Spielberg’s “E.T.,” Hooper’s “Poltergeist,” and Scott’s “Blade Runner;” it was one of the best years of 1980s science fiction and horror. There was, however at the time, a sleeper hit: a “barf-bag movie,” Roger Ebert said, that split audiences in two just like David Clennon’s character Palmer’s face split, just in time to devour Thomas G. Waites’s Windows. It’s ironic, really.
Read MoreChristine (1983) #RetroReview
John Carpenter is my favorite director. While I wouldn’t place his adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine from 1983 among his masterpieces, I still think it’s very good. Being that it’s celebrating its 40th anniversary on December 9th, I decided to take a look back.
Read MoreGodzilla Minus One (2023)
There are essentially two types of Godzilla films. The first depicts the iconic King of the Monsters as a nigh unstoppable force of nature leaving a swath of destruction in its wake. The entries featuring this approach are generally darker and are relatively thematically complex.
Read MoreThe Clovehitch Killer (2018) #RetroReview
Seemingly inspired by the notorious BTK murders, Duncan Skiles’ The Clovehitch Killer from 2018 is a low-key slow-burn thriller that leans on atmosphere and character to overcome some scripting missteps. The premise essentially asks what would you do if you suspected a close family member was actually a sadistic serial killer.
Read MoreDeadbeat at Dawn (1988) #RetroReview
I always like to celebrate artists who came from my neck of the woods and grew up in similar circumstances. Jim Van Bebber hails from tiny Greenville, Ohio, and moved to Dayton after high school. There, he would shoot a handful of shorts, including the silent film for metalheads Into the Black, the stoner documentary Doper, and the violent and disturbing My Sweet Satan.
Read MoreThe Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018) #RetroReview
For whatever reason, David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from 2011 didn’t win over American audiences despite being a very good film. The original Swedish adaptations of author Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy did quite well internationally when they were released in 2009, though. 2018 brought us an attempt to revive the series with Fede Alvarez’s adaptation of The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
Read MoreThe Marvels (2023)
Let’s get this out of the way. I’ve been reading Marvel comics since the early ‘80s. I’ve seen every MCU film and all of the Disney+ shows.
Read MoreThe Waterboy (1998) #RetroReview
Comedies are pretty subjective, I’d say. That goes doubly for those of the screwball variety. Throw in Adam Sandler, and a film can be pretty much review-proof.
Read MoreThe Killer (2023)
If you’re like me, when you hear that David Fincher has a new movie coming out, you get pretty damn excited. The Killer, which opens this Friday for a limited theatrical run before becoming a part of Netflix’s stable of original projects, reunites the director with his Seven screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. Based on a French graphic novel series written by Matz and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, it seems to be a bit of a passion project for Fincher, as he first began developing the project in the mid-’00s.
Read MoreMom n' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s/90s (2022)
Do you find the streaming era of film viewing to be lacking a certain something? Do you look back fondly on making the video store the first stop on your weekend journeys? Writer/director Bobby Canipe Jr’s documentary Mom n' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s/90s may scratch some itches that have been plaguing you for likely the last two decades.
Read MoreDead Zone (1983) #RetroReview
David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone is an absolute masterpiece. Well made, moving, and thrilling, this gem from 1983 is celebrating its 40th anniversary on October 21st. Let’s take a look back, shall we?
Read MorePet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023)
I found myself in the crosshairs when 2019’s “Pet Sematary” came out. Most times I’m okay with remakes or retellings of novels, especially when in this case it had been 30 years since the original Stephen King adaptation. When I heard Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer of “Starry Eyes” fame were directing I was giddy with anticipation.
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