“There’s cruelty, hatred, and tyranny in the world, and you can’t pretend they’re not there.”

Although Suddenly is a film noir with Sterling Hayden and directed by Lewis Allen, I am just getting around to it because it is essentially a hostage drama, something I am almost always uncomfortable with. It turns out to be reasonably entertaining with a terrific central performance, though not by the Sterl.

At his best, Allen is a solid genre director: The Uninvited, Desert Fury,…

Our dog Maisie had a medical procedure today and wasn’t in the mood for Tarr, Tarkovsky, or even Tarzan, preferring her gentlemen fully togged. Eschewing her penchant for introspection, she requested a popcorn movie with plenty of action. Seeing two Warren Oates films recently, I was reminded of Blue Thunder but ed little from two previous screenings other than one scene (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). So the appropriate treats were assembled and an eight-pack of Dr. Pepper Sans Sugar placed…

All the Coogan-Brydon Trip films are entertaining, but each is a little less so than the previous one. The Trip to Italy has several amusing moments and several boring ones, lacking the energy of The Trip.

In the first film, Coogan is the main character, while Brydon gets more attention in the second. Steve is less bitter this time, a shift that means the angry undercurrent of the first film is missing. Going from the chilly UK to sunny Italy…

This one’s going out for Lance Solomon Reddick, born June 7, 1962.

If someone had told my snot-nosed, would-be-cinephile self that one day I would pay cool cash to see something entitled Ballerina, I would have replied, “Somebody’s been spiking yer Wheaties, son.” But this sensitive little art film turns out to be miles away from the likes of The Red Shoes and Black Swan.

I like Ballerina as much as the previous entries in the John Wick franchise. I…