There are many good films released around the world every year. Masterpiece celebrates the best of the very best: genuinely superb works of cinema that come with FictionMachine‘s very highest recommendation. If we had our own Criterion Collection, these are the films we … Continue reading MASTERPIECE: Shallow Grave (1994)
The original Hocus Pocus was a modest 1993 hit for Disney, one that demonstrated much stronger legs on cable television than in theatres. Its Halloween setting, combined with a canny blend of family comedy and child-appropriate horror, made it something of an … Continue reading REVIEW: Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
“Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans” It seems an obvious thing to write, but the further that She-Hulk moves away from other elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the more enjoyable it becomes. This fifth episode largely does … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.05
See How They Run seems unlikely to win the widespread acclaim of fellow Agatha Christie pastiche Knives Out (2019), but it is still a bright and amusing confection. A little more predictable perhaps, as it signposts its narrative fairly obviously, but when it … Continue reading REVIEW: See How They Run (2022)
If you have run out of absurd comedic crime thrillers directed by Guy Ritchie, then British film director Barnaby Thompson has the perfect movie for you. An appealing cast gives Pixie an entertaining polish, but there is no hiding that this Northern … Continue reading REVIEW: Pixie (2020)
“Is This Not Real Magic?” Comedy is a very subjective genre, and what works for one viewer is not necessarily going to work for another. There has been a bit of a social media frenzy in the past few days … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.04
“The People vs Emil Blonsky” At the three episode mark you would expect that a new series would have found its tone and rhythm, and that certainly seems to be the case with She–Hulk: Attorney–at–Law. If anything the show most … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.03
Or, if you lived in the right country back in 1987, A Night on the Town. This 1987 teen comedy marked the directorial debut of Chris Columbus, already a successful screenwriter via Gremlins (1984) and The Goonies (1985) but working here from … Continue reading REVIEW: Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
With cinemas now awash with overly long, overly expensive, visual effects-driven franchise pieces – as they have been for some time – it is an absolutely relief to now and then stumble on a modest, small-scale, 90-minute movie. You probably … Continue reading REVIEW: Golden Arm (2020)
“Superhuman Law” As I had expected, She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law settles down quite nicely in its second episode. There is less unnecessary set-up and more actual story, and a strong focus on Jennifer’s career as a lawyer. Is it perfect? Of course … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.02
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