What if a hero doesn’t get to live happily ever after? For quite a while, film fans thought Indiana Jones’ ride into the sunset at the end of 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the character’s swansong. However, in 2008, we were treated to an older Indy with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Read MoreDanger God (2018)
As the usage of CGI in films has increased over the last several decades, my appreciation for traditional stunt work has only grown. Stunt people largely worked unheralded as they endeavored to gift stories some realism that was sometimes beautiful, sometimes violent, and always dangerous. One such legend was Gary Kent, the focus of Joe O’Connell’s documentary entitled Danger God aka Love and Other Stunts.
Read MoreThe Flash (2023)
As I wrote in my recent review of Coherence, the multiverse is all the rage, right now. That goes doubly for superhero films. Andy Muschietti’s DCEU course correction The Flash is the latest masked vigilante blockbuster to utilize the brainy sci-fi concept to deploy some fan service and capitalize on the increasing sophistication of audiences that have now experienced about three distinct eras of comic book films.
Read MoreCoherence (2013) #RetroReview
The multiverse is all the rage, right now. You’ve got Everything Everywhere All at Once, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and many others. However, ten years ago, a micro-budgeted flick was released that played with the concept of alternate realities in a much more psychological manner.
Read MoreCliffhanger (1993) #RetroReview
Surely, 1993’s Cliffhanger has to be in the conversation for director Renny Harlin’s best film. I would also say that it’s Sylvester Stallone’s second-best film of the ‘90s, surpassed only by Demolition Man. May 28th marks the film's 30th birthday and with the recent announcement that a sequel is in the works, I figured it'd be a nice time to take a look back.
Read MoreOutpost (2022)
Like many comedians, Joe Lo Truglio is also a horror fan. The works of Stephen King were a key influence growing up. Now, in-between acting gigs, Lo Truglio has been attempting to make his own horror films.
Read MoreBulletproof (1987) #RetroReview
I was introduced to Steve Carver’s Bulletproof from 1988 via a clip of Gary Busey screaming this from some rafters before jumping down amidst a hail of machine gun fire. What exactly is a “butthorn?” Well, it’s the favorite invective utilized by Busey’s lead character Frank “Bulletproof” McBain.
Read MoreThe Dark Half (1993) #RetroReview
After a two-year delay because of Orion Pictures’ financial problems, legendary writer/director George Romero’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Half was finally released in 1993. The affable filmmaker preferred to work in an independent setting and it would seem his somewhat difficult experience on this film helped cement that predilection. Notably, it was the last movie he made in his beloved Pittsburgh.
Read MoreErotomaniac (2022)
As you may already know, I have a love for micro-budgeted homemade DIY flicks. I also happen to love animation. Last night, I checked out writer/director/editor/producer/animator Sam Salerno’s Erotomaniac from 2022, which combines both of those aspects.
Read MoreLiquid Sky (1982) #RetroReview
Aggressively arty, bizarre, and unpolished, Slava Tsukerman’s Liquid Sky is one of the coolest flicks I’ve ever seen. Made for a paltry $500K, it would go on to become one of the most successful independent films of the early ‘80s and led to the genesis of the electroclash musical genre and club scene that emerged in the late ‘90s. April 15th is the 40th anniversary of the film's theatrical release in America, so I decided to take a look back.
Read MoreLinoleum (2022)
If you’ve read my work with any regularity, you know that I love writing about films with Ohio connections. Writer/director Colin West was born in my longtime hometown of Columbus and went to undergrad at the Ohio State University, my alma mater. His new film, Linoleum, is also set in suburban Dayton.
Read MoreBoston Underground Film Festival (2023)
Another festival has come and gone and while I wasn’t able to view everything that I had hoped, I was still able to check out some really cool genre films courtesy of the Boston Underground Film Festival. Hopefully, I’ll get my hands on more next time around. That being said, the few films are definitely not to be overlooked, so if you see something you may be interested in, I suggest making a note and circling back when they are more widely available.
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