THE DANMAN CAN

When I first watched  Todd Solondz 's Dark Horse (2011) more than 12 years ago, I wrote that it was my least favorite of his films so far. While that still holds true (and I have yet to see Solondz's debut feature, 1989's  Fear, Anxiety And Depression ), I enjoyed DH  a bit more on a revisit. The characters and situations are a bit too thinly drawn and there is a surreality to this picture that is heightened more than in any of his other movies, but it's just that latter quality that I think I appreciated more on this viewing. There also aren't as many laugh out loud awkward moments as in his best work, but there are still some really funny scenes. Todd Solondz Feature Films Ranked

A bit convoluted and labyrinthine in its plot mechanics, but  Steven Soderbergh 's Black Bag   (2025) is a fun, funny, stylish, and sexy spy thriller. Steven Soderbergh  Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Awkward, surreal, and hilarious ultra low budget martial arts mayhem meets supernatural/sci-fi silliness. The dubbing and classical cues really make this one a curio. Remember: traveling in a spiritual void can be dangerous. Now go home. Go home. Go home. Go home. Go home. Go home.

"Now I lay me down to eat and pledge allegiance to the flag. For one nation is invisible, the body of our lord... Play ball." Paul Bartel 's final (lost) film  Shelf Life  (1993)—based on writers/stars O-Lan Jones , Andrea Stein , and Jim Turner 's stage play—is bizarre, innovative, and hysterical. Paul Bartel Feature Films Ranked

John Carpenter 's  Ghosts Of Mars  (2001) is essentially  Assault On Precinct 13  (1976) meets  Escape From New York   (1981) ( review ) with some bits of  Prince Of Darkness  (1987) ( review ) thrown in.  Ice Cube  isn’t the best lead, but he does a solid job. The action isn't always the best either, but I rather enjoy the artifice of the production design, the way the film plays with time structure and flashbacks is engaging, and there are lots of really interesting fades. The biggest fault of the film is that there is no emotional weight for any of the characters, save the two leads (i.e., everyone is fodder) and even then, sparingly. A similar film like  Predator   (1987) ( review ) has better character development so that when people die, you at least care a little bit.  GOF  is pretty silly at times, but it's mostly fun, and much more entertaining than its reputation suggests. John Carpenter Films Rank...

Writer  Dan O'Bannon  and director  Tobe Hooper  crammed  Lifeforce   (1985) to the brim with everything and the kitchen sink—space vampires, zombies, over the top acting, ridiculous dialogue, gonzo special effects, breakneck pace, explosions, London in shambles—all set to a gigantic, rousing score by  Henry Mancini .  Steve Railsback  goes off the rails in one of the most oddball lead performances that truly has to be seen to be believed.  Mathilda May   hypnotizes every male character (and viewer) with her clothes-defying performance and impossibly perfect features.  A lot of films get labeled as "bonkers" or "batshit," but  Lifeforce   is one that truly deserves those descriptors. Even by  Golan  and  Globus  standards it's nuts.   The Cannon Group   gave Hooper $25 million and a sandbox and he created an insane sci-fi freakout that flopped tremendously an...

William Friedkin 's infamous film  Cruising   (1980), as well-known for the protests its production caused as for the subject matter itself, is essentially a really good slasher film. Friedkin has stated numerous times that the underground gay leather S&M scene in which the film is set was merely a choice he made because it was "unusual" and not something that mass audiences were accustomed to seeing. He never set out to harm a subculture and I believe that to be true. But he has also stated that he understands why many in the LGBT community were upset by the film and the subject matter. Al Pacino  is very restrained here, embodying his character with a smoldering intensity and naivety that suits the picture exceptionally well.  Paul Sorvino , upon Friedkin's instruction, conveys a sadness in every single scene he's in, giving his role a true emotional weight. In fact, basically the entirety of  Cruising  is either sad, uncomfortable, or disturbing thou...