The Fifth Cord (1971)

The Fifth Cord (1971)

[6] An alcoholic news reporter is determined to catch a murderer after he becomes a suspect for the assailant's weekly attacks. For a giallo flick, Luigi Bazzoni's The Fifth Cord lacks a compelling mystery or any memorable death scenes. But Bazzoni and…
Them! (1954)

Them! (1954)

[6] Often regarded the best of the atomic age 'giant critter' flicks, Them! is best in the beginning, during two police officers' discovery of a little girl roaming the desert in a catatonic state. Looking for her family, they come across a…
Piranha 3D (2010)

Piranha 3D (2010)

[6] Gore, boobs, and monsters have always been a recipe for success -- at least a moderate degree of it. Piranha 3D, Alexandre Aja's remake of Roger Corman's cult classic, proves the recipe may well be immortal. This flick is a big…
Street Trash (1987)

Street Trash (1987)

[7] Street Trash is grade-A schlock, precisely the kind of movie that would make your mama cry if she knew you were watching it. An unwitting liquor store owner discovers an old crate of booze and starts selling it to the local…
Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

[8] Disney goes Broadway in the first animated motion picture ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (in the days before they rolled out a separate category for the medium). This version of the classic fairy tale is fueled by power-house songs…
RED (2010)

RED (2010)

[6] Jean-Luc Godard once said, "All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun." Watching Helen Mirren seize comand of a blazing Gatling gun, I think Godard may be onto something. RED isn't terribly original or surprising, but its venerable…
The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Godfather Part II (1974)

[7] An unusual sequel of sorts, The Godfather Part II spends equal time in the past and the present, exploring the early life of Vito Corleone (with Robert DeNiro taking over the mantle from Marlon Brando) while also following the continuing story…
The Godfather Part III (1990)

The Godfather Part III (1990)

[7] While I enjoy parts two and three, I have the same general problem with both of them. Why do they exist? The first film tells a complete story, but part two (with its shuffling of prelude and epilogue) plays like an…
Dracula (1979)

Dracula (1979)

[6] You'll find immense, beautifully dressed sets and breathtaking oceanside locations in the 1979 Dracula. You'll also hear a richly romantic John Williams score. These elements go a long way in creating a mood and atmosphere that are more lush than any…
The Visit (2015)

The Visit (2015)

[7] M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) returns to form after over ten years of sub-par and crappy output. The Visit is a small-scale but clever character-driven thriller about two children who go for a week-long visit with grandparents they've never met…