Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

[6] The Coen Brothers are at it again, this time with a wonky tale of 1950s Hollywood studio politics mixed with political scandal. Hail, Caesar! is scattershot in its narrative. Josh Brolin's character is marginally the main protagonist. Brolin plays…
Frailty (2001)

Frailty (2001)

[7] Actor Bill Paxton makes his feature directorial debut with Frailty, in which a man recounts to an FBI agent how, as a boy, his religious-freak father forced him and his young brother to help murder alleged 'demons' and bury…
6 Souls (2010)

6 Souls (2010)

[4] Julianne Moore stars as a psychiatrist who discovers the multiple personalities of a patient are actually murder victims. Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) plays the patient, and normally I love these two leading actors. But we've seen Moore do…
The Good German (2006)

The Good German (2006)

[5] George Clooney and Cate Blanchett star in Steven Soderbergh's homage to war-time film noir, right down to the black and white 4x3 Academy aspect ratio. Clooney plays an American military journalist who tries to figure out who shot his…
Stephen King’s It (1990)

Stephen King’s It (1990)

[7] Seven adults are called together to vanquish a demon clown they defeated as children thirty years ago. This three-hour miniseries based on Stephen King's beloved novel is directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch) and…
Above Suspicion (1943)

Above Suspicion (1943)

[7] Fred MacMurray and Joan Crawford star as newlyweds who get roped into spying for British intelligence in Nazi Germany. The tone here is light-hearted. Despite the prospect of serious danger, Crawford and MacMurray's characters actually enjoy trying their hand…
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

[7] Director Sydney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network) takes on Agatha Christie and delivers a light-hearted soufflé of a murder mystery. I always tend to enjoy ensemble films within a claustrophobic setting, so being trapped on the Orient Express during…
Quintet (1979)

Quintet (1979)

[2] Glaciers move faster than Robert Altman's bleak post-apocalyptic drama. The ice-age backdrop is the only interesting thing about Quintet, but it's completely irrelevant to the story line. Paul Newman plays one of the last survivors of the human race,…
Flowers in the Attic (1987)

Flowers in the Attic (1987)

[8] This film version of V.C. Andrews' popular novel is considerably toned down, but it's still a wonderfully creepy and sadistic melodrama. A widower takes her four children to live with their grandmother, who views them all as vile sinners.…
The Reflecting Skin (1990)

The Reflecting Skin (1990)

[8] Imagine Twin Peaks from a child's perspective, paired with the visual austerity of Days of Heaven, and that might give you an idea of what to expect from this odd but utterly compelling little movie. Jeremy Cooper stars as…