THE DANMAN CAN

It's a strange experience to watch a film like Guys And Dolls (1955) through a "2020 lens". I still really like this film a lot but it's certainly "problematic". And that's coming from a viewer who always takes when a film was released into context. I think the best way to enjoy a film like G&D is to view it as a product of the past, one with misogynistic gender norms galore (and to be fair I watch films that are far bigger offenders), but one that still has plenty of movie magic. And that's what I really love about musicals more than anything else—the choreography, the costumes, the staging, the production design, the direction, the physicality, and, yes, usually the songs. G&D perhaps has a bit less of all that than other well-known musicals and/or it's less impressive overall, but I still find a lot to appreciate—including the performances, the characters, and all the wonderful colors.

Upon a rewatch I liked The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) more than the first time I viewed it. I still think Polanski 's quasi-sex comedy is overlong, scenes drag on longer than necessary, the humor is too broad and the tone is uneven. But I also still think the production design (artifice and all), cinematography and score are all excellent (looking better than ever via Warner Archive 's 2019 Blu-ray ). For a more detailed analysis, I recommend listening to the Movie Matters Podcast Halloween Special VII (Fangsgiving) episode , where I guested with co-founders Michael Mackenzie and Lee Howard , here . Much of what we discussed in that 2016 episode holds true but I have a little bit more appreciation for it now. You can find my Roman Polanski Feature Films Ranked list here .

It’s funny—I’m not into sports (I’m especially not into boxing). And in general, I’m not into sports films. But I own and greatly enjoy three of the most well-known, highly regarded boxing films. The influence of Robert Wise 's 1949 noir The Set-Up on Martin Scorsese 's Raging Bull (1980) ( review ) cannot be understated. But while the latter film is widely and rightfully regarded as a masterpiece, the former is not quite that (though it's still a really good film). Part of the reason that I like The Set-Up as much as I do, despite the subject matter, is down to the film being as much about reaction shots of the audience as it is about the action in the ring. Faces and expressions play such an important role in this film, and that emphasis on the reactions (both humorous and excited) help to pull the viewer into the suspense. I felt it the first time I watched this film—and I still feel on "Take 2"—that The Set-Up is a minor film, a bit light on character...

Along with  Doctor X (1932), Mystery Of The Wax Museum  (1933) was the last of two dramatic fiction films (both directed by  Michael Curtiz  and starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray ) made using the two-color Technicolor process. Because this method omits a blue filter, it gives the images a phantasmagorically lime green look that provides a wonderfully otherworldly atmosphere to MOTWM (which is gorgeously restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation on Warner Archive's recent Blu-ray). Mystery  is a minor film—light on plot, short in length (77 mins) and more of a thriller than a horror movie—but the cinematography, historical context (it was thought to be a lost film for decades and badly damaged when discovered), and the influence it has had on films that followed are all reasons why it's worth visiting and revisiting. In fact, I enjoyed and appreciated  Wax Museum  more on "Take 2" than when I first watched ...

My friend and neighbor Amy and I were both delighted to be asked to guest on the Moving The Needle Podcast  for their Almost Famous  (2000) episode. So in lieu of a review, please listen to MTN   Episode 32  for our thoughts. Follow MTN to enjoy all of their episodes!

Though Richard Brooks ' 1962 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' 1959 play Sweet Bird Of Youth   is a sanitized version of the story, it's still quite good. And though at times it feels a bit like Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958)-lite (also directed by Brooks and also starring Paul Newman ), it definitely has some shocking moments. Plus, it's got all the Tennessee trademarks—saucy dialogue, sexy leads, a wealthy tyrant, melodrama, desperation, failed aspirations, and heat . You can find my  Tennessee Williams Feature Film Adaptations Ranked  list  here .

The Great Escape (1963), John Sturges ' most classic and well-known film, is a rousing adventure film that has aged as well as it has because it focuses as much attention on the details of its characters as is it does on the action. It is undoubtedly a fantastical version of the true-life events that inspired it, but it does have a heavy denouement. The all-star cast is wonderful and Elmer Bernstein 's fife-and-drum score is an all-timer. TGE  is a nearly 3-hour film that manages to captivate no matter how many times I've seen it—a superb picture full of indelible performances and made by expert craftsmen. The bond between the men in TGE is palpable and despite not being a "gritty" war movie, it is undoubtable e scapist  fun. You can find my John Sturges Films Ranked list here .

Review

There are so many things to appreciate about Preston Sturges ' 1941 master-farce  The Lady Eve . Whether it’s Barbara Stanwyck 's range or her sultry sex appeal, Henry Fonda 's goofy oblivious charm or his handsome mug, Sturges' dialogue—both razor-sharp and poetically romantic. Maybe it's Stanwyck's strong female lead, always in control but never heartless—and unlike the norm in most  screwball comedies , she never concedes, even in the film's final moments. Or perhaps it's Fonda's ability to balance being a dopey lovesick while performing pratfalls to perfection. Even the supporting cast is consummate—each player feels lived into their role—you can't really go wrong with Sturges writing for and directing actors like Charles Coburn , Eugene Pallette and William Demarest . Indeed, TLE is a hilarious, heartfelt tale of love, bitterness and revenge, and it has aged incredibly well. It's the type of film that stamps a smile on your face fo...

Dirrector  Byron Haskin  and famed animation producer George Pal 's 1953 Cold War allegory, The   War Of The Worlds , is a vivid Technicolor alien invasion disaster extravaganza. There is no denying that the film is filled with eye-popping visuals, taut action, and impressive (though dated) special effects and production design—all brought to renewed life by the 4K restoration on  The Criterion Collection 's recently released  Blu-ray . It just didn't hold up as well as I remembered. The last time I watched it was 2005 when a special edition DVD was released to coincide with the theatrical release of  Steven Spielberg 's  version , itself a 9/11 allegory (which I also liked less the last time I revisited). I've never read H.G. Wells ' 1898 novel (first serialized in 1897) but in the booklet accompanying the Criterion edition of the TWOTW J. Hoberman writes about how the novel's narrator compares the Martian extermination of humans to the "ruth...

Vivarium (2019) is a  Kafka esque slow burn sci/horror thriller that plays like an extended The Twilight Zone   (1959–1964) or Black Mirror  (2011–present) episode. It satisfyingly and ambiguously leaves many things up to the viewer to decipher and it leaves one feeling truly unsettled and even a bit hopeless. There have been plenty of other satiric/dystopian movies centered on the lie of domestic suburban bliss and/or ones which posit humans as living in a simulation. But rather than simply focus on the endless monotony or the "joys" of parenting,  Vivarium makes an interesting parallel between this supposed utopian ideal and the parasitic lifecycle of cuckoo birds. Imogen Poots gives a terrific performance, but as usual Jesse Eisenberg (whom I've only enjoyed in a few films) leaves me cold—and not even in a way that would befit his character. I think the film would have benefited from a different male lead. Vivarium reminded me a bit of Denis...

Billy Wilder made quite a few classic comedies— Some Like It Hot (1959) (my review here ) and The Apartment (1960) (my review here ) chief among them. While Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) never reaches the comedic gold heights of either of those films, it is still a fun little romp. A problematic one perhaps, but fun nonetheless. With a premise not far removed from The Apartment  (though it's certainly less romantic and more of a "sex" comedy), KMS  feels tame by today's standards but when it was released it was blasted by critics for being vulgar. It's an interesting thing to watch a film like this in 2020—one where both a husband and wife take part in infidelity and we're expected to accept it for the sake of the marriage. I have less of an issue with that than I do with how women are treated in the film—on the one hand the characters have a certain autonomy, on the other the whole premise just seems to hinge on one of them delivering the on the nose punchline ...

After recently watching Tammy And The T-Rex  (1994) (my review here ) and then realizing that the same director was behind Mac And Me (1988) (a film that I was well aware of by reputation), I decided it was time to finally to subject myself to this infamous box office bomb-cum-cult sensation. This really is a "so bad it's good" type of affair. Outside of the doofy-looking aliens, the production values are actually quite high. I've seen worse acting and it's cool that a boy with an actual physical disablement ( Jade Calegory ) was cast as the wheelchair-bound lead, Eric. Stewart Raffill 's direction is fine but better suited to more intentionally campy material.  Nick McLean was DP on movies like The Goonies (1985) and Spaceballs  (1987) and it shows—the cinematography is one of the strongest parts of the film, on a technical level. Alan Silvestri 's score is also quite good, though he seems to borrow from his own material for films such as Back To T...

While I appreciate an atypical western (one that has a female lead), I found  Johnny Guitar (1954) to be a bit of a mixed bag, particularly for a film that is mostly gushed with praise.  Joan Crawford is really good in Nicholas Ray 's film and, really, she is the protagonist, so it should have been titled Vienna —a fine western-sounding title and one that would have made more sense. Sterling Hayden (who is also good but much better in other types of roles) is the titular Johnny "Guitar" Logan, a supposed reformed gunslinger and former flame of Vienna's who has returned to her life in a town that treats her like a "tramp".  The chemistry between Crawford and Hayden is lacking but the dialogue is great, as is some  of the production design and action. Mercedes McCambridge is fun to watch but really over-the-top in her villainy, coming off as a Wicked Witch Of The West type, which feels out of place here. Overall, Johnny Guitar  is a film that...

Come To Daddy (2019) is an absurd, surreal, darkly comic horror film, filled with frequently funny moments and over-the-top violence, and populated by ridiculous characters. It feels very much like director/idea man  Ant Timpson  pulled a lot of the plot points out of thin air, but that type of crazed energy is part of the appeal. There are some poignant moments as well, with Elijah Wood providing a strong emotional center. I can't say that the film completely won me over, but it was a fun way to spend an hour and a half. Recommended for fans of Swiss Army Man (2016),  Mayhem (2017) (my review here ), and Tusk (2014).

With  Ganja & Hess  (1973), Bill Gunn was approached by independent production company Kelly-Jordan Enterprises to make a "black vampire film", to cash in on the success of 1972's  Blacula  ( review ). Gunn accepted the job but instead of delivering another blaxploitation movie, he made a "landmark 1973 indie that used vampirism as an ingenious metaphor for black assimilation, white cultural imperialism and the hypocrisies of organized religion." [ Scott Foudas ] Duane Jones only played lead in but two films, the other being  George A. Romero 's classic  Night Of The Living Dead (1968) ( review ). In fact, Jones only acted in four more films after this one and two of them happened to be about vampires! Incidentally, the presentation and atmosphere of G&H  reminded me a lot of Romero's  Martin ( review ), released four years later. They're both experimental, artsy vampire films that eschew many of the well-worn tropes of the genre...

Review

Palm Springs  (2020) is a clever (but not too clever) little dramedy that successfully blends the concept of  Groundhog Day  (1993) (my review here ) (not the first story to use a time loop, but the most well-known) with a more traditional rom-com. It's charming enough to appeal to a mass audience but subversive, sarcastic and dark enough to appeal to those that like their comedies are bit more black. It's definitely not a challenging film but a breezy one that hits just right if you need a pick-me-up and feels like the type of film that has great replay value.

Kasi Lemmons ' 1997 directorial debut,  Eve's Bayou , is an effective drama with a dark undercurrent, superb cinematography, and wonderful costumes. The performances by the mostly female cast are fantastic across the board ( Samuel L. Jackson —who also co-produced—is, of course, really good too). I quite enjoyed the film but I did find the story and the presentation a bit Spielberg ian in its approach. That's not a backhanded compliment—I really like Spielberg, but sometimes his work can be a bit saccharine.

Tale Of Tales (2015) is a beautifully filmed fantasy drama from director  Matteo Garrone , based on tales by Italian poet  Giambattista Basile . The only other Garrone film I've seen is his acclaimed Gomorrah (2008) (my review here ), which I enjoyed a bit more. TOT  was really gorgeous to look at, I liked all three storylines, the performances were fine, and I appreciate that it doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the material but it didn't leave a lasting impression, at least not after this initial viewing.

Mario Bava 's I Tre Volti Della Paura ( The  Three Faces Of Fear  aka Black Sabbath )   (1963) is simply one of the best horror anthologies ever made. Though it's only three stories, each one is unique and worthwhile, filled with beautiful actresses and spooky imagery. It's not a gory movie but it's got an old school charm that holds up to this day. Hell, pioneering metal band Black Sabbath took their name from the film, which only adds to its legacy. The first two stories "The Telephone" and " The Wurdulak " aren't particularly scary, though both have great atmosphere, but the third—"The Drop Of Water"—is still terrifying, even given its artifice. Bava's images ( Ubaldo Terzano shot the film, but Bava was also uncredited) are, as expected, flawless. His many years as a cinematographer previous to directing served him well—as good of a storyteller as he was, he was first and foremost a master technician. I watched the Italia...

You gotta love movies that don't false advertise. In Castle Freak (1995) there is literally a freak that lives (well, is imprisoned, most of the time) in a castle. And the girl on the theatrical poster actually looks like the actress in the film and she does in fact wear that outfit. When it coms to a film with a title like this one, and with it being direct-to-video and a Full Moon production, one would expect a schlocky low budget affair and—make no mistake—this is one, but because it's a Stuart Gordon film, there's a little more below the surface to enjoy. There's plenty of gore, gross-out special FX and sleazy material here, but there's also a pretty decent (if melodramatic) family drama at the core. Jeffrey Combs hams it up in spectacular fashion as an alcoholic philanderer and Barbara Crampton  does her best pious mother figure to mixed results. As with Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986) (my review here )—both of which paired Combs and Crampt...

On one hand,  Rob Zombie 's latest,  3 From Hell  (2019), is one of his better-made films. It's miles better than 31 (2016) or his terrible Halloween   movies. On the other, by the end it feels largely unnecessary, an exercise in genre that offers nothing new.  Megan Navarro  put it succinctly in her Consequence Of Sound  review : "Despite a fascinating set up (I would contest this), Zombie takes an extravagant U-turn straight back to  The Devil's Rejects   (2005) to try his hand at telling it all over again. In the end, what could have been something more instead falls back into comfortable, familiar territory that’s bloated by meandering filler." Much like Quentin Tarantino (and a lot of 3FH  feels like Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez ), Zombie channels Oliver Stone 's  Natural Born Killers   (1994) ( review ) (coincidentally written by QT) before settling on  Sam Peckinpah 's  Bring Me The He...

The themes in Daniel Isn't Real (2019) have all been better explored in films like The Dark Half  (1993) (I'm honestly surprised to see no one else making this comparison), Jacob's Ladder   (1990) (my review here ), and Fight Club  (1999). That's not to say that no film should tread the same territory, but DIR  doesn't offer anything new—it's a heavily metaphorical psycho-horror film with a decent look, but it left me feeling nothing by the end (and not in a nihilistic way). Mile Robbins and Patrick Schwarzenegger give strong performances and the first half of the film was solid, but in the final third it turns into tropey horror stuff with poor effects.The way it deals with mental health doesn't feel any less irresponsible than any films that came before it (not that I personally look for "message movie" types of moralizing), but if you're gonna be "sleazy" with this type of content, then you should really own it (this movie do...

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985) is one of those films that no matter how many times I've seen it, no matter what mood I'm in, and despite any flaws it has, I can't award it anything but a perfect score. It's one of my Top 100 Films , one of my Top 10 Horror Films , and simply one of the most fun movies ever made. TROLTD is bleak but hilarious, the characters are indelible, the dialogue is endlessly quotable, the f/x and gore are over-the-top, and the horror/punk/death/psychobilly soundtracks rips. It successfully spoofs its genre while also resting (maybe not so peacefully) alongside its contemporaries, a true cult classic that never goes out of style—etched into my braaain(s) for life.

It being a Charles Band  production (he who has produced so many schlocky films), you sort of know what you're in for when you watch Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988). With that title (which is classic), you'd certainly be expecting nudity, goofy FX, and cheese. It's all there, but the film never reaches cult status (at least not for this viewer). Director David DeCoteau  has made a bazillion films, but this is the only one I've seen. He made a number of adult movies and it shows— SBITSB  has the same type of budget, production values and acting as one would expect from an X rated feature of yesteryear. Again, because of Band's involvement, there is (of course) a demonic puppet—the "Imp", voiced by horror personality  Michael Soyne  (aka Dukey Flyswatter ). "Scream queen" Linnea Quigley is on board for sarcastic baddassery as well. SBITSB starts out promising enough as a silly sex comedy, turns in some funny dialogue ( Geo...