In Honor of Veterans Day, 2025 The Ten Best War Movies Attribution: Capt. Saska Ball, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Originally published in June, 2019) By Geoff Carter “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly …
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Category:Movies
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “A House of Dynamite”
The Final Countdown: Film Review of A Houseful of Dynamite ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo Call it techno-horror, apocalyptic cinema, or just plain science-fiction, but films about the dangers of military technology gone wild, especially when paired with the specter of nuclear annihilation, have been with us since the first days of …
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The Pen in Hand in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Highest 2 Lowest”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo New York City Serenade: Film Review of Highest 2 Lowest ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter There’s nothing like a Spike Lee joint. The man has a style like no other. Over the last forty-some years, the man has made masterpiece after masterpiece. Lee’s cinematic oeuvre ranges from poignant family dramas like Crooklyn to biting …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Weapons”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Wicked Smart: Film Review of Weapons ★★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Last year, after I watched the “X” series of horror films including X, Pearl, and XXX, I was pleasantly surprised to discover filmmakers are still pushing the envelope to redefine the tropes of the horror genre, a trend I’d been following for some …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Horror Films: The Next Generation
Attribution: Photo by Daniel on Unsplash By Geoff Carter (Revised October 22, 2025) The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and there’s a chill in the air. Frost is on the pumpkin. The leaves are turning color. All this means one thing—Halloween is just around the corner. And that means horror movies. Lots of them. …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Steve”
School Daze: Movie Review of Steve ★★★1/2 Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter The film industry has always been fascinated with the classroom. There is a long history of school-based movies going all the way back to Blackboard Jungle, Up the Down Staircase, and To Sir, With Love and extending to more recent offerings like Lean on Me, Stand …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Diane Keaton
In Memorian: 1946-2025 Firooz Zahedi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Probably best-known for her “La-di-da, la-di-da” refrain in her portrayal of the ditzy titular character in Annie Hall, that particular Diane Keaton role is nothing like her intense performances as the desperately promiscuous schoolteacher in Looking for Mr. Goodbar or the angry and frustrated wife and mother …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Hiding Under the Bed: The Spookiest Halloween Movies of All Time
Photo by Skyler Sawyer on Unsplash By Geoff Carter (Originally published on October 31, 2020) I grew up in the sixties and seventies, in what might be called the golden age of the horror movie. Not only were we able to see films The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Scream and Scream Again at the drive-in theater, but every Saturday afternoons we …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Vincent Price
Attribution: Allied Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Well, it’s that time of year again. Halloween, Dia de Las Muertas, All Hallows Eve—no matter how you slice it—that night of bewitching and trick or treat is nearly here. (Although since we’ve been seeing ads for it since Labor Day, it might seem …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Friendship”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Cringeworthy: Film Review of Friendship ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Comedies like The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Flight of the Concords can be almost unbearably uncomfortable to watch—which is the point. Focusing on narcissistic characters whose social ineptness gets them into cringeworthy socially awkward situations, these programs produce moments that make the viewer simultaneously …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of John Turturro
Attribution: Amy27102011, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter John Turturro is one the most recognizable—and most inscrutable—actors working in movies today, cultivating a screen presence that is simultaneously physically dominating and emotionally complex. He has worked multiple times with noted filmmakers Spike Lee and the Coen Brothers, and has also appeared in films …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Philip Seymour Hoffman
Attribution: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter He has been hailed as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Whether he plays the lead or appears in even the smallest of supporting roles, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s presence dominates every frame he appears in. Playing the laconic and decidedly unlikeable baseball …
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