THE DANMAN CAN

Wake Up Dead Man (2025) is fun overall and perhaps a notch above  Glass Onion   (2022) [ review ] (I'm not sure; I haven't revisited that one since I saw it in the theater), but it's longer than necessary and very heavy-handed with its themes. I still love  Knives Out  (2019) [ review ], but these films are definitely diminishing returns. Also, shouldn't there be a comma in the title? Rian Johnson Feature Films Ranked

There is definitely some fun to be had in this update and I appreciate that it did its best to set itself apart from the original  [ review ] (other than obvious but expected callbacks), but it leaned too hard on the Dexter angle and did that whole going-for-gravitas-while-also-eating-its-exploitation-cake thing that a lot of modern horror films attempt and don't quite nail.

It's not a home run as far as excitement level goes, but  Alfred Hitchcock 's Saboteur  (1942) is good, solid entertainment, with some nice character beats (particularly the blind man, even if it is a trope) and a fun finale. It's a touch patriotic for my tastes (though it makes sense considering the time it was made), but it never dips into xenophobia. Saboteur  has an effective message (without being too  heavy-handed) that, like many of Hitch's movies, favors the mistakenly-identified common man. Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Director

Luigi Cozzi 's  The Killer Must Kill Again (1975) is a slow-moving, perfectly serviceable but ultimately unthrilling giallo starring intense Charles Bronso n look-alike Antoine Saint-John  as the titular character (which isn't a spoiler—it's revealed immediately, plus check the credits). While this is Cozzi's best film (that I've seen), it doesn't do enough to set itself apart from its many counterparts of the decade. Luigi Cozzi Films Ranked Giallo Feature Films   Ranked

While it's a very enjoyable and brisk picture (and I do admit it's kinda fun to spot the edits ), I've always found  Alfred Hitchcock 's Rope ( 1948), with its heavy focus on cinematographic technique, a bit distracting as a movie, hence it sits smack dab in the middle of my Hitch rankings. I can see why this would make an excellent play , but for me it's "merely" a great film. Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Nobuhiko Obayashi 's  School In The Crosshairs (1981) has a lot of the same zany youthful energy and wild mixed media style as his earlier cult hit House (1977) [ blogpost ], only it leans into sci-fi instead of horror. SITC pits a telekinetic schoolgirl against fascist mind-controlling beings to battle conformity and save the human race. While there is a sense of ennui throughout (aided by the somber score), the film is a joy. Nobuhiko Obayashi Feature Films Ranked

Hélène Cattet  and  Bruno Forzani  have done it again, distilling the cinematographic essence and language of  James Bond /Eurospy/ Diabolik / fumetti  into a lean, violent, impressionistic mood piece with a sweet soundtrack of choice cuts.  Reflection In A Dead Diamond (2025) is audiovisual candy for a niche audience. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani Feature Films Ranked

Derek Smalls: The official explanation was he choked on vomit. David St. Hubbins: He passed away. Nigel Tufnel:  It was actually someone else's vomit. Derek Smalls: They can't prove whose vomit it was. David St. Hubbins:  They were no prints. There's no way of inspecting or photographing. Nigel Tufnel: You can't really dust for vomit. 🎶 Big bottom, big bottom Talk about bum cakes, my girl's got 'em Big bottom, drive me out of my mind How could I leave this behind? 🎶 Rob Reiner Feature Films Ranked

Guillermo del Toro 's lushly photographed  Nightmare Alley  (2021) received a black and white extended director's cut via  The Criterion Collection . I'd seen the (color) theatrical cut twice before. I don't necessarily think the director's cut, which adds almost 10 minutes of footage, is better than the theatrical cut, but it's quite an interesting (and equally excellent) alternative. Bradley Cooper  carries the film really well, amongst a top notch cast. There are the trademark del Toro flourishes of brief but gruesome violence and there's the sumptuous cinematography, along with wonderful Art Deco production design, and delicious period costumes to savor.  Since the last time I watched the GDT film, I've read (and greatly enjoyed) the story's source,  William Lindsay Gresham 's  1946 novel , and I've been meaning to revisit  Edmund Goulding 's (also excellent) 1947 film  adaptation . NA  is a fairly straightforward story, bu...

Sam Raimi 's  Crimewave (1985) mixes madcap cartoon antics with film noir in a truly surreal cocktail. Not all the of the humor lands in this  Joel  and  Ethan Coen  co-scripted oddball, which drags in places and has a weird rhythm, but it's never less than entertaining, visually inventive (if geometrically impossible), and particularly fun with the right audience. Sam Raimi Feature Films Ranked