Home — Crooked Marquee

Career Best: Ray Liotta in Narc

Jul 5th, 2022 Edwin Arnaudin

'Goodfellas' may be Liotta’s top film, but his performance in Joe Carnahan’s detective thriller remains a step above.

Classic Corner: Faces

Jul 1st, 2022 Sean Burns

John Cassavetes’ scorching 1968 drama of marital misery has lost none of its considerable power after decades of imitation and influence.

Faith and Horror on Trial in Scott Derrickson’s <i>The Exorcism of Emily Rose</i>

Faith and Horror on Trial in Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Jun 29th, 2022 Josh Bell

Before his horror hit ‘The Black Phone,’ director Scott Derrickson broke into the mainstream with a fascinating combination of courtroom drama and possession thriller.

The Elvis Before Elvis

Jun 28th, 2022 Craig J. Clark

In 1979 - less than two years after his death - the life of Elvis Presley was first brought to the (small) screen, by director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell.

The Way He Was: The Documentary Elvis

Jun 27th, 2022 Chelsea Spear

With the Baz Luhrman biopic in theaters, we take a look at the many nonfiction attempts (and angles) to capture the essence of the King.

Classic Corner: Giant

Jun 24th, 2022 Jason Bailey

George Stevens' 1956 smash - now on 4K disc and HBO Max - is an epic of both the landscape and the soul.

<i>The Thing</i>, <i>The Fly</i> and <i>The Blob</i>: Turning the Enemy Without Within

The Thing, The Fly and The Blob: Turning the Enemy Without Within

Jun 22nd, 2022 Bill Bria

When three great '50s sci-fi flicks were remade in the 1980s, their social and political subtext had shifted - in fascinating directions.

You Will Not Be Saved: A Cosmology of Horror in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy

Jun 20th, 2022 Zach Vasquez

If you were to ask a casual horror fan to name the first image that pops into their head when they hear the term ‘cosmic horror’, there’s a better than not chance their answer will be tentacles. We can thank two men for this. The first, and most obvious, is H.P. Lovecraft, the 20th...

Classic Corner: The Clock

Jun 17th, 2022 Sean Burns

Vincente Minnelli's 1945 romance (now streaming on the Criterion Channel) is a delightful proto-'Before Sunrise' centered on two marvelous performers.

How Julia Roberts Came Back

Jun 15th, 2022 Edwin Arnaudin

The multifaceted actor revived her career in the summer of 1997 with two very different films: “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Conspiracy Theory.”

Harvey's Hellhole: <i>My Baby's Daddy</i>

Harvey's Hellhole: My Baby's Daddy

Jun 14th, 2022 Craig Lindsey

Since June is Pride Month, our latest look at the Weinstein legacy revisits the time a promising lesbian filmmaker was brought in to Miramax to helm a very bad bro comedy.

<i>The Bourne Identity</i> at 20: The Importance of Being Matt Damon

The Bourne Identity at 20: The Importance of Being Matt Damon

Jun 13th, 2022 Max Borg

When it came to bringing Robert Ludlum’s novel to the screen, casting the right actor made all the difference.

Classic Corner: <i>Every Man For Himself</i>

Classic Corner: Every Man For Himself

Jun 10th, 2022 Sean Burns

Jean-Luc Godard called it his "second first film," and while his 1980 drama diverged from his '70s experiments, it was no 'Breathless' either.

The Enduring Pleasures of <i>Smokey and the Bandit</i>

The Enduring Pleasures of Smokey and the Bandit

Jun 9th, 2022 Zach Vasquez

Though it hit theaters the same weekend as ‘Star Wars,’ and came in second in the year’s box office race, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ has cast a much shorter shadow over contemporary culture. Let’s look at why.