The Stop Button

Alien: Romulus (2024) D: Fede Álvarez. S: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Daniel Betts. Nearly okay ALIEN mid-equel (after ALIEN 1, before ALIENS, but tied into PROMETHEUS) eventually collapses under too much unironic “homage.” If lead Spaeny were better, someone might be able to hold it up. Fearn and Wu are particularly bad, though. Jonsson’s good as the android. Some excellent special effects and an outstanding score from Benjamin Wallfisch.

The Dead Pool (1988) D: Buddy Van Horn. S: Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson, Evan C. Kim, Jim Carrey, David Hunt, Michael Currie. Painfully pedestrian final DIRTY HARRY has Eastwood bickering with reporter Clarkson while murders keep happening on horror film director Neeson’s set. Neeson’s terrible (his shifting accent’s something), but otherwise no one’s bad. It’s just a lousy script, particularly for Clarkson. The Lalo Schfrin score disappoints, Van Horn’s direction’s barely competent, and it’s too slight. Like it’s a TV show pilot.

House by the River (1950) D: Fritz Lang. S: Louis Hayward, Jane Wyatt, Lee Bowman, Dorothy Patrick, Ann Shoemaker, Jody Gilbert, Sarah Padden. Excellent Gothic thriller about lech Hayward convincing brother Bowman to help him cover up a crime. Except when the going gets tough, Hayward thinks maybe of selling brother down the RIVER. Wyatt plays Hayward’s suffering wife, who has an unrequited love subplot with Bowman. Hayward’s fantastic as he sheds layer after layer of humanity. Great direction from Lang.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One (2024) D: Jeff Wamester. S: Matt Bomer, Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Meg Donnelly, Stana Katic, Jimmi Simpson, Zachary Quinto. Animated adaptation of foundational DC Comics crossover centers on the Flash (played by Bomer). If Bomer weren’t so bland, it’d be a bit better. But the way-too-cheap animation would still do it in. Still: Kevin Riepl’s music is good, and there is some solid logic to the plot structure. It’s all just badly executed.

Making Mr. Right (1987) D: Susan Seidelman. S: John Malkovich, Ann Magnuson, Glenne Headly, Ben Masters, Laurie Metcalf, Polly Bergen, Hart Bochner. After boyfriend (and star client) Masters disappoints, PR wunderkind Magnuson moves on to Malkovich’s space exploration android. Built in Malkovich’s image. The android quickly falls in love with Magnuson. Hijinks ensue, including with Headly as Magnuson’s best friend, and Metcalf as (the human) Malkovich’s “love” “interest.” Malkovich, Magnuson, and Headly are great. Often real funny, but third act misses.

Mute Witness (1995) D: Anthony Waller. S: Marina Zudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Igor Volkov, Sergei Karlenkov, Alec Guinness, Oleg Yankovskiy. Excellent thriller about gore FX artist Zudina witnessing a murder on set. She’s mute, which leads to some perilous situations (in addition to the general thriller perilous situations). Writer and director Waller’s got a great sense of humor. Zudina is outstanding, as is Yankovskiy–the only cop who believes her. Strong by the second act then keeps rising.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) D: Ronald Neame. S: Maggie Smith, Robert Stephens, Pamela Franklin, Celia Johnson, Gordon Jackson, Diane Grayson, Jane Carr. Fascinating, albeit patriarchal examination of early 1930s Edinburgh school teacher Smith. Her uncompromising, narcissism-fueled, self-imposed dedication to her girls threatens to turn her into Dr. Frankenstein. Watching Smith weave the character is always devastating. Neame makes some very good (and very bad) choices. The teen actors try hard but often come up short. Probably more Neame’s fault.