THE DANMAN CAN

James Bond Feature Films Ranked

I've seen Dead Heat (1988) three or four times and it continues to be super entertaining—a total over the top ‘80s romp. How many other films can claim to be a buddy cop zombie comedy?  Mark Goldblatt 's (whose editing career includes some serious hits) directorial debut is fast and lean, the visual effects are a blast, and there's plenty of goofy but fun dialogue.  DH  is not concerned with deep character or story development—it deals in tropes and playfully pokes fun of them without being overly cutesy or meta about it. Treat Williams is, well, a treat,  Joe Piscopo is obnoxious but in a lovable way, and Vincent Price is wonderful, as always, in a small but memorable role (one of his last).

A film that I've loved since the first time I saw it as a child in its original theatrical run, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) holds up as an innovative, hilarious, and heartfelt classic. The blend of mystery/noir meets golden age animation humor is pitch perfect,  Bob Hoskins was never better, and  Christopher Lloyd is a delightful baddie. The visual effects hold up great, the production and costume design are wonderful, and Dean Cundey 's cinematography is striking. Pure entertainment. You can find my  Robert Zemeckis Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

I wouldn't say that Tone-Deaf  (2019) lives up to its title (thankfully), but I would say that its tone is muddled. There are flashes of the brilliance that  Richard Bates Jr.  showed in his feature debut,  Excision   (2012) (my review  here ), but Tone-Deaf  is neither as dark as that film or as whimsical as his follow-up, 2014's  Suburban Gothic   (my review here ). I don't love all the choices here, and this is easily my least favorite Bates Jr. film so far (I'm going to rewatch Trash Fire (2016) soon so we'll see if I still like that one more than this). Still, there is fun to be had in this boomer vs. millennial horror comedy and it's a well-made movie with some great sound design. The director's newest,  King Knight  (2021) is streaming soon and I am interested to see how it fares. You can find my  Richard Bates Jr. Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

When I saw  You're Next (2011) in its wide theatrical release back in 2013, I thought it was merely decent. I think I remember why now—all the incessant shaky cam. There are few things in cinema that perturb me as much. It's a shame because YN  is a solid little home invasion flick, and works better when it utilizes slow motion (or the few shots that actually use a dolly) instead. While it's fun to watch obnoxious people get offed in horrific ways, and the ending is pretty amusing, director  Adam Wingard  and writer Simon Barrett  greatly improved their filmmaking technique with their follow-up,  The Guest  (2014) (my review here ). I do have  YN  to thank for introducing me to this jam  though.

I'll start my review by stating that I'm not into cannibal films . They've never been my thing. Most of the time they are racist, silly, and/or purposely offensive. When it comes to excuses for throwing guts up on screen, I appreciate a little more creativity behind the effort.  I will say, within that genre,  Cannibal Holocaust (1980) is a well-made film with some level of social commentary to its gore, while  Zombie Holocaust (1980) is not. The latter film has a few decent splatter scenes but mostly it plays as a rip-off of  Zombie   (1979) (my review here ), down to sharing two of the same actors (but possessing none of the technical skill of  Fulci 's most well-known shocker). One of the more interesting aspects of Zombie Holocaust  (or Doctor Butcher M.D. ,   as it was retitled after it was re-edited and released in the States in 1982) is the apparent influence of H.P. Lovecraft  on its story (whether intentional or not). Five years before the film version of  Re

Richard Bates Jr. 's' Suburban Gothic (2014) is a breezy, funny, horror comedy—a much lighter follow-up to his 2012 film  Excision   (my review here ). I watched SG  for the first time about six years ago and I really liked it. It was just as enjoyable a second time.  I can't quite put my finger on why I like this film as much as I do—it's no masterpiece and there's not a lot of depth to it. It's just one of those slightly offbeat films that you can throw on and be easily entertained by without too much commitment. The world of SG  is hyper-real—brought to life by its vivid production design and lighting—but it has relatable characters and moments. Matthew Gray Gubler and Kat Dennings are quirky and spunky without being obnoxious. There are fun cameos from the likes of Jeffrey Combs ,  John Waters , and Jack Plotnick .  Ray Wise , as a cartoon caricature of a nuclear patriarch, has some choice dialogue. Recommended for fans of Kevin Smith  (in his prime),  To

James Bond Feature Films Ranked

I used to really enjoy when The Criterion Collection  allowed its users to make Top 10 lists on their My Criterion page. I still continue to make them, on Letterboxd , every two years. Here’s my latest volume: My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 6]   (click the orange spectacles for reviews of most of the films) The titles in the link above are ones that Criterion released (some of which are format upgrades) since the previous volume that I posted. If you'd like to visit the previous volumes, you can do so at the links below. My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 1]  (originally posted 7/16/12) My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 2]  (originally posted 4/23/14) My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 3]  (originally posted 1/9/16) My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 4]  (originally posted 3/2/18) My Criterion Top 10 [Vol. 5]   (originally posted 1/17/20) My Criterion Collection

Uncut Gems   (2019) is a relentlessly tense gem of a film with rapid editing and an unconventional score. It features a career best performance by  Adam Sandler  in a dramatic yet hilarious role to rival his parts in  Punch-Drunk Love  (2002) and  The Meyerowitz Stories   (2017) (my review  here ).  Sandler, here channeling an  Al Pacino -like energy, plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish NYC jeweler. Howard is one sad sack character, continuously making incredibly poor life decisions, yet you can't help but root for the guy because of his charisma. The whole film barely gives you room to breathe, and yet it keeps you glued to the screen. This was my third time watching  Uncut Gems ,  this time in the best home video quality possible, via The Criterion Collection 's 4K UHD . It really is an all-timer. I hope that the next Safdie brothers film is as electric as this one, their most commercially successful but also their best so far.

Citizen Kane   (1941) (one of my  Top 100 Films —Top 10, actually) continues to age well and remains as impressive, engaging, and relevant as ever. It's a treat to be able to watch this film, which I've seen many times, in the best possible home video quality via  The Criterion Collection 's  4K UHD , with a wealth of new special features, and contained in beautiful packaging. I love the mystique and legend of  CK 's central character, Charles Foster Kane (mostly based on  William Randolph Hearst ), built up over the course of the film through flashbacks, interspersed with investigative present day (1941) scenes. I love the cast, which includes  Orson Welles 's  Mercury  players—himself, along with  Joseph Cotten  (charming and dashing as ever),  Ray Collins  (thoroughly despicable),  Everett Sloane  (the likable yes-man),  Agnes Moorehead  (intense as Hearst's mother), and more. And, of course,  Gregg Toland 's cinematography never ceases to amaze,  Bernard

Wrong   (2012) is a wonderful slice of surreal comic absurdity that holds up well 10 years on. It's satisfying that  Quentin Dupieux 's singular films still incite laughter and joy upon repeat viewings. I think it's because the plots are not important but the worlds he creates are interesting, his characters are lovable, and—if you dig his style—it's easy to get addicted. You can find my  Quentin Dupieux Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

Ever since the first time I saw Richard Bates Jr. 's 2012 debut feature Excision  I've loved it, and I love it still (it's one of my Top 10 Horror Films (1990–Current) ). Between AnnaLynne McCord 's fearless central performance, the supporting cast of cult cinema players including Traci Lords , John Waters , Malcolm McDowell , and Ray Wise , and the bold cinematography, this psychosexual tale of an awkward, sociopathic teen leaves a mark.  But while the film has a deliciously dark sense of humor and undoubtably disturbing moments, its sole purpose isn't to shock. No, Excision  has a pulsing, beating heart and cares deeply about its characters, Pauline and her dysfunctional family. If you'd like to hear me talk in depth about the film, along with co-hosts   Lee Howard  and  Michael Mackenzie ,   as a guest on an episode of the  Movie Matters Podcast   from 2014, you can do so  here . You can find my  Richard Bates Jr. Feature Films Ranked list here .