FREEZE FRAME: "Obsession" (R), "The Wizard of the Kremlin" (R), "Marty, Life is Short" (TV-14)

The new horror entry "Obsession" falls into the 'be careful what you ask for, you may get it' genre. This effective little chiller is about a man who buys a supernatural toy that grants him a wish. He wishes that a girl he has a crush on would fall madly in love with him. Emphasis on the "madly." Her obsession with him quickly escalates into violence. Well-acted by relative newcomers Michael Johnston and Inde Navarette, “Obsession” is a creepy tongue-in-cheek bit of midnight movie exploitation. The political drama "The Wizard of the Kremlin" is an interesting bit of historical fiction. It involves the rise of Vladimir Putin from KGB insider to Russian tsar. Paul Dano plays a theatrical artist who uses his skills as a spin doctor to rise from obscurity and become Putin's morally conflicted deputy chief of staff. Jude Law is appropriately chilling as Putin. Based on a novel by political essayist Giuliano da Empoli and directed by Olivier Assayas, “The Wizard of the Kremlin is thoughtful and well produced but never manages to build any dramatic momentum. Even if you're not a fan of comic actor Martin Short, you'll probably find a lot to like in the Netflix documentary, "Marty, Life is Short." Director Lawrence Kasdan has assembled a loving tribute to his longtime friend, using a vast library of home videos and film clips, plus interviews with Short's many famous showbiz pals. Short, who is enjoying a late career resurgence in popularity thanks to "Only Murders in the Building," has endured more than his share of tragedies and triumphs. Thanks largely to Short's sunny approach to sarcasm, "Marty, Life is Short" is a funny and touching overview.