Socially Distant, self isolated and sheltered in place.
I think we look at storytelling genres the wrong way. Horror isn’t a genre, it’s a feeling, an emotional element used for impact and tone. Mystery isn’t a genre, it’s … Continue Reading Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) January 13th, 2021
My Dad’s overseen my film education since early childhood. While some parents absentmindedly planted their kids in front of TVs playing any old thing, my Dad took care to curate … Continue Reading The Red Shoes (1948) January 9th, 2021
Chris Columbus has a license to direct any Christmas movie he wants and I wouldn’t hesitate to see it. That’s how good his Home Alone credit is. Even the brief … Continue Reading Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 (2020) January 2nd, 2021
Bicycle Thieves is the ultimate feel-bad movie. A poor day laborer living in the ghettos of post-war Italy competes against his impoverished neighbors for scant manual labor jobs. He secures … Continue Reading Bicycle Thieves (1948) January 1st, 2021
Believe it or not Wonder Woman 1984 had issues besides its unforgivable and wholly avoidable tacit rape endorsement. You can read about that quagmire in my Wonder Woman 1984 part … Continue Reading Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) December 30th, 2020 Part II
Wonder Woman’s supposed to be a hero. She’s supposed to protect the vulnerable and promote virtue. She’s a positive example of wholesome values like inclusivity and justice that everyone should … Continue Reading Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) December 30th, 2020 Part I
Class of 1999 rules. The poster says it all. A government experiment finally makes school safe for everyone… except the students. The premise: It’s 1999 (obviously) and teenagers are out … Continue Reading Class of 1999 (1990) December 10th, 2020
The Last Chance Detective: Legend of the Desert Bigfoot is another VHS I unearthed from Goodwill. Produced by Focus on the Family, the Last Chance Detective series follows protagonist Mike … Continue Reading The Last Chance Detective: Legend of the Desert Bigfoot (1995) November 7th, 2020
For those of you who weren’t alive in 2006 or are just pop culturally ignorant allow me to briefly explain how we got here. English actor Sacha Baron Cohen made … Continue Reading Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020) November 1st, 2020
You know Mill Creek? They’re the home video company calling themselves “The Leader in Value Entertainment.” They produce many inexpensive genre-themed DVD box sets you might find in a tub … Continue Reading The Amazing Mr. X (1948) October 31st, 2020
I bought I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle for its outrageous title, because it ‘stars’ Anthony Daniels as a priest, and because one of the thumbnails in the online listings showed … Continue Reading I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990) October 31st, 2020
Guillermo del Toro loves fairytales. He’s quick to share his insights on the subject in interviews or on commentaries and his ability to create films with an authentic fairy tale … Continue Reading Cronos (1993) October 31st, 2020
We watched The Curse of Frankenstein last October. I’ve forgotten most everything about this movie in the 7 months since. Apparently there’s a nice Warner Archive Blu-ray release available for … Continue Reading The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) October 14th, 2020
It’s summer 2010. I’m visiting family and find myself in a heated debate about the merits of James Cameron’s Avatar with a close relative. I lay out all the evidence … Continue Reading Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) October 5th, 2020
I haven’t watched a new movie in the seventeen days since seeing Detour. It’s taken that long to decide what to say. There’s no aspect of Detour worth overlooking, and … Continue Reading Detour (1945) June 24th, 2020
Of all the words that appropriately describe la Belle et la Bête none more succinctly encapsulates its jaw-dropping perfection than beautiful. Of course it’s an etherial, atmospheric and magical fantasy … Continue Reading le Belle et la Bête (1946) June 20th, 2020
Quarantined Critic 