Five sequels that are better than the original films

Twenty-six years ago, director James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” dazzled movie audiences, and on Friday, Aug. 25, this film returns to the big screen at AMC Theatres everywhere.  This time, however, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong will appear in 3D. With mind-bending special effects and a wild premise, the sequel to the seminal original, “The Terminator” (1984), became 1991’s highest grossing film and influenced science fiction for a generation.  Looking back, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is one of those rare movies that is better than…

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ drops the hammer in theatres on Aug. 25

Twenty-six years ago, director James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” dazzled movie audiences everywhere, and in the process, granted Arnold Schwarzenegger a chance to redefine himself from an unrelenting cybernetic bad buy to a good guy.  With mind-bending special effects and a wild premise, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” became the highest grossing film of 1991 and influenced science fiction films for a generation. On Aug. 25, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” drops the hammer and returns to the big screen (AMC Theatres), and this time, Arnie, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward…

Looking back at director Taika Waititi’s wonderful New Zealand film catalog

On Aug. 7, Art House Film Wire looked back at four fantastic four-star Australian thrillers on Netflix and/or Amazon, and the land Down Under has certainly raised the cinematic bar.   Well, Australia’s nearby neighbor, New Zealand, is not new to the movie-making business either.  Like the Aussies, the Kiwis have churned out terrific movies too, and no, New Zealand cinema is not limited to the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” series.   Specifically, let’s look at one director, Taika Waititi.   We’ll, he’s not just a director, because he…