For years, I’d avoided 1993’s Return of the Living Dead III. There was something about the cover art that screamed cash in, low effort sequel to me. Books and covers, I know. I should’ve known better, too, considering I really like the theatrical poster for II but find the actual movie to be merely okay.
Read MoreWinners and Losers of Disney+ Launch (2019)
Disney unveiled its Netlflix-like streaming service to the world yesterday, and, of course, it wasn't without criticism. While I had my reservations, I think it is safe to say that Disney, like usual, has their shit together, and while a lot of us were met with the now-infamous "unable to connect" screen, it wasn't long before we were swimming through an impressive array of content, new and old. The launch included 7,500 episodes of current and concluded TV shows, 100 recently-released Disney theatrical films, and 400 movies from Disney’s exclusive catalog.
Read MoreSatanic Panic (2019) #BluRay
In Satanic Panic, Sam’s first day as a pizza delivery driver is not going according to plan. At the end of a long day and not enough tips, her last delivery turns out to be for a group of Satanists looking for someone to sacrifice. Now in a fight for her life, Sam must fend off witches, evil spells and demonic creatures, all while trying to keep her body and soul intact.
Read MoreFandemic Tour Houston (2019)
Fandemic Comic Con Tour is the newest traveling pop-culture convention. The tour offers a blend of popular celebrities from the hottest television shows and movies. The tour also features vendor booths for shopping, celeb and artist panel discussions, gaming, tattoo artists and even speed dating for those of you who are single and ready to mingle!
Read MoreGwen (2018)
I kept seeing comparisons to The Witch, and I can see why, but Gwen is far from a perfect film. Both movies do have a sense of dread that hangs from start to finish, and Gwen can pass as a decent companion piece, but the finale is far from rewarding and made me, and I’m sure many others, feel as if they wasted a quiet evening in. Don’t get me wrong, the film is beautiful, but, if I wanted to sit in silence for two hours and stare at something pretty I’d just turn on the Planet Earth.
Read MoreSpace Bastards - Volume 1 (2019)
To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this book. I had initially assumed it was somehow connected to Scout Comics' run of Star Bastard, but after I started reading, I realized that Space Bastards was an entirely different animal. The rear cover depicts an old cowboy relieving himself, so I knew I was in for something special.
Read MoreSatanic Panic (2019)
Full Disclosure: I know quite a few people who work for Cinestate and Fangoria, the people behind Satanic Panic. My former CineDump colleague, horror writer extraordinaire Preston Fassel, works for the production company and writes a recurring column for Fangoria magazine, “Corrupt Signals.” And to be completely honest, I had no plans to write about this movie at all because of my personal connection to the film.
Read MoreOne Man Dies a Million Times (2019)
Every year I look forward to the “slow cinema” selection at the Oak Cliff Film Festival. As the programmers who introduce the movie usually joke, “Some of you are here because you love this kind of cinema, and the rest are here because you’re hung over.” I happen to fall into the former camp.
Read MoreKnives and Skin (2019)
I caught Knives and Skin at the cozy, sweetly intimate Bishop Arts Theatre Center as part of the Oak Cliff Film Festival, and to be honest, I didn’t even want to see this movie. Having read the blurb describing the film in the program for OCFF, my immediate reaction was, “Fuck. How many movies about murdered girls do we need?” I will spend exactly three sentences ranting before I tell you why you should see Knives and Skin
Read MoreThe Mountain (2018)
After setting a manic, surreal tone with Greener Grass, the Oak Cliff Film Festival dramatically shifted gears with The Mountain, a meditative tale of love, loneliness, and transcendent madness. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Tye Sheridan, The Mountain tells the story of young, desperately sad ice rink employee, Andy. With a mother locked away in a mental institution and a drunken, distant father (Udo Kier), Andy’s life is bland and joyless.
Read MoreGreener Grass (2019)
Anticipation was high at the opening screening of the 2019 Oak Cliff Film Festival. Traditionally, the opening night feature sets the tone, thematically speaking, for the majority of the events’ programming, and I had to admit, I got why people just kept piling in. There’s fewer things Dallasites hate more than literally rubbing shoulders with their seatmates, but as people kept streaming in, aisles filled up, and the crammed seats just lent an even more breathless vibe to the proceedings.
Read MoreThe Short Films of Izzy Lee #2 (2019)
Short films are a strange art of their own--for them to “work,” they have to be perfectly paced, give just enough exposition to drag us into their world but not so much that it bogs down our interest or drags the story, and most of all, it has to leave a taste in our mouths. Shorts are usually shown in hour and a half blocks at festivals, and when your work is bookended by pieces that may be tonally dissonant, hyper-violent or hyper-sexual, or just off-the-wall bonkers, you have to make sure the audience is going to stumble back out into the sunlight thinking about what you served up. More than most directors who work in the short form, Izzy Lee is able to meet all these challenges.
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