The Stop Button

The Blob (1958) D: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.. S: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, John Benson, Robert Fields, James Bonnet, Olin Howland. Talky, tedious teen sci-fi picture has killer space jello terrorizing a small town. Can McQueen convince the cops he’s not just having a laugh at their expense? Some kind of acting on display abound. Better cinematography, direction, and special effects would help too. McQueen never really forecasts his glow-up, but he is in the three better scenes.

Color Out of Space (2019) D: Richard Stanley. S: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Elliot Knight, Tommy Chong, Brendan Meyer, Julian Hilliard. Entertaining, highly derivative H.P. Lovecraft adaptation starts as an effective (albeit trite) family horror drama about goth kid Arthur trying to magic away mom Richardson’s cancer. Dad Cage quietly goes full Nicolas Cage by the end, with very mixed results. The practical effects are iffy but the CGI works. Richardson and Arthur are great; script’s not.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) D: Shawn Levy. S: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams. Cameo-filled sequel gently intros Reynolds’s obnoxious, invincible mutant mercenary into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but mostly just wraps up leftover Fox Marvel adaptation fodder. Starting with Jackman, but with a number of surprises. Solid laughs and action; the best performance is either Corrin’s thinly written villain or Macfadyen’s dipshit time travel middle manager. Post-credits is good, too.

The Devil Rides Out (1968) D: Terence Fisher. S: Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi, Leon Greene, Patrick Mower, Sarah Lawson, Paul Eddington. Sometimes (but not enough) surprisingly okay Hammer tale of Lee and Greene trying to save their pal Mower from Satanist Gray and his cult. Along the way, Greene falls for coven member Arrighi and everyone ignores Lee’s warnings so they can have a movie. Lee’s fantastic, Gray’s not, everyone else is in between. The lousy special effects hurt too.

Fly Away Baby (1937) D: Frank McDonald. S: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Gordon Oliver, Hugh O’Connell, Marcia Ralston, Tom Kennedy, Joe King. Ace reporter Farrell is so sure blue blood Oliver is actually a diamond-stealing murderer, she’s willing to follow him around the world. Her boyfriend, copper MacLane, thinks she’s wrong but supports the endeavor. Fast paced mix of mystery and comedy has winning performances–Farrell’s a dynamite lead, Oliver’s a solid foil, and O’Connell’s delightful as the comic relief.

The Lives of Others (2006) D: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. S: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert. Belabored thriller slash melodrama about East German master eavesdropper Mühe getting involved in the lives of his targets–playwright Koch and actress Gedeck. Mühe’s great when he’s got material (even when it’s trite). Koch and Gedeck have less chemistry than wet cardboard. Tukur’s awesome as Mühe’s boss. While pedestrian direction and middling plotting hurt, the bland obviousness is worst.

Origin (2023) D: Ava DuVernay. S: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Emily Yancy, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Blair Underwood. Singular dramatization of author Isabel Wilkerson (Ellis-Taylor) as she decides to write her next book, which will link American racism to the Holocaust and the Indian caste system. Ellis-Taylor’s phenomenal, as is Nash-Betts as her cousin. Bernthal is great as her husband, too. DuVernay’s narrative and adaptive approach prove the concept. Exceptional work all around.