Jamie Lee Curtis stars in the movie “Halloween”. Photo: Universal/CNS. By John Mulderig One of modern Hollywood’s most enduring horror franchises turns 40 this year. To mark the occasion, director and co-writer David Gordon Green presents us with Halloween (Universal), a direct sequel to the eponymous 1978 original. Neither the anniversary nor the picture intended to salute it is an...

Ryan Gosling stars in a scene from the movie “First Man”. Photo: Universal/CNS. By John Mulderig By turns the intimate portrait of its elusive subject’s inner life and a lavish look back at the sometimes tragic, ultimately triumphant race to the Moon, First Man (Universal), director Damien Chazelle’s multi-dimensional profile of astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930-2012), is a splendid piece of...

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (Lady Gaga) and Bradley Cooper feature in a scene from the movie “A Star is Born”. Photo: Warner Bros/CNS. By Kurt Jensen The third remake of that sturdy warhorse A Star Is Born (Warner Bros) pays occasional homage to its forebears, particularly the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason, which only serves to indicate that its formulaic “stan...

Reid Scott, Michelle Williams and Tom Hardy star in in a scene from the movie “Venom”. Photo: Sony/CNS. By John Mulderig Whatever you do, don’t call that alien who has taken up residence in your body a parasite. The polite term, it seems, is “symbiote”. Such is the dubious lesson in etiquette conveyed by the sci-fi-driven, Marvel Comics-based bit of nonsense Venom (Columbia). Direct...

Kodi Smit-McPhee stars in a scene from the movie “Alpha”. Photo: Sony/CNS. By Theresia Titus Set in Europe, Director Albert Hughes latest blockbuster Alpha dates back to 20,000 years ago, when hunting was still the main occupation of men. The film brings to life the imagination of Hughes, telling a story of friendship between man and his furry friends. The film opens with a group of...

Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro and Jack Black star in a scene from the movie “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”. Photo: Universal/CNS. By John Mulderig For all its spells and incantations, the witchcraft-themed fantasy The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Universal) lacks magic. Though some of the humour works, the film makes little impression and registers as only passable entertainm...

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively star in a scene from the movie “A Simple Favour. Photo: Lionsgate/CNS. By John Mulderig A Simple Favour (Lionsgate), director Paul Feig’s glossy screen version of Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel, is undeniably ingenious. Yet the dark doings, both past and present, that drive the plot of this lurid thriller involve repellent behaviour that, while not exactly endo...

Taissa Farmiga stars in a scene from the movie “The Nun” as Sr Irene. Photo: Warner Bros/CNS. By Theresia Titus  For those who fancy watching horror movies, The Conjuring is no longer an unknown name to the horror-movies sphere. Released in 2013 and directed by James Wan, the film sets a new standard for its likeness. This year, The Conjuring story continues with The Nun. While The ...

Dennis Quaid and Myles Truitt star in a scene from the movie “Kin”. Photo: Lionsgate/CNS. By John Mulderig As scripted by Daniel Casey and directed by brothers Jonathan and Josh Baker, Kin (Summit), a gritty but somewhat intriguing crime thriller with an overlay of science fiction, explores shades of right and wrong via a road trip through seamy swaths of Rust Belt and rural America. I...

Constance Wu and Henry Golding star in a scene from the movie "Crazy Rich Asians". Photo: Warner Bros/CNS. By Joseph McAleer  The award for the most accurate film title of the year goes to Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros), a romantic comedy about, well, members of a certain ethnic group who are insanely wealthy. They are also, at times, out of their minds. Unfortunately, what should ...