Kyle Smith:

Compare [Harry Potter to] Luke Skywalker, who has to conquer his own vanity, laziness and anger in order to earn his powers. Harry, like many of his generation, is the Cosseted One from an early age. He’s told that he’s special, that he’s got awesome gifts, that those who don’t understand this are blind to the plain facts. Deploying his powers involves no more character or soul-searching than following a recipe.

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1:00am PST - Clock, The (1945) - A G.I. en route to Europe falls in love during a whirlwind two-day leave in New York City. Cast: Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason, Keenan Wynn Dir: Vincente Minnelli BW-90 mins, TV-PG

There are few actors more interesting than Robert Walker. A double feature of today’s pick and “Strangers on a Train” will reveal just what an extraordinarily talented and intriguing screen presence he was. In both roles, Walker’s about a half-measure off the rest of the world and quite capable of aw-shucks charm. From there they separate into the boy next door and a cold, psychotic killer. Which leads me to a larger point… (more…)