THE DANMAN CAN

Deadly Eyes   (1982) is a solid little ratsploitation flick, a bite above Rats: Night Of Terror  (1984), but a tail short of Of Unknown Origin   (1983).

Rawhead Rex  (1986) is not a "good" film, but it’s  awful ly good fun. Full of hammy acting, cheesy makeup (though some of the effects are decent), and half-baked ideas—it’s more fun to laugh at than to glean anything thought-provoking from. It’s like a C grade  An American Werewolf In London   (1981) ( review ) and that’s OK—shitty monster movies have a place in the world too (and I kind of love this one). I do think that  Clive Barker  would have preferred for viewers to have a more meaningful experience with his  story , which is why I think it could be adapted again with more successful results. (Whoever tackles it should  definitely  keep the golden shower baptismal scene though.)

Wiener-Dog  (2016) sits comfortably in Todd Solondz 's universe (Dawn Wiener even makes an appearance, this time played by Greta Gerwig ), following a dachshund as she passes from one owner to the next. There's the expected black humor and self loathing you get with a Solondz film, yet this one has a veneer of hopefulness that doesn't feel forced.

The Lift (1983) is an effective Dutch thriller about technology gone amuck, featuring an appropriately moody atmosphere, a pulsing synthesized score and some nice cinematography. For fans of Jaws  (1975) (my review here ),  Christine  (1983) (my review here ), and The Terminator  (1984).

Zardoz (1974) has a lot of ideas about a lot of things (life, death, utopia, consciousness, war, religion, politics) and it’s incredibly entertaining, but I think perhaps not for the reasons intended by director John Boorman . More often than not the cheesy   fashion, laughable performances and cheap props hamper a deliciously bizarre surrealist film. And maybe more of the humor was intended than I know. It's just frustrating because I think buried underneath the goofiness is a possibly brilliant piece of art (sort of like an even less coherent Alejandro Jodorowsky ). All that said, there are some cool visuals and interesting lighting choices and camerawork throughout this oddball sci-fi headtrip.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) is a hilarious parody in the tradition of Young Frankenstein   (1974). As much as I like The Jerk  (1979) and even though I've seen that film many times and have only seen this film for the first time tonight, I think DMDWP is my favorite Reiner / Martin  pairing. Maybe it's the ingenious incorporation of old noir films, maybe it's the loving tribute to the "genre" (the voice-over in particular is perfect) or maybe it's just because I laughed out loud so much.

Viewing #3 and this film holds strong. With  Blade Runner 2049   (2017),  Denis Villeneuve   managed to accomplish the typically impossible task of honoring and referencing the film that came before it whilst creating his own strikingly beautiful and original film (with a little help from a brilliant man named  Roger Deakins ). The visuals are absolutely stunning (every frame like a digital painting), the sound design is incredible (the Atmos track on the Blu-ray is immersive; Hans Zimmer  & Benjamin Wallfisch 's score gave me shivers at times), the performances are all strong, and the f/x are seamless. A truly satisfying and moving film experience. I do think that it's necessary to have seen  Blade Runner  to get the most out of  2049   but if you see this film and don't like it, you can simply ignore it. It operates on its own playing field and doesn't tarnish the 1982 film in any way. I actually found that  2049  ex...

Amuck!   (aka Alla Ricerca Del Piacere ) (1972) is a solid giallo but never really goes all in with any of the elements that it dabbles in—gothic, melodrama, sleaze. It's entertaining, well shot, and features plenty of nudity (it is a 70s Italian film starring  Barbara Bouchet , after all), but don't look to this one for bodies piling up, impressive set design or flashy camerawork. You can find my  Giallo Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

The Boy Friend  (1971) finds  Ken Russell  using the stage play from the ‘50s as a backdrop for the story of the players performing said play to a sparse matinee audience that happens to include a big-shot Hollywood director. When the lead actress breaks her leg, the assistant stage manager Polly (played by ‘60s fashion model Twiggy ) must step into her role. The action of the film follows the players' relationships, hopes/dreams, etc. At times we're watching the play itself, at times we're watching the audience observe the play, at times we're watching the backstage goings-on, and at times we're watching elaborate fantasy sequences. I've read criticisms of this film that stated that Twiggy doesn't carry the film well, but I found her sad look and earnest nature very charismatic and appropriate to the story. Admittedly, said story is a bit scattershot at times and it's a bit on the long side, but I still found the film endearing as a whole. Not to...

In The Post  (2017), Spielberg   (obviously) channels All The President's Men (1976) (there's even a nod to that film at the end), but there are hints of his own other works from the 2000s as well, including Munich  (2005), Lincoln  (2012), and Bridge Of Spies (2015). The performances are strong, the direction is assured, and the film remains interesting throughout, but it's overwrought and a bit on the nose at times with its politics and how they pertain to current times. Check out my Steven Spielberg Feature Films Ranked list here .

Despite Bruce Campbell  doing his best Peter Sellers -esque physical gags and a decent amount of comic relief from Ted Raimi , Man With The Screaming Brain (2005) falls into that unfortunate category of bad films that are neither so bad they are good or so bad they are bad, but instead so middling they are simply "meh."

I don't typically rate/review TV shows on the blog, but seeing as David Lynch  himself considers Twin Peaks   (2017) to be an "18-hour film," I figured I'd jot down a few spoiler-free thoughts after "Take 2." The first go through, I watched TP as it was broadcast weekly, like the rest of the world, not counting the premiere of the first 2 episodes at the Luna Theater , which I attended in character as Cooper (my friend Becky was Lucy). The initial watch of the series was a very frustrating experience. Some plot lines and characters seemed to go nowhere. Some elements were straight up silly, in my opinion. And yet there was still  so much  to appreciate. So many great characters, moments and emotions. And don't get me wrong - I wasn't expecting a rehash. I know Lynch  better than that. I'm also a massive fan of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me  (1992), which has been known to divide fans of the original series . On a rewatch, a lot of stuff tha...

My blog  is 7  years old today! Continuing the yearly trend, here's how many films I've watched (since I've been keeping track): 2005  -  338 films (updated from 339) 2006  -  368 films (updated from 369) 2007  -  274 films 2008  -  269 films (updated from 270) 2009  -  233 films (updated from 234) 2010  -  188 films 2011  -   237 films (updated from 236) 2012  - 254 films (updated from 253) 2013  - 352 films 2014  - 349 films (updated from 347) 2015 -  337 films 2016 -  270 films (updated from 269) 2017 - 265 films Interestingly, Letterboxd tells me that I watched 4 more films than I recorded in my personal file (see screenshot below). I've been making more of an effort to write reviews (of a sort) for most things I watch. (Click image above to access my Letterboxd profile)

Focus On Film   Annual Episode 5  is up! ​It is with heavy hearts that we lay the Focus On Film Podcast to rest. We want to thank you for your support over 5 years and 65 episodes (60 monthly, 5 annual). The episodes will live here on thedanmancan.blogspot.com for at least roughly the remainder of the year, so filter by the “Focus On Film” label on the left or below and download those eps! We hope you enjoy our final episode! Download the MP3  HERE In this episode: Criterion Collection  New Year's Drawing Top 5 Criterion Releases of 2017 "Second Run" (Runners-up) Criterion Releases of 2017 Best non-Criterion Release of 2017

Dario Argento 's Suspiria  (1977), the first and best film in his Three Mothers Trilogy , is best enjoyed if you let the gorgeous visuals and dreamlike quality wash over you and focus less on the absence of plot or dialogue. A blood-soaked adult fairy tale with an all-time great score by Goblin . Check out my Dario Argento Films Ranked  list here . Screenshots from Synapse Films ' stunning 4K mastered Blu-ray

Night Of The Werewolf  (aka El Retorno del Hombre Lobo ) (1981) was my first Paul Naschy film. While there is certainly a fair amount of cheesiness and bad dialogue in this film, there are also some incredibly atmospheric shots and cool camerawork to appreciate. A gothic Spanish smorgasbord of cult monsters.

I've seen Behind The Candelabra  (2013) three times now and it's lost none of its pizzaz, charm, pathos or humor. Michael Douglas is perfect as Liberace , the supporting cast is fantastic, and Soderbergh 's pacing and cutting is brilliant. Check out my Steven Soderbergh Feature Films Ranked list here .

1.   Mew Visuals ****1/2 2.   Fujiya & Miyagi Fujiya & Miyagi  ****1/2 3.   Rainer Maria S/T ****1/2 ( Review ) 4.   Fever Ray Plunge  **** ( Review ) 5.   Quicksand Interiors  **** ( Review) 6.   Spoon Hot Thoughts **** 7.   The Life And Times The Life And Times   **** 8.   Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts Milano  **** ( Review) 9.   Goldfrapp Silver Eye **** ( Review ) 10. St. Vincent Masseduction   **** ( Review ) 11. Charlotte Gainsbourg   Rest  **** ( Review )   12. UNKLE The Road: Part 1   **** 13. Failure Fantastic Planet Live  **** 14.  Beck   Colors  ***1/2 ( Review ) 15. Queens Of The Stone Age Villains   ***1/2 ( Review ) 16. Primus The Desaturating Seven ***1/2 ( Review ) 17. Electric Six How Dare You  ***1/2 18. The Octopus Project   Memory Mirror  ***   19. John Carpenter Anthology (Mov...