What I Watched in March

The biggest ‘new’ film I watched last month was the much-anticipated full-length version of JUSTICE LEAGUE. While not perfect it was a huge improvement over the neutered/altered cut released to theaters four years ago. Retaining the feel of the previous two movies in the series it gloriously extended the universe to even grander vistas allowing the sweep of the tale to take shape without rushing events. I could argue that certain sequences could have been truncated for time but even the most obviously unnecessary moments such as the ladies singing as Aquaman returns to the sea add to the world building in a way that makes things feel more grounded. I’m impressed that we were finally able to see this vision realized and I think it is one of the best of the last decade’s slew of superhero films. It shows a dense, dark realization of the meta-human concept can be done even as the general public is told that such movies take the wrong approach. We may never get the originally planned sequels but at least we have this film for future cinema historians to use as an example of paths not taken. I guess we’re doomed to ‘keep it light’ for the foreseeable future.

THE LIST 

THIRTEEN WOMEN (1932) – 7 (Myrna Loy takes revenge) 

MOLLY (2017) – 5 (post-apocalyptic action let down by poor fight choreography)

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009) – 8 (rewatch of the full-length version) 

NIGHT GAME (1989) – 6 (Huston cops hunt a serial murderer) 

THE CAT & THE CANARY (1939) – 6 (Bob Hope comedy/mystery)

KEANU (2016) – 7 (very funny Key & Peele story) 

PILLOW OF DEATH (1945) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) 

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) – 7 (rewatch) 

KING CREOLE (1958) – 8 (Elvis in an actual movie!) 

MURDER MANSION (1972) – 8 (rewatch on Blu!) 

BRAIN DEAD (1990) – 7 (I avoided this one for too long) 

MURDER IS MY BUSINESS (1946) – 6 (PRC Michael Shayne mystery) 

NAKED GIRL MURDERED IN PARK (1972) – 7 (interesting giallo – Blu has awful sound) 

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2021) – 9 (Wow!) 

HORROR EXPRESS (1972) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE CRIMES OF THE BLACK CAT (1972) – 7 (giallo with a blind protagonist)

TORCHY GETS HER MAN (1938) – 6  

AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981) – 6 (Chuck Norris vs. Christopher Lee!) 

BEYOND TERROR (1980) – 6 (bizarre, sloppy but entertaining Spanish horror) 

TRAIL OF THE YUKON (1949) – 6 (Chinook’s first adventure) 

THE FRENCHMAN’S GARDEN (1978) – 8 (rewatch)