WEAKNESSES: Chances Don't Always Pay Off, Some Writing, Some Directorial Choices

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

October 30, 2018

Francis Ford Coppola’s retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel.

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In Adventure, Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller Tags Francis Ford Coppola, Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E Grant, Cary Elwes, Tom Waits, 2.5 Stars, 1992, R
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