Dann Gire
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James McAvoy gives Jack Nicholson a run for bad dad in domestic thriller ‘Speak No Evil’Sep 11, 2024 2:40 pm - The most chilling element to be found in James Watkins’ ultra-slow-fuse, bleakly comic thriller “Speak No Evil” hits with a force more brutal than a hammer claw. A victimized family asks the logical question: “Why are you doing this?”
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‘Beetlejuice’ lite: Keaton kills it in Burton’s watered-down sequel to his visionary, cartoony originalSep 04, 2024 12:58 pm - If “Beetlejuice” was made from fresh-squeezed originality, then Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” would be a watered-down sequel reconstituted from creativity concentrate.
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Racing pacing, wince-inducing finale diminish flourishes of cinematic greatness in ‘Alien: Romulus’Aug 15, 2024 8:42 am - An undisciplined, maddening, exhilarating grab-bag of goop, greatness and grateness, Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” should have qualified as the second-best sequel in the nine-feature “Alien” franchise, film critic Dann Gire says.
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Blown away: Combative storm chasers face Mother Nature’s wrath in spectacular disaster film ‘Twisters’Jul 17, 2024 3:09 pm - By the time the Godzilla of tornadoes arrives during the film’s spectacular climax, “Twisters” seems to be less a sequel to Jan de Bont’s fun-filled 1996 thriller “Twister” and more of a classic 1970s disaster movie – minus the all-star cast.
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Extremely Gothic: Mia Goth kills it as a porn star heroine in meta slasher trilogy finale ‘MaXXXine’Jul 03, 2024 9:04 am - The final chapter in Ti West’s exuberantly meta slasher trilogy — along with “X” and “Pearl” — “MaXXXine” cements Mia Goth’s reputation as the Jennifer Jason Leigh of the 21st century. That’s no small compliment.
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‘Tuesday’ flips the bird to Death in boldly visual work of magical surrealismJun 11, 2024 2:24 pm - This insanely quirky, deliciously dark venture into magical surrealism doesn’t exactly celebrate death, but testifies to its necessary and purposeful existence. “Tuesday” accomplishes this by focusing on a terminally ill teenager named Tuesday (Lola Petticrew) and the extreme measures her mother Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) takes to clip Death’s wings.
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It’s gore vs. bore in a ‘Nature’ movie all about splatter matterMay 28, 2024 3:41 pm - I am guessing that when Chris Nash’s “In a Violent Nature” goes to streaming on Shudder, its target audience might jump straight to the 42-minute mark, the movie’s ultra-graphic piece-de-resistance.
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Mad to the Max: Furiously fueled ‘Furiosa’ a sensational but flawed prequel of pure cinemaMay 22, 2024 1:01 pm - Could George Miller’s furiously fueled “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” be the epic dystopian action movie to end all epic dystopian action movies? Close enough, film critic Dann Gire says.
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‘Strangers’ dangers blunted by horror cliches, dumbnessMay 16, 2024 11:00 am - Renny Harlin’s generic, jump-scary horror tale “The Strangers: Chapter 1” can be viewed two ways. One, as a stylish, technically proficient horror story. Two, as a nihilistic and manipulative formula slasher movie pushing the envelope of dumbness to near comic extremes.
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Civil bore: Political ambiguity muddles hollow, violent cautionary dramaApr 10, 2024 4:48 pm - Armed with a timely premise, a high-caliber cast and forceful visuals, Alex Garland’s dystopian horror war road movie “Civil War” blunts its potential impact by posing unanswered questions and by disregarding pesky, relevant details.