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90s

P.S.H. I Love You: “Patch Adams” is dead on arrival

Patch Adams
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Robin Williams smarms his way through his misguided, treacly 1998 medical dramedy.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

Reeling 2020: “Ahead of the Curve” has all the queer joy that’s fit to print

Ahead of the Curve (Reeling 2020)
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Jen Rainin’s documentary about famed lesbian magazine Curve is a welcome snapshot of queer lit history, in all the publication’s ups and downs.

B.L. Panther Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

Fantasia 2020: “Free Country” is “True Detective” in the Eastern Bloc

Free Country
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Christian Alvart’s remake of a 2014 Spanish thriller turns post-Wall German backwoods into a tense stage for murder and grit.

Clint Worthington Posted on August 16, 2020August 16, 2020

“Look, it’s the gentleman guppy”: “Waterworld” at 25

Waterworld
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Say what you will about Kevin Costner’s disasterpiece, but it’s a reminder of the time when studios were willing to wade into uncharted seas.

Peter Sobczynski Posted on July 28, 2020July 28, 2020

25 Years of “The Net,” and the new age of techno-thrillers

The Net
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A look back at a time when “the internet” was portrayed as a mysterious boogeyman that could destroy your life.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on July 28, 2020July 27, 2020

“Scent of a Woman” proves a putrid example of early ’90s Oscar bait

PSH I Love You Scent of a Woman
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1991’s Scent of a Woman remains one of the most baffling recipients of Oscar gold, a prep-school drama lifted only by an early Philip Seymour Hoffman turn.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on July 20, 2020July 14, 2020

Joygasm! “Batman Forever” celebrates its 25th birthday

Batman Forever
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Love it or hate it, Joel Schumacher’s first take on the Caped Crusader was a neon-lit spectacle. Two of our writers debate its flaws & merits.

The Spool Staff Posted on June 16, 2020June 18, 2020

May’s Filmmaker of the Month: The Friday the 13th Series

Friday the 13th
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For the first film’s 40th anniversary, we hack and slash our way through the long, bloody saga of Jason Voorhees and his journeys from hell to Manhattan to space.

Clint Worthington Posted on May 2, 2020June 2, 2020

Clint Eastwood: The Man, The Glare, The Movie Star

Clint Eastwood
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A tribute to one of the greatest icons in movie history.

Rudolph Fernandez Posted on December 11, 2019December 11, 2019

December’s Filmmaker of the Month: Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes
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As his WWI war epic 1917 comes out in time for the holidays, we spend December looking back on the eclectic modes of Sam Mendes.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 3, 2019January 5, 2020

“Die Hard With a Vengeance” Gave Me My Best Friend

Die Hard with a Vengeance
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One writer’s childhood bond with his best friend was sealed by a fateful late-night screening of Die Hard with a Vengeance.

Tim Stevens Posted on November 29, 2019November 29, 2019

Fantastic Fest: Christopher Winterbauer on Youth, Grief, and “Wyrm”

Wyrm Christopher Winterbauer
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Wyrm writer/director Christopher Winterbauer sits down at Fantastic Fest to talk about the analog appeal of ’80s kitsch and adapting shorts to features.

Clint Worthington Posted on October 11, 2019October 11, 2019

Hall of Faces: Who’s the Greatest Character on “Friends”?

Friends
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For the classic sitcom’s 25th anniversary, we hash out which of TV’s favorite pals make our list of the greatest TV characters of all time.

Clint Worthington Posted on October 3, 2019October 31, 2019

The Daring Ambiguity of the “Before” Trilogy

Before Trilogy
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Linklater’s Before Trilogy – Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight – is an eye-catching crystallization of how relationships change over time.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on August 11, 2019August 11, 2019

Review: “Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling” Goes Post-Modern

Rocko's Modern Life Static Cling
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Netflix brings back the classic Nick cartoon twenty years later for a one-off special filled with heart and surprisingly complicated musings on the passage of time.

Matt Cipolla Posted on August 9, 2019July 2, 2020

The Tarantino-Heavy “Four Rooms” Needs a ‘Do Not Disturb’ Sign

Four Rooms
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Even with segments by 90s indie luminaries like Robert Rodriguez, Allison Anders and Quentin Tarantino, Four Rooms is too herky-jerk to work.

Tim Stevens Posted on July 16, 2019July 16, 2019

“True Lies” is a Messy Deconstruction of the Alpha-Male Action Hero

True Lies
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2019 is a year chock-full of James Cameron film anniversaries, and we start with one of his more flawed, but deconstructionist action flicks.

Chris Ludovici Posted on July 15, 2019July 14, 2019

“From Dusk Till Dawn” and Tarantino the Actor

From Dusk Till Dawn
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Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s grindhouse vampire thriller is a fascinating but flawed glimpse into their collaboration.

Joe Lipsett Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

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