Shameless Self Expression

Half-demon Hellboy (David Harbour) is sent to England and hooks up with the Osiris Club, who are seeking a giant. Somehow, King Arthur, Merlin, an evil ‘Blood Queen’ (Milla Jovovich), and a couple of agents from the Bureau of Paranormal Research (a grumpy Daniel Dae Kim and young Sasha Lane) are also thrown into the mix. Also around from time to time is Hellboy’s father Professor Bloom (Ian McShane), whilst Sophie Okonedo plays a ‘seer’ in league with the villains. Get ready for lots of CGI blood, flashbacks, expository dialogue, and absolutely no energy whatsoever. The world didn’t need another “Hellboy” film, let alone a re-boot, let alone a re-boot without Ron Perlman in the title role. Guillermo del Toro and star Ron Perlman already gave us two solid “Hellboy” films. However, an R-rated “Hellboy” directed by Neil Marshall ( “The Descent” , “Dog Soldiers” , the underrated “Doomsday” , the mediocre “Centurion” ) at least sounded to me like it might’ve had a chance of not...

Aging, notorious gunfighter J.B. Books (John Wayne) is informed by long-time friend Doc Hostetler (Jimmy Stewart) that he has incurable cancer and only about two months to live. In order to live out his days peacefully and with dignity (despite being in enormous pain that even prescribed laudanum is unable to entirely numb), he rents a room from widow Lauren Bacall, who initially has no idea of his infamy. However, her impressionable son Gillam (Ron Howard) does, and starts to hero worship the man, which troubles no-nonsense Bacall, though as time goes on, she comes to bond with the dying man. Mean-spirited Marshal Harry Morgan, by contrast seems to take great delight in poor Books’ illness and can’t wait for him to be gone. Meanwhile, a trio of killers (card-sharp Hugh O’Brian, bully Bill McKinney, and grudge-holding gunslinger Richard Boone) also get wind of Books’ arrival in town, and each man would very much like to kill Books before the illness does. The always welcome Scatman...