THE DANMAN CAN

MaXXXine  (2024) is a solid third entry in the  X  series , though it felt little bit too much like a season of American Horror Story  (2011–present) (but I will say this picture felt less nostalgia-gazing than many others that wade in similar waters). Much like  X   (2022) ( review ) with  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ), the   callouts ( De Palma , gialli, etc.) in  MaXXXine  were a little on the nose—literally in the case of Chinatown (1974)—but they were still enjoyable (and  Kevin Bacon  played another great slimeball).  Mia Goth  was good here but, other than a superb opening scene, lacked the conviction that she had in  Pearl  (2022) ( review ). Giancarlo Esposito steals all his scenes (as you would expect). The ending was pretty messy and felt rushed, as if it needed more refinement in the writing stage (in general, the comments on the Hollywood system and the meta aspects of a movie-within-a-movie are never satisfactorily explored, either). There were a few

On a rewatch (my original review here ), just as I felt regarding my  Pearl  (2022) ( review ) rewatch,   X   (2022) (which I like less than Pearl ) lost a bit of steam. I still think it feels like a slow burn version of  Adam Green  and  Eli Roth  with a bit too many homages to  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ). However, this is still  Ti West 's second best film and I enjoyed my double feature revisit to prep for  MaXXXine  (the 1980s-set next film in the  X  series ) tomorrow night, which I hope doesn't disappoint. Ti West Feature Films Ranked

Pearl   (2022) ,  Ti West ’s prequel to  X   (2022) ( review ) (released only six months prior), doesn’t attempt to hide the influence of the  Golden Age of Hollywood  and  Douglas Sirk . But while  X ’s homages—namely  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review )—felt a tad on the nose,  Pearl  feels authentic enough without overt callbacks to classic films and provides more of a mood, which I tend to prefer over outright replication. Pearl is a really well-made backstory to X that feels natural and never forced. It’s also West’s best filmmaking in every regard—strong production design, costumes, and atmosphere.  Mia Goth  is simply fantastic in this role—dishing up the crazy like her life depended on it but also delivering a superb and impassioned long-take speech that serves as a highlight (plus that end credits sequence). Pearl  is a horror movie too, let’s not forget. It might be less gory than  X  but there are some great bloody moments (including a particularly memorable s

Matinee  (1993) is a loving tribute to the b-movie showman  William Castle . It makes sense that  Joe Dante  directed this film, being a monster kid, but it's also something that  John Waters  could have made, being probably the most famous devotee of Castle. Of course, that would have been a very different take, obviously. John Goodman , as Lawrence Woolsey, was inspired casting, but he has less screen time than I wish he did. The film is told more from the point of view of the teenagers, who do a great job (I'm more often than not irked by child actors). Dante mainstays  Dick Miller  and  Robert Picardo  turn in typically strong supporting parts and  Jerry Goldsmith  delivers one of his many, many brilliant scores.  Matinee  is a great movie about the art of moviemaking (with the backdrop of The Cuban Missile Crisis) and, more specifically, movie presentation, which gets better on rewatches. See it in Atomo-Vision! With Rumble-Rama sound! Joe Dante Feature Films Ranked

Guiliano Carnimeo 's The Case Of The Bloody Iris ( Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer? ) (1972) is a very solid  giallo  written by giallo proliferator  Ernesto Gastaldi  and filled with beautiful actors (including, of course, giallo queen  Edwige Fenech ). Handsomely shot by Stelvio Massi , with a catchy, care-free score by  Bruno Nicolai , Iris  isn't terribly bloody or salacious, but it scratches the murder mystery itch. Giallo Feature Films Ranked