Movies
Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) D: Takashi Yamazaki. S: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Hideaki Anno, Masami Nagasawa. Picking up two years after the previous entry, with married couple Kamiki and Hamabe trying to find some normality, despite some secrets (from the audience). Then there’s another monster attack, and they’re back in the game with monster czar Yoshioka. Fantastic action, superlative special effects, complicated and deep characters. Herky-jerky finish, however, and, of course, atrocious American actors.
The Narrow Margin (1952) D: Richard Fleischer. S: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White, Harry Harvey, Don Beddoe. Crackerjack noir about cops McGraw and Don Beddoe escorting mob widow Windsor from Chicago to L.A. so she can testify. They’re on a passenger train, along with the gunsels after them. Beautifully directed, photographed, and edited, with solid and better performances. The high-key misogyny eventually affects the narrative, which eventually turns cloying, too, but otherwise, it’s fantastic.
Paper Moon (1973) D: Peter Bogdanovich. S: Ryan O’Neal, Tatum O’Neal, Madeline Kahn, Randy Quaid, John Hillerman. Beautifully directed, sublimely photographed (in black and white by László Kovács), perfected timed comedy about Depression-era con man O’Neal père teaming up with newly orphaned O’Neal fille. She thinks he’s her dad, while he swears–despite a similar jaw line–he ain’t. Heartfelt and nostalgic, never mawkish. The second-to-third act transition loses steam but it recovers.
The Scarlet Clue (1945) D: Phil Rosen. S: Sidney Toler, Benson Fong, Mantan Moreland, Crane Whitley, Leonard Mudie. Charlie Chan (Toler in yellow-face) investigates possible espionage in an office building. The novelty of skipping the first act and dropping into the second immediately wears off thanks to the racism. There’s also misogyny and xenophobia– so much xenophobia–but it’s an insipidly written picture, too. “Hard to believe it’s SAG” levels of bad performances. White “supremacist” garbage.
She Loved a Fireman (1937) D: John Farrow. S: Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan, Robert Armstrong, Paul Panzer, Anne Nagel. Bookie Foran starts a feud with local fire department captain Armstrong, which escalates to Foran becoming a FIREMAN and trying to woo Armstrong’s kid sister, played by Sheridan. Lots of stock fire fighting footage, but also some decent action shots. The under-an-hour runtime helps considering Foran’s feckless heel bit is tired in the first scene. Otherwise, okay.
Warning Sign (1985) D: Hal Barwood. S: Sam Waterston, Kathleen Quinlan, Yaphet Kotto, Jeffrey DeMunn, G.W. Bailey. Inert misfire of a thriller about a secret government lab having a bioweapons emergency. The yokels don’t know it’s a weapons lab, though. Quinlan’s the security guard inside, Waterson’s her sheriff husband outside–they’re not good–DeMunn’s the disgraced ex-scientist (also not good). Kotto’s okay as the fed; Bailey’s pretty good. Great Dean Cundey photography. Should thrillers thrill?
Wild Horse Nine (2026) D: Martin McDonagh. S: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Mariana di Girolamo. It’s 1973 and CIA agents Malkovich and Rockwell head to Easter Island on a mysterious assignment. Malkovich is the aged agent, Rockwell’s his sidekick. Buscemi’s their boss, who’s worried Malkovich is becoming a liability. Anti-original (despite the setting) but Malkovich’s so good nothing else matters. Often hilarious, with lovely (if thinly written) supporting parts. Strangely amateurish photography though.