THE DANMAN CAN

Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer   (1986) is a slow-moving, unflinchingly realistic, at times gruesomely funny film that turns the fascination with serial killers on its head by implicating its audience in the entertainment of murder, etc. The random nature of the killings portrayed in Henry  adds to the unsettling quality of the death tableaux captured in gritty 16mm. With an unbelievably assured debut performance by Michael Rooker , stark atmosphere, documentary-like cinematography, and a score both haunting and jarring,  John McNaughton ’s feature debut remains a chilling micro-budget classic that still has the power to disturb. Recommended for fans of  Peeping Tom  (1960) ( review ),  Man Bites Dog   (1992) ( review ), and  Maniac   (1980) ( review ). John McNaughton Feature Films Ranked

Beyond The Black Rainbow   (2010) was one of my  Top Films Of 2012   (I first saw the film in its Boston premiere as part of the  Independent Film Festival Boston , in 35 mm, 10 years ago today, where it melted my brain). It's a glacially-paced sci-fi mind trip that rewards more often than it doesn't, with a fantastic synth score and bold, modernist cinematography. Recommended for fans of the following film and musical stylings: 2001: A Space Odyssey  (1968) ( review ),  Eraserhead  (1977) ( review ),  The Man Who Fell To Earth  (1976),  Amer  (2009) ( review ),  THX 1138  (1971),  David Cronenberg ,  Don Coscarelli ,  Dario Argento ,  Vangelis ,  Tangerine Dream ,  John Carpenter ,  Boards Of Canada

With its many characters and twisty-turny plot,  Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler   (1922)—the first of three  Mabuse  films by visionary director  Fritz Lang —can be confusing at times. Its 4 1/2 hour run time can be a test of anyone's patience as well (on this viewing I watched Part 1 only, to celebrate the film's centennial anniversary today). Nevertheless, the cinematography is impressive, the story is engaging, and the film is undoubtedly highly influential. While it is my least favorite of the three Lang Mabuse films (my reviews of the other two here and here ), it is an undoubtedly important piece of cinema.   Fritz Lang Films Ranked

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring A Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention Of Tony Clifton (2017) is a fascinating companion piece to 1999’s Man On The Moon ( review ) and recommended viewing immediately after watching that film. This documentary shows the audience that as much of the movie was happening off-screen as on and further cements Jim Carrey ’s commitment to the role of  Andy Kaufman . The behind the scenes footage, particularly of Tony Clifton , is pure gold.

As biopics go Man On The Moon (1999) is one of the better ones (and I say that as someone who’s not terribly into the genre). I think that’s because Milos Forman is quite adept at them, having directed two excellent examples— Amadeus (1984) and The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996)—prior to tackling the story of Andy Kaufman . MOTM is a very good film but not a masterpiece. What is  masterful though is Jim Carrey ’s portrayal as Kaufman. It’s truly one of the all-time great screen performances. I don't think that anyone else could have done it justice and that's due to Carrey's 1000% committal to the role. Carrey’s brilliance on screen highlights Kaufman’s own brilliance (and makes one want to revisit the latter’s work). It must also be mentioned that Bob Zmuda  deserves a good deal of credit for Kaufman's work and success as an iconoclast. Kaufman, that one-of-a-kind obnoxious prankster, is a figure that simply couldn’t exist in the same way anymore, for multiple reas...

James Bond Feature Films Ranked

As singular and wonderful as its reputation,  Singin' In The Rain (1952) is undoubtedly one of the most impressive musicals ever made. The trio of stars are all sublime.  Gene Kelly  deserves massive amounts of credit for starring, co-directing (along with  Stanley Donen ), and of course for his breathtaking dancing. Debbie Reynolds is a delight with her "golly gee" plus a bit 'o sass performance. But Donald O'Connor has always been the unsung hero of the film for me. More than a mere comic foil, his physicality and line delivery are exceptional. Expansive stages, beautiful choreography, colorful costumes, and of course memorable songs— Singin' In The Rain offers all this plus laughs, joy, and tears.

Of the three Virgil Tibbs films (following  In The Heat Of The Night   (1967) ( review ) and  They Call Me Mister Tibbs!   (1970) ( review )),  The Organization   (1971) is a more exciting and cinematic thriller with a bit more bite than its predecessor but still doesn't hold a candle to the original. This second (and final) sequel was released a couple of months before (and shares some traits with)  Dirty Harry , which permanently changed the landscape of police thrillers.  Sidney Poitier 's Tibbs takes a bit of a backseat (as does the Tibbs family who featured heavily in the preceding film) as the story focuses on a group of radical vigilantes, which includes early roles for Raul Julia and Ron O'Neal (the year before he made a splash in the blaxploitation classic  Super Fly ).  Quincy Jones  did not return to provide music but  Gil Mellé 's jazzy, funky, atonal score follows the Lalo Schifrin  playbook f...

Minus the racial tension,  They Call Me Mister Tibbs (1970) plays like a TV movie compared to its powerhouse predecessor  In The Heat Of The Night   (1967) ( review ). There’s some political context here and there but mostly this sequel unfolds as a fairly straightforward procedural. I’m a sucker for late 60s/early 70s procedurals though (I love the atmosphere, look, and sound)—complete with requisite car and foot chases. Plus  Quincy Jones  returns to score, providing  plenty of groovy jazz/funk/rock cues, and  Sidney Poitier  delivers another cool, calm, collected performance as Virgil Tibbs (though his fathering skills are definitely questionable).

In The Heat Of The Night   (1967) features electric performances from  Sidney Poitier  and  Rod Steiger , a taut script by  Stirling Silliphant , confident direction by  Norman Jewison , striking cinematography by  Haskell Wexler , tight editing by future director  Hal Ashby , and a rollicking score by  Quincy Jones  (including the famous  title song  sung by  Ray Charles ). A stone classic that still impresses.

Grand Slam   (aka Ad ogni costo ) (1967) is a fun caper film with a cool cast, a superb heist sequence, an undeniably groovy earworm of a theme by Ennio Morricone , and a whopper of an ending.  Recommended for fans of  Rififi  (1955) ( review ), Ocean's Eleven   (1960), and  The Thomas Crown Affair   (1968) ( review ).

While it's good to see that a $70–90 million budget hasn't stripped  Robert Eggers  of his trademarks, The Northman (2022) is undoubtedly my least favorite of his three features so far (my reviews of  The Witch   (2015)  here  and  The Lighthouse  (2019) here ). There is no denying the gorgeous cinematography by Jarin Blaschke , who shot both of Eggers' other features, and the cast is solid all around (though I found the accents a trifle distracting), but the oft-told tale—the legend of Amleth —(or similar versions of it) has been adapted/interpreted so many times before that it felt a bit too familiar.  I appreciate that The Northman isn't merely battle scenes and offers a bit more in the way of characters but these archetypes are so well-worn that it was difficult for me to connect wholeheartedly. Each act of the film has something exciting to offer and, despite being an epic of sorts, the film still feels smaller and personal in scal...

Zombie Island Massacre  (1984) is basically a feature-length  Scooby-Doo  episode with a smattering of boobs, a terribly convoluted and barely decipherable plot that has something to do with drugs, an eventual  Night Of The Living Dead   (1968) ( review ) style siege setup (minus any of the tension), and a sad attempt at a film noir finale—all sans zombies. Pretty terrible, but amusingly so.

The Apartment   (1960) is  Billy Wilder 's best film, in a career filled with many incredible films—the perfect blend of dry humor, mild cynicism, and relatable drama. The themes (suicide, infidelity, men in positions of power) are still relevant and the tone is just right.  Jack   Lemmon  and  Shirley MacLaine  have never been better and Wilder   handles the dark subject matter with the utmost respect. Perfect, movie-wise. Billy Wilder Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films (2019 Edition) Top 20 Directors

  James Bond Feature Films Ranked

Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked

Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films

Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked

1962 was the year that gifted cinema lovers with not one but two  relentless, psychosexual, ahead-of-their-time, neo-noirs. One was the well-known and highly regarded  Cape Fear . The other is the underseen and underappreciated gem  Experiment In Terror , which turned 60 yesterday . Both are masterpieces. Most audiences primarily know  Blake Edwards  from his comedies—1961's Breakfast At Tiffany's , the Pink Panther  series, and  S.O.B.  from 1981 (in which  Julie Andrews  famously appeared nude). With EIT  Edwards proved that he could effectively make an entirely serious, dramatic, and tense thriller. Frankly, I wished he'd made more films in this style. EIT 's influence on David Lynch —whether intentional or not—is impossible not to mention. There's the atmosphere of the film of course, there's Lee Remick 's character, Kelly, who lives in “Twin Peaks,” and, coincidentally, there's Ross Martin 's character's name: G...