THE DANMAN CAN

A fantastical, madcap spectacle of epic proportions,  Terry Gilliam 's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen   (1988) has its flaws but it's difficult to deny the craft, technical wizardry, and imagination on display. A film to leave reality and lose yourself in. Recommended for fans of Time Bandits  (1981), The Fabulous Baron Munchausen   (1962) ( review ), and The Imaginarium Of Doctor  Parnassus (2009). Terry Gilliam Feature Films Ranked

A very good early giallo  with plenty of mystery, melodrama, gothic flavor, and psychosexual overtones, Libido  (1965) was the directorial debut of co-director (and giallo superscribe) Ernesto Gastaldi and the film debut of actor  Giancarlo Giannini .  Having much in common with the look and feel of  Diabolique   (1955) ( review ) ,  Mario Bava 's  The Girl Who Knew Too Much  (1963) ( review )—widely considered the first giallo—as well as the stylings of Agatha Christie ,  Libido makes great use of its single setting, small cast, and slow-building tension, aided by a suitably spooky score by Carlo Rustichelli . Giallo Feature Films Ranked

Despite the buckets of blood and gallons of grue in Fede Álvarez ’s 2013 Evil Dead reboot, there’s something too pristine about this version. Both in the cast with their perfect skin and immaculate looks and in the crisp, clean cinematography.  Arriving 10 years after the solid 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot (and the same year as the abysmal Texas Chainsaw 3D ), ED ‘13 doesn’t feel that far removed from Marcus Nispel ’s film (both in look and tone). It gives me that same sense of shoulder-shrugging “Yeah that was decent, but was it necessary?” that I so commonly experience with reboots. None of the characters are particularly compelling. Sure it’s grosser and has a bigger budget but part of the charm of the first two Evil Dead films (my reviews of those here and here )—for this viewer at least—is the homegrown quality and lack of finesse (along with the humor).  This was my third viewing of ED ‘13, which I saw in its theatrical release and again when it arrived on Blu-ray. I’

Even in its truncated form, William Peter Blatty ’s The Exorcist III (1990) fires at peak form on so many levels. It's the rare sequel that is almost as good as the original (an impossible feat), not to mention a second sequel vastly superior to the first (though I have a bit of a soft spot for John Boorman 's weird and wacky entry). EIII  is quite simply a masterclass in psychological horror, tension, cinematography, editing, and acting (it has some really funny dialogue too!). No boos from the gallery here (though I do wish that 20th Century Fox had let Blatty keep the title Legion  from his 1983 book on which this film is based; it’s much more appropriate).

The Legend Of Drunken Master  (aka Drunken Master II ) (1994) was  Jackie Chan 's first traditional style martial arts film since 1983's Fearless Hyena 2  and his last film before mainstream success in America with 1995's  Rumble In The Bronx , which I saw when it hit US theaters in 1996, whereupon the film (and Chan) became a worldwide phenomenon. DMII  is a wild ride. Chock-full of incredible, acrobatic fights, jaw-dropping stunts and choreography, and plenty of goofy humor—it's immensely entertaining and smile-inducing. Quite literally a live-action cartoon, it's got over the top villains, gravity-defying action, and, my favorite, alcohol as Chan's character's equivalent of spinach to Popeye . I personally wouldn't have chosen to watch the English dubbed version but since I loved the film I plan on picking up the Blu-ray that Warner Archive  released in 2021, which includes the original Cantonese audio, so that'll be my go-to the next time I watc

Kasi Lemmons ' 1997 directorial debut,  Eve's Bayou , is an effective southern gothic drama with a dark undercurrent, superb cinematography, wonderful costumes, and a suitably evocative and mysterious score. 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). There are touches of  Spielberg ,  Demme , and  Tennessee Williams  but there is no denying that EB  is a singular film which I liked even more on a rewatch.  The Criterion Collection ’s Blu-ray  looks fantastic but I wish they had (and I'm not sure why they didn't) released  EB  on 4K UHD (which it deserves). Recommended for fans of  To Kill A Mockingbird  (1962) ( review ),  C rooklyn (1994), and Stoker  (2013).

I distinctly remember being drawn to the cover of the VHS tape for The City Of Lost Children (1995)—with its odd-looking fellow with an odd-looking contraption on his head—renting it from Blockbuster Video in 1996 (the year it was released on said format), and eventually buying a copy. It was love on first watch.  Some time before I knew who directors  Marc Caro  and  Jean-Pierre Jeunet , cinematographer Darius Khondji , costume (and fashion) designer Jean-Paul Gaultier , or composer Angelo Badalamenti were, 16-year-old me just really loved the strange, beautiful, and dark world of this wonderful fairy tale science fantasy. 43-year-old me still does but also appreciates all those artists and what they contributed to make such a unique piece of cinema. I've seen (and owned)  TCOLC  on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and now 4K UHD and it looks the best it ever has on this latest format, its hyper-stylized visuals deservedly shining on screen. For a long time this was my favorite JPJ (and Caro)

City Of The Living Dead  (1980), the best of  Lucio Fulci 's four "undead" films made between 1979–1981, is all g uts 'n ghouls 'n drills 'n maggots. It's not as iconic as  Zombie  (1979) ( review ), it's not as atmospheric as  The Beyond  (1981) ( review ), but it has the benefit of not having a main character portrayed by an insufferable, annoyingly-voiced child actor, as is the case with  The House By The Cemetery   (1981) ( review ). The plot is pretty loose, but doesn't strike me as all that important—what matters is getting the characters from one gory  Lovecraft -inspired set-piece to another. And though its tone is grim,  City  is a whole lot of fun. It also features one of  Fabio Frizzi ‘s best and most memorable scores.  Lucio Fulci Feature Films Ranked

Martin  (1977),  George A. Romero 's artsy, experimental psychological slasher, presents its titular character, a serial killer looking for human connection and believing himself to be a modern day vampire.  Like Romero's Living Dead series, Martin is an excellent melding of social commentary and gory horror—touching on industrial decay, sexual violence, and malaise. As with his other '70s work, while there are flashes of humor, there is a profound sadness that permeates throughout. And as with Stanley Kubrick 's  A Clockwork Orange  (1971), Romero does an expert job of coercing the audience into a complex relationship with Martin (wonderfully brought to life by John Amplas ), a seriously disturbed individual with a warped sense of reality who commits terrible acts.  I've seen the film at least three times now and  this little low budget gem—simultaneously universal and deeply personal—gets better with each viewing. Recommended for fans of  Deathdream   (1974) ( r

Ari Aster 's Odyssey Or: How I Learned To Keep Worrying And Love My Mom (aka Anxiety: The Movie ) While I enjoyed  Hereditary  (2018) ( review ) and  Midsommar   (2019) ( review ), I love seeing Aster move out of straight horror territory and make something this weird and self-indulgent. Beau Is Afraid (2023) is one giant, surreal guilt trip, recommended for fans of  Darren Aronofsky ,  Ingmar Bergman ,  Luis Buñuel , the  Coen   Brothers ,  Alejandro Jodorowsky ,  Charlie Kaufman ,  David Lynch , and the  Safdie   Brothers . Ari Aster Feature Films Ranked

The callbacks are (mostly) not too on the nose, the gore is sublime, there's the right blend of gravitas and humor, and I liked it more than the 2013 reboot . I liked the Art Deco building setting, the characters were decent, and enough was updated to make it feel fresh. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Overall, Evil Dead Rise (2023) is groovy. Evil Dead Franchise Films Ranked

Yor, The Hunter From The Future   (1983) is cheesy sci-fi sword and sorcery from the director of  Cannibal Apocalypse   (1980), starring the guy that played Captain America in the  two 1979   TV movies  and one of the Bond girls from  Moonraker  (1979). It's got a  killer theme song  by the always excellent  De Angelis brothers . If you're in the mood for Italian barbarian/ Star Wars  rip-off fluff, it's fun and funny.

Segment 1: "There ain't no dust in Hollywood, man!" Segment 2: "I don't believe in oil slicks, man." Segment 3: "You're seeing things, bitch." I don't think many would claim that Creepshow 2 (1987) is better than George A. Romero 's 1982 original  ( review ), but I've always found it plenty entertaining and fun. Stephen King Feature & Television Film Adaptations Ranked