Author: Rob Dean

As a big fan of horror movies, I’ve come across a large swath of people who sincerely love the “Saw” franchise. They like the look of the films, the various torture set pieces, the plot machinations and some of the lore that’s built around the main villains’ moralities. While the latest entry in the franchise, “Spiral,” eschews the actual “Saw” label, it is very much in keeping with the original eight-movie horror series. There are elaborate death traps, lots of grim-talking detectives working against a ticking clock, the mysterious figure at the center of it all, a flimsy moral justification…

With over 65 directing credits to his name, Alfred Hitchcock’s shadow still looms large over the movie business. He’s probably one of the few directors that almost everyone knows, even if they haven’t seen his work. Over the span of 50 years, he made suspense stories that hinged on audiences waiting for the other shoe to drop and hoping the protagonists find a way to escape inevitable peril. Like all great artists, Hitchcock spawned many imitators, some far more successful than others at capturing his intangible talent for danger and intrigue. “The Woman in the Window” is an homage to…

If the Cold War was good for anything, it served as a boon to action movies — the kind where an enemy state could dispatch waves of spies, soldiers and weaponry to take on some of America’s biggest stars. Those films were perfect for a jingoistic “us vs. them” mentality that excused maximum carnage of faceless adversaries. Swaths of foot soldiers could be mowed down by muscular heroes and their massive guns, resulting in some of the most epic sequences within the annals of action filmmaking. “Without Remorse” is about a return to those days in many ways, but it…

Thirteen years later, after billions of dollars at the box office and much critical acclaim, it’s easy to forget the rockiness of Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though it proved a solid foundation filled with talented artists that helped grow the characters and stories, most of the films were hampered by a lack of action, compelling performances, a cohesive vision, budget, pacing or some combination of each. They almost all have great final scenes — like Tony Stark declaring to the world that he’s Iron Man or Steve Rogers waking up in present day — but each is…

It’s odd how filmmakers have struggled to adapt video games into movies. “Double Dragon” was a simple story of two brothers taking on street gangs to rescue a lady, but the 1994 film added in mystical amulets, post-apocalyptic elements and more on top of that basic premise. Likewise, “Street Fighter” is centered on a global tournament of colorful warriors with differing fighting styles, but the two live-action entries threw in loads of unnecessary political intrigue and removed almost all traces of the original hook. In many cases, these films overthink something that’s relatively simple, believing that the stories need a…

1963’s “King Kong vs. Godzilla” is an important film in the history of global cinema. Not only did it combine the sensibilities and productions of the United States and Japan, but it also gave credibility to the upstart lizard monster while establishing much of the mainstays that would be a part of his character for decades. Despite its cultural significance, the movie itself is incredibly lopsided, waiting until an hour into the film’s 90-minute runtime before the two giants meet, as well as featuring some awkwardly goofy human characters. It was unlikely that “Godzilla vs. Kong” would match that sort…

The “wrong man” scenario is a well-worn premise in the action genre. “Under Siege,” “First Blood,” “The Foreigner” and others all feature shady characters inadvertently picking a fight with someone surprisingly well-versed in the arts of violence. The first John Wick movie is set up similarly, so it makes sense that the writer of those films, Derek Kolstad, would be involved in repurposing the formula for “Nobody,” which seeks to make it even more surprising that the protagonist is a killing machine underneath the mask of suburban complacency by casting someone who doesn’t have an action movie pedigree like Keanu…

Despite starting out in metatextual style, “WandaVision” eventually morphed into a normal Marvel Cinematic Universe project complete with energy beam fights. While it was arguably to that series’ detriment, it ends up being a solid transition to “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” which is much more standard MCU fare. Granted, it’s possible that the first episode (which is all that was provided to the press ahead of the show’s debut) won’t foretell the direction and execution of the entire season, but it’s probably a safe bet that a lot of the strengths and weaknesses will carry through, resulting in…

There are numerous instances of films with multiple versions that have divided cinephiles over which one is superior. “Blade Runner,” “Brazil,” “Metropolis” and more have all had drastically different cuts made and screened that alter the story and the movies themselves. There’s even a fairly common practice of releasing “unrated versions” of comedies and action films to add in more swearing and bloodletting. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is the latest entry into that hall of infamy, as the 2017 version had massive portions re-written and re-shot by Joss Whedon, who was brought in by Warner Bros. after Snyder left the…

“WandaVision” is the MCU’s first foray into television after Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige took over the TV division in 2019, and as far as initial projects go, showrunner Jac Schaeffer and series director Matt Shakman delivered a strong success. There were some missteps, particularly in the finale, but “WandaVision” adds credence to the theory that the world of Marvel is big enough to branch out beyond laser beams and three-point landings to deliver something uniquely profound. As discussed in my review of the first three episodes, the bulk of “WandaVision” is basically a combination of Marshall McLuhan’s “Understanding Media:…