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Raimi gives viewers “The Gift” of returning to spooks

The Gift
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After digressing from the horror genre, Sam Raimi’s 2000 effort marked an affecting supernatural tale with solid performances.

Tim Stevens Posted on October 24, 2020October 24, 2020

Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” has soured with time

Milk
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Gus Van Sant’s squeaky clean biopic about the famed gay rights activist marks a myopic and pandering misstep in the director’s filmography.

Oluwatayo Adewole Posted on June 24, 2020July 2, 2020

“Good Will Hunting” was Gus Van Sant’s big swing for the normies

Good Will Hunting
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Gus Van Sant’s Oscar-winning character drama is a safe, middlebrow nuts-and-bolts picture as formative as it is uncreative for the filmmaker.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020

The “Psycho” remake is an ironically bloodless exercise in technique

Psycho
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Gus Van Sant’s remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic is a cut-and-paste exercise that plays like little more than a rehash of the original.

Tim Stevens Posted on June 14, 2020June 18, 2020

“Dolittle” Does Just Enough to Treat the January Blues

Dolittle
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Despite some strange tonal shifts, this warm family film has sweetness & heart.

Sean Price Posted on January 15, 2020January 15, 2020

Men in Black International Review: You’ll Pray for a Neuralyzer

Men in Black International
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Not even the cosmic star power of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson can stop this tired, paint-by-numbers reboot.

Dusty Wilson Posted on June 12, 2019August 11, 2020

“Mars Attacks” is Tim Burton’s Twisted Cautionary Tale About Trust

Mars Attacks
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Adapting the Topps trading cards to cackling comic life, Tim Burton! offered a twisted alien invasion alternative to Independence Day.

Jordan Saïd Posted on March 29, 2019August 6, 2020

Dumbo Review: Tim Burton’s Remake Is Light as a Feather, But Doesn’t Spread Its Wings

Dumbo
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While it doesn’t reach the heights of Pete’s Dragon, Tim Burton’s remake has its fair share of charms, and takes a few digs at the House of Mouse.

Clint Worthington Posted on March 26, 2019August 6, 2020

With “Sweeney Todd”, Tim Burton Ditched Whimsy for Pure, Masterful Macabre

Sweeney Todd
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By channeling Burton’s outsized whimsy into something darker, consistent, and more constrained, Sweeney Todd succeeds in ways his other adaptations fail.

Christy Admiraal Posted on March 24, 2019August 5, 2020

How Quirk Killed Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Burton’s dark, misguided adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel ages particularly poorly among the rest of his works.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on March 23, 2019August 5, 2020

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Late-Period Tim Burton

Tim Burton
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Tim Burton’s recent films are dismissed as confused (dark) shadows of his career heights, but they contain brief glimmers of the filmmaker’s return to form.

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Scout Tafoya Posted on March 18, 2019March 14, 2019

With “Big Fish,” Tim Burton Told His Last, Greatest Tall Tale

Big Fish
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Tim Burton’s last great film was a mythic tall tale that anchored his dark whimsy in something more sentimental and moving.

Dusty Wilson Posted on March 16, 2019August 5, 2020

Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is All Sorts of Delightful and Scary

Nightmare Before Christmas
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Henry Selick’s stop-motion holiday fable is a spooky classic, thanks to Tim Burton’s macabre quirks and an array of catchy tunes.

Justin Harrison Posted on March 12, 2019August 5, 2020

With “Batman Returns”, Tim Burton Unleashed A Dark Superhero Circus

Batman Returns (1992)
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Tim Burton’s superhero sequel saw the endlessly strange auteur run away with big studio money to make the most relentlessly weird comic book film ever.

Scout Tafoya Posted on March 9, 2019August 5, 2020
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