Films: October 23 - 29

Totally Killer (2023) 

Black Box (2020) 

Demolition Man (1993)

She Said (2022)
The Vanishing (2018)
100 Rifles (1969)
Too Late The Hero (1970) ///

Totally Killer (2023) With accent on comic potential and time traveling wit, pacy serial killer tale features a winning Kiernan Shipka spun back to late 80s with hope of preventing murder of her mom in modern day. Much fun with contemporary attitudes and colorful design, though invention flags during third act revelations.

Black Box (2020) Engaging rather than pulsating, insecure Mamoudou Athie undergoes suspicious Phylicia Rashad's experimental treatment to overcome amnesia caused by car accident that killed his wife. Themes of identity and family are intriguingly positioned, ultimately consumed by sentimental, bone-cracking scares.

Demolition Man (1993) Loud in design and execution, crude utopian future crumbles beneath pulverizing force of violent cop Sylvester Stallone and even more violent criminal Wesley Snipes, thawed out from insensitive 1990s. Sandra Bullock provides spark. Action and score bruising.

She Said (2022) Unaffected detailing of New York Times reporters Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan’s grit determination in exposing details and coverup of Weinstein scandal. Appropriately somber and technically precise depiction of important social story, yet misses cinematic tension and evolving characters.

The Vanishing (2018) Riff on unexplained legend of three disappearing lighthouse keepers features strong visuals and evocative atmosphere, initially hinting at supernatural. Resulting violence over gold and descent into madness is more prosaic and third act dissipates tension despite glowering, muscular performances.

100 Rifles (1969) Handsomely mounted production features impressively scaled action yet misses cohesive narrative and characters to secure empathy beyond the superficial. Casual Jim Brown is after affable bandit Burt Reynolds and fiery Raquel Welch, finding himself at the center of revolution. Snappy Jerry Goldsmith score.

Too Late The Hero (1970) Though story provides scope for jungle action when reluctant Cliff Robertson is assigned to Michael Caine and British patrol penetrating Japanese lines, war ironies and muddled approach contaminate conflicted characters. Solid cast and intense locations aid desperate atmosphere.