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Mike Massie
Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:
Mike Massie is one-half of The Massie Twins, identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 13 years, appearing on TV, radio, online, and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Critics Circle and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at www.GoneWithTheTwins.com. Their latest book "The Movies That Time Forgot" is available now at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Publications:
Critics' Group:
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) |
Though it so consummately captures the aura of its predecessor that it could never stand alone, since so much of its identity is tied into knowledge of the existing property, it's still an absolutely exceptional sequel. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Sep 04, 2024
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The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) |
The conclusion is thoroughly unforgettable, even if it’s in the face of a danger that viewers will know is unconvincing. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) |
Since the plot can’t offer a wealth of surprises, certain visuals end up presenting the most intrigue, even if many sequences are merely polished recreations of unforgettable imagery from the Murnau classic. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Silkwood (1983) |
It’s the performances that will stay with viewers for far longer than the shocking conclusion, especially considering the uncertainties surrounding Silkwood's irresolute ending. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) |
Deliriously humorous, not only in abrupt editing techniques and figurative dialogue, but also in the various events that lead to death and destruction. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Poltergeist III (1988) |
The last act is a mere collection of chases and spooky encounters and nightmarish near-death scenarios, a few of which are intriguing, but do little to expand upon Carol Anne's plight. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Return of the Fly (1959) |
Violence is similarly more frequent and graphic, but it's the anticipated and appropriately ghastly climactic reveal - all too familiar in design yet tremendously satisfying - that proves to be a genuine crowd-pleaser. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Nosferatu (1922) |
The work as a whole is impossible to dismiss; the influence of Murnau's unauthorized adaptation is no less than monumental. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Ghost Town (1988) |
Interestingly, this ghost movie is also a Western; but neither distinct genre is handled very well. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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The Equalizer 3 (2023) |
This series didn’t need a “final” episode, but it’s nevertheless entertaining for what it is - and what it sets out to be. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Under Paris (2024) |
The awkwardness of a CG monstrosity darting around escalates; the movements are terribly amateurish in their designs. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Blue Monkey (1987) |
Too silly, unfocused, and poorly designed to have much of an impact. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Life Is Beautiful (1997) |
The last act is monumental - in its crushing revelations, the inevitable deterioration and near-misses of the complex charade, and the chance coincidences that constitute alternating hope and despair. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) |
Although the entire premise is meant to be silly, airy, and romantic, it's difficult to dismiss the sexual themes and the antiquated ways in which men and women are characterized. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Signs (2002) |
The scares are expertly handled; there’s an undeniable cleverness to the idea that a potential alien invasion could re-instill religious ardor just as it terrorizes an unprepared community. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Training Day (2001) |
Washington is instantly, absolutely superb; without ever missing a beat, he’s unpredictable, reckless, macho, funny, and frightening. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Galaxina (1980) |
Despite the obvious parodies of popular space operas and other sci-fi properties, the tone here is so off-the-wall that it’s continuously difficult to know what scenes are meant to be taken seriously and which ones are purely comedic. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Crocodile (2000) |
Though there’s an animatronic behemoth utilized in rare sequences, the bulk of the onslaughts employ a mere scaly tale appendage – or, worst of all, a completely computer-animated mess of outrageously unconvincing inferiority. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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The Black Stallion (1979) |
Despite the engagingly unanticipated complexity, the pacing is still slightly off; there isn’t a wealth of unnecessary moments, but some of them are stretched out and conspicuously unhurried. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Lassie Come Home (1943) |
An enjoyable, good-natured ride, avoiding significant conflict for the sake of relating a pleasant parable – and boasting a stunningly heartfelt finale. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Stripped to Kill (1987) |
It also doesn’t help that the finale is so unlikely and nonsensically rambunctious as to negate any sense of tension or revelations about motives. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Cobra (1986) |
At least the picture builds to a rip-roaring showdown, like something out of a high-powered, bullet-laden, casualty-strewn neo-Western. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 25, 2024
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Alien: Romulus (2024) |
It derives far too much from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, and not enough from Alien and Aliens. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 14, 2024
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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) |
It certainly helps that a couple of one-liners are absolutely gut-busting, while apparently no expense was spared with the destructive stunts in this strangely comforting, low-stakes actioner. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Aug 07, 2024
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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Once again, the biggest predicaments with Deadpool’s universe are those of invincibility and unlimited power - elements the humor can't fully mask. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 23, 2024
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The Patriot (2000) |
The climax is a substantial spectacle, saving the best (or worst) of the bloodletting and destruction for last. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 21, 2024
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Stargate (1994) |
Not enough of the plot was designed well enough to stand out from the pack of other ’90s sci-fi flicks; creative complications are simply far too few. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 21, 2024
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Life Stinks (1991) |
It’s difficult to dismiss the simplicity and sweetness of the ludicrously rich discovering a new perspective on impoverishment - no matter how unlikely and caricaturized it is here. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 21, 2024
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Sleeping With the Enemy (1991) |
One of the great cautionary tales in cinema, boasting an excellent performance by Roberts and a satisfying (if protracted) finale. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 21, 2024
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The Wraith (1986) |
Most of it is simply far too predictable and inconsequential, working from the flimsiest of premises. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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History of the World: Part I (1981) |
As with many of the writer/director/producer’s works, not every gag lands (a couple actually fall quite flat), with a few portions meandering a touch, but several definitely stand out, sure to endure. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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The Twelve Chairs (1970) |
Undoubtedly represents a steppingstone for Brooks, who would hone his filmmaking approach in his spoofs to come. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Fame (1980) |
A lively, momentous demonstration of craft. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Silent Movie (1976) |
It all goes on for too long – never losing steam because it struggled to gain it in the first place. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Private Lessons (1981) |
The coming-of-age sex-comedy elements never quite become comical; instead, much of it is just awkward. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Highlander (1986) |
As the climax approaches, this sci-fi/fantasy blend tends to bore, struggling to turn sword-fighting and an inevitable showdown for an undefined “prize” into excitement. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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The Mission (1986) |
Even with lulls, it’s impossible to disregard the music, which is not only a factor of communication between the disparate peoples (and a point of humanization), but also a stirring, striking link between major components of the story. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Frogs (1972) |
An unfortunately unstimulating exercise in a stale idea with pitiful execution on a paltry budget. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) |
The scares and ghoulishness here are ahead of their time, with the titular pendulum proving a perfectly nightmarish set piece. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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How the West Was Won (1962) |
Despite the amusement of the vast collection of stars and the whirlwind of Western adventure, it will surely be the score that persists beyond the other individual elements of this grandiose endeavor. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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The Angry Red Planet (1959) |
The film isn’t able to disguise its Z-grade budget, which carries over into the use of rinky-dink sets and props and costumes. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Rashomon (1950) |
Thoroughly unique, crafting a recognizable template for future films that opt to distort their narratives through the eyes of multiple storytellers and unreliable presentations of facts. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Madame Web (2024) |
It’s so poorly, laughably designed and implemented that it’s as if it were a student film, and not some colossally-budgeted Hollywood epic. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Shin Godzilla (2016) |
Though a notable experiment in furthering the legacy of this famous movie monster, it’s very far from solid entertainment. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Beyond the Forest (1949) |
Though Davis delivers a fine performance, her role is so one-note – a note of moral bankruptcy – that it’s difficult to follow her for too long without losing interest. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Johnny Belinda (1948) |
It’s handled well by all of its principle cast, managing a feeling of genuineness, even though a few details aren’t entirely authentic; the characters are believable and everyone approaches their roles with sincerity. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Meet John Doe (1941) |
Cooper and Stanwyck are entirely watchable, even if the plot grows artistically flagrant and thematically hollow, culminating in a final media ruse that is thoroughly farfetched. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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With a Song in My Heart (1952) |
A chronicle of her life doesn’t ever really rise to the occasion of movie-worthy; her specific misfortune seems utterly negligible in the realm of theatrical adversities. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 20, 2024
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Twisters (2024) |
It’s definitely not a positive quality for this film's mediocrity to encourage viewers to root for the storms to win, as if the preternatural killer in slasher franchises. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 17, 2024
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Despicable Me 4 (2024) |
The cinematic epitome of beating a dead Minion. - Gone With The Twins
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| Posted Jul 02, 2024
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