Say Anything... (1989)

Cameron Crowe's debut feature is a classic romantic comedy/drama about an underachiever who falls for a valedictorian, and the class struggles that ensue as they court romance within their disparate social groups. It's a charming film full of memorable performances that only seem to get better with age, even though it's filled with tropes that have been overused for the past 40 years.

3½ boomboxes outside your window out of 5

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

It's 1988 (as the film keeps reminding us) and Lori Granger is running for prom queen. Meanwhile, a slasher is going around knocking off all her competition.

A standalone entry in the Fear Street series that feels more like Prom Night.

½ a weak motive out of 5

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS [2015]

Director Wes Ball returns for more pulpy YA action in the second installment of the Maze Runner series, The Scorch Trials.
Picking up right after where the previous film left us, Thomas & his buddies are on the run from WCKD and this time must deal with the deadly desert, a horde of zombie-esque creatures and a slew of colorful stragglers with questionable motives.
Like the first film, the action is non-stop and doesn't actually give any room for any sort of character development but if you've seen the first one then you probably won't be surprised.  The action sequences all do a great job at keeping you at the edge of the seat, constantly questioning what is going to get thrown next and leaves no room to breathe.  Sadly, if when it does have some downtime you're given time to pick out all it's silliness, plot-holes and questionable decisions made by the point A-to-B characters.

3 killer songs out of 5

High Fidelity (2000)

John Cusack leads a fourth-wall breaking comedy drama based on a 1995 Nick Hornby novel of the same name (that I've not read). It’s about a guy in his mid-thirties, Rob, a record store owner, who lists his Top 5 relationship breakups as a means to put his current one in perspective. His incremental move toward acceptance of his own broken nature is cleverly edited and filled with sharp dialogue. Rob’s sullenness would be tiring if not for the contrasts afforded him by the people around him. In that respect, despite his shakiness, he’s the rock upon which all other aspects of the film depend.

3½ professional appreciators out of 5

THE CONJURING [2013]

After relying heavily on extreme gore with Saw I didn't think James Wan could muster up a genuinely scary film.  He proved me wrong with the pants-shitting Insidious and now again with The Conjuring.
With next to no blood ever seen onscreen, the film relies on it's creepiness factor to make your stomach turn and it does a mighty fine job at it for the first hour and afterwards it's a non-stop thrill ride.  It doesn't try to reinvent anything but it supplies the wiggins something fierce with a bit of class and wit about itself unlike most of the other Exorcist & Amityville rip-offs we've seen as of lately.

3½ dying pigeons out of 5

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Biopic of the 1950’s pin-up gal that takes a mostly light-hearted approach to the subject matter, reflective of Bettie’s naivety and sense of fun.
Gretchen Mol is fantastic in the title role, able to portray all the emotions necessary and still remain a partial enigma. It stops short of the full Bettie story, but it’s an enjoyable ride for as long as it lasts and it makes great use of half a dozen film techniques that I adore. I almost gave it an extra half point for those alone.

3 sonnets of the dark lady out of 5