Reviews of films
Some movies are works of art and some movies are best at being escapist fun. The rare film can find a balance of both and produce something somewhere in between that’s not only entertaining but an inspiring template for movies … Continue reading Month of Horror 2019 Day 23 Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires
Remakes of any genre often have to answer one tough question: why? Is this an update for a new era, is it remaking something that’s still popular but no longer has an active franchise, or is this just a shameless … Continue reading Month of Horror 2019: Suspiria (2018)
Welcome to my weekly discussion of the films of the Walt Disney Studio. I’m proceeding mostly chronologically. The title comes from a quote from Walt, “I never called my work an ‘art’ It’s part of show business, the business of … Continue reading Building Entertainment: The Animated Films of the Walt Disney Studio. Live-action Edition. The Haunted Mansion
After watching A Christmas Prince, a few people told me there was another “beloved” Netflix Christmas romcom that I should watch: The Princess Switch (not to be confused with Hallmark’s Switched for Christmas although the confusion would be completely understandable). … Continue reading Not Hallmark: The Princess Switch Recap/Review
Is Dario Argento a good director or a bad director? Elements of his films can be downright baffling. The stories often make zero sense, and plots take tangents That go nowhere. The villain is almost always a late twist that … Continue reading Review: Opera (1987)
Over the last hundred years, more than five hundred books and essays in English alone have attempted to pinpoint and identify the nature of the evil in the work. ~ Playwright Tim Luscombe. Henry James’ 1898 novella, The Turn of … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Turn of the Screw (1985)
Each week in Late to the Party, someone posts about an older piece of media that they’ve just experienced for the first time. On bat, this week is Falling Down, a 1993 action drama directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe … Continue reading Late To The Party: Falling Down (1993)
I have avoided Paranormal Activity for over a decade because of its reputation. The whole movie is one where nothing happens. All of the scares are cheap. Like, a potted plant falls over and that’s supposed to be scary. (Incidentally, … Continue reading Review: Paranormal Activity (2007)
This Chinese Neo-Noir has a Lot of Flash, But Doesn’t Add Up to Much More Than a Standard Thriller It’s raining. Late night at a bus station, a woman approaches a man. Her face obscured by a opaque umbrella. It … Continue reading SFIFF Review: The Wild Goose Lake
Yes, those dates are right. Resolution (2012) Is friendship stronger than Lovecraftian forces? What do we expect from stories? What do we expect from ourselves? Resolution is a gripping, trippy horror flick that struggles with answering both of these very … Continue reading Month of Horror 2019 Days 20/19 Resolution and The Endless Double Feature
Noah Baumbach’s Divorce Drama is a Deeply Felt Tale of Undying Love Undone Marriage Story was a movie that I was incredibly skeptical of going in. Director Noah Baumbach is a filmmaker of extreme specificity and hyper-literacy, drilling deep into the … Continue reading SFIFF Review: Marriage Story
I like Jim Jarmusch and I like zombies; so why didn’t I like this film? A Brief Cinematic Existential Crisis It’s weird because I really enjoy Jarmusch’s other dabblings into genre fare: Deadman (Western), Ghost Dog (samurai flick) and Only … Continue reading Month of Horror Day 18 Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die
The best thing I can say about Blair Witch is that it makes you really appreciate the original movie. Have you been on the fence over whether The Blair Witch Project was movie brilliance or a boring slog through the … Continue reading Review: Blair Witch (2016)
Destin Daniel Cretton’s Death Row Legal Drama is Sturdy and not Much Else The difference solid and stolid is a thin line, and in the world of prestige filmmaking it’s a line that is incredibly hard walk. Many movies want … Continue reading SFIFF Review: Just Mercy
Enough is never enough of the stuff! Larry Cohen – A Legend in His Own Right When it comes to low budget, not quite for the mainstream horror – I always say look to the 2 L’s: Lloyd Kaufman, … Continue reading Month of Horror Day 17 Larry Cohen’s The Stuff
Those of us of a certain age will remember a particularly sinister version of Halloween that pesky get much play these days. We remember the Satanic panic and the ever present fear that candy may be laced with razor blades. … Continue reading Review: WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
Vincent Price is a staple of a certain horror fan’s diet. The man was in dozens horror movies, had lots of tv cameos/guest spots that played into his over-the-top theatricality he brought to many roles however very few films let … Continue reading Month of Horror 2019 Day 16: Vincent Price in Theatre of Blood
An Indian woman travels to America and finds herself. Available in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and maybe a few other countries. Approximately 134 minutes. Shashi, nearing fifty, is a devoted wife and mother of two. While her husband is … Continue reading WTF ASIA 78: English Vinglish (2012)
Right so there’s been a lot of hubbub when it comes to Christmas films. Christmas season is nigh upon us and all of the channels from Hallmark to Lifetime are bringing out their best (your mileage may vary on what … Continue reading Not Hallmark: A Christmas Prince Recap/Review
Rob Zombie’s 31 refers to the day that Halloween is on. It’s possible that this a cheeky reference to Zombie’s time as director of the Halloween movies. In the movie’s universe, it’s the title of a game. Malcolm McDowell plays … Continue reading Review: 31 (2016)
My god, I feel old. A Special Place and Time A lot of digital ink has already been spilt on the subject of one of the most influential and unexpected films in the last two decades. What I think one … Continue reading Month of Horror 2019 Day 15 The Blair Witch Project 20 Years Later
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