THE DANMAN CAN

"Medusa will always lead you to my kingdom." A truly bizarre, hilarious, schizophrenic, and sexually charged adaptation. It feels like  Argento  is channeling  Gilliam  and  Jeunet  &  Caro  here. Overall, one of Dario's weaker films, filled with some pretty goofy imagery and poor CGI, though the cinematography is nice and honestly its more gonzo elements are part of its charm. The Phantom Of The Opera (1998) has other enjoyable aspects as well—including the lead performances by Julian Sands and Asia Argento , fun gore gags, and a good  Ennio Morricone  score. Dario Argento Films   Ranked Top 20 Directors

It was interesting to rewatch La La Land  (2016) after having now seen The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg   (1964) [ review ], so I could spot all the parallels and references. Though it drags a bit occasionally, I get swept up in the emotions, the colors, and the choreography every time I revisit the film. I still think that the singing musical numbers are the weakest part of the movie, but most everything else is pure gold (particularly the impressive cinematography). There's great chemistry between the leads and the ending is perfect. Damien Chazelle Feature Films Ranked

I really appreciate that  Brian Yuzna  went in a different direction for 1993's  Return Of The Living Dead III  (especially after revisiting  Return Of The Living Dead Part II  (1988) [ review ] a few years ago and being underwhelmed). Its low budget roots show in some of the action scenes and a few of the cheap effects shots, but the gore and makeup on the whole are great. Yuzna brings familiar elements from  Re-Animator  (1985) [ review ] (which he produced) and  Bride Of Re-Animator   (1990) (which he co-wrote and directed) to  ROTLD3  that suit this  Romeo And Juliet  zombie tale well. The comedy is dialed back and the melodrama is turned way up and it works.  Melinda Clarke  really sells her role—you can tell she understood the trauma of the Julie character and she's a total babe.  ROTLD3  only has tangential connections to the original  1985 film  [ review ] and is of...

"Dead sure or dead." The Mechanic (1972) is an economical thriller in satisfying '70s fashion. It's got a superb opening (almost 16 minutes before  Charles Bronson  utters a line of dialogue), assured direction by  Michael Winner  (who directed Bronson in three Death Wish films), an awesome score by Jerry Fielding , and an exciting, action-packed finale (plus a whopper of an ending). Unfortunately, much of the acting (and dubbing) is underwhelming, but it's well lensed and it's a very good, very entertaining film. Michael Winner Feature Films Ranked

Jonathan Demme 's  Married To The Mob  (1988) is one of those '80s comedies that doesn't take itself too seriously and isn't too deep but also isn't dumbed down to the lowest denominator. It's just a fun, cute gangster farce/screwball comedy in the vein of  Some Like It Hot  (1959) ( review ). Mob  has a strong cast featuring a lot of name and character actors in roles of various sizes.  Michelle Pfeiffer  is a joy as Angela, the vulnerable widower of a mafia man who just wants to start over with a normal, honest life.  Dean Stockwell  is charmingly sleazy as over-amorous mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo who pursues Angela, despite his territorial wife Connie (wonderfully played by  Mercedes Ruehl ) threatening both of them. Matthew Modine  is genuinely affable as an earnest FBI agent, keeping tabs on Pfeiffer and (naturally) falling in love with her. The score by  David Byrne  is very non-intrusive and the  ...

"Shoot the scene anyway. We don't need sound." "Larry, the next scene is Sgt. Kabukiman delivering the Gettysburg Address." "How can you like this offensive garbage anyway?" "Because it is offensive." "No one is gonna believe that this guy is getting eaten by an escalator if we don't do the closeups of the torso popping open and the organs getting squished!" Lloyd Kaufman Feature Films Ranked

Hell Or High Water  (2016) is a very good film with a nice pace, handsome cinematography, and strong performances. I've seen the picture three times now. It's not quite a home run—the story feels a bit slight and, while I really like the score by  Nick Cave  and  Warren Ellis , I can't get into the soundtrack songs—but there is still much to appreciate and it's got solid replay value.

Despite (or perhaps because of the) juvenile ( Kevin Smith -esque) humor and despite the references to  The Evil Dead   (1981) [ review ],  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) [ review ], and  David Lynch  being a bit on the nose, I still really enjoy  Eli Roth 's  Cabin Fever   (2002). A few of the jokes and some of the terms used wouldn't fly if the movie were made today, but there's lots of gory effects to enjoy and laughs to be had at the expense of the mostly douchey characters, and I still find myself quoting some of the dialogue from time to time. I love a good horror comedy, and I find that this one holds up and does a good job of poking fun at genre tropes (while clearly still having an affinity for them). Eli Roth Feature Films Ranked

"Isn't it touching how a perfect murder has kept our friendship alive all these years?" Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

"Oh, I can't believe it. Not in the Cupid Room!" Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors