THE DANMAN CAN

A slow-moving romantic western, The Dead Don't Hurt (2023) is Viggo Mortensen 's sophomore film as director. Handsomely shot by Marcel Zyskind (2010's  The Killer Inside Me   ( review )) and elegiacally scored by Mortensen (who also wrote the screenplay and stars), the film features fantastic performances by Vicky Krieps and Viggo, and satisfyingly reunites three  Deadwood   (2004–2006) alumni. The bursts of violence sprinkled throughout the picture hit that much harder due to the languid pace of this tender drama. Despite a non-linear presentation and at times female-centric viewpoint, TDDD doesn't set out to reinvent, but it's quite pleasing for fans of the genre. Recommended for fans of The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007),  The Proposition   (2005) ( review ), and  Killers Of The Flower Moon  (2023) ( review ).

There is a lot going on in  Francis Ford Coppola 's Megalopolis  (2024). So many ideas and influences and references all smashed together. I get why people think this is a bad film and I fully recognize that it is a clusterfuck, but there is an earnestness and a willingness by FFC to completely submit to his whimsy and take risks that I can't help but admire. Also, I was glued to the screen and entertained the entire time. Also also, I typically can't even make it through a 90-minute movie without having to get up to pee and I made it through Mega 's entire 2-hour 18-minute runtime without the need to. Good, bad, or in between—I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked

The Slayer   (1982): Scarlet  Sigourney Weaveresque spaceshot sleepwalks through standard, slow-moving slasher.

Just like  Mad Max: Fury Road  (2015) ( review 1 , review 2 ), I felt like I was watching a video game half the time that I was viewing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) (the CGI in this one is even more obvious than in FR and, my goodness, there is so much of it). (Side note nitpick: I'm guessing  George Miller  was contractually obligated to use the MM  subtitle, but it's still annoying and unnecessary; people know what the movie is and Furiosa ,   on its own, makes a much bolder title.) In many ways, these modern  Mad   Max  films look and feel too much like other franchises (Marvel, the modern Planet Of The Apes , Star Wars , the Villeneuve Dune s) for my tastes. Everything is so clean and perfectly color graded; I just can't get past that. I miss the grittiness and genuine sense of danger of the first two films (reviews for those here and here ), and even 1985's  Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome  (1985) ( review ), the weakest fil...

Undoubtedly a snapshot of a time,  John Landis ' ( National Lampoon's ) Animal House (1978) is full of jokes that have aged like cheese, but I still find it funny, entertaining, and it—being basically the blueprint for the crude college comedy—certainly influenced a ton of films. John Landis Feature Films Ranked

Phoenix risen desert babe takes revenge on three scumbags of varying degrees set to banger score avec chic cinematography. Carnage ensues. Coralie Fargeat Feature Films Ranked

An unflinching, unforgiving tale of body dysmorphia, unnatural beauty standards, fame, ageism, and gender roles in the form of an immensely enjoyable, hilarious, grotesque, over the top body horror satire. There's been a ton of hype (something I'm always wary of) surrounding The Substance   (2024), but, despite the film taking a while to fully get me on board, I can confirm that it 100% delivers the goods.  You can tell that this picture was made by a real horror fan (the effects are wonderful). The finale is truly a spectacle of blood 'n' guts 'n' viscera.  Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley  deliver fearless, committed performances and Dennis Quaid plays a perfect slimeball. This movie had me and my Weirdo friends buzzing afterward. Cheers, Coralie Fargeat . Recommended for fans of  Antiviral  (2012),  A Cure For Wellness  (2016) ( review ), Dead Alive  (1992) (review), The Fly (1986), Possession (1981), Requiem For A Dream (200...

The last time I watched The Last Unicorn  (1982)—a film that I grew up with but for which I don't remember having a particular affinity—in 2007, I recall being less than enamored with it. I still have reservations about the TLU , but I definitely enjoyed it more on this viewing (looking fantastic on 4K UHD).  The animation is excellent, particularly the beautiful backgrounds (almost as breathtaking as—and undoubtedly influenced by—the ones in Disney's 1959  Sleeping Beauty ). (I especially love the animation during the opening and closing titles.) That's unsurprising, considering that  TLU 's animation department included key animator  Tadakatsu Yoshida  (who worked on 1973's  Belladonna Of Sadness   ( review )) and background artist  Kazusuke Yoshihara  (who worked on 1997's  Perfect Blue  ( review )). The voice cast includes some serious heavy hitters ( Alan Arkin , Jeff Bridges , Angela Lansbury , Christopher Lee ) and Mia F...