THE DANMAN CAN

Great movie.  Do you concur? Steven Spielberg Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Breezy, easy, funny, money. ☑️ ALL OF THE ABOVE Walter Hill Films Ranked

Clearly the work of a young director still finding their footing,  David Cronenberg 's Rabid (1977) nonetheless offers a good deal to appreciate. I do prefer  Shivers  (1975) [ review ] though, as far as his post-student films prior to  The Brood  (1979) [ review ] (where he really hit his stride) go.  Rabid 's score is moody, consisting of library songs (the same approach that  George A. Romero  took with  Dawn Of The Dead   (1978) [ review ]), some of which are great and some of which are a bit too on the nose. The effects are crude and lacking, and the performances can be a touch melodramatic at times, but there is a definite charm to the low budget genre nature of Rabid .  This was the first time I had watched the film since the COVID-19 pandemic and there were interesting parallels to observe. Speaking of Romero, I had never realized before how much Rabid has in common with  The Crazies   (1973) [ review ] (that film...

Safdie sure loves sociopaths. I guess I do too. Movie Supreme.

I love   Ninja III: The Domination  (1984). It's ludicrous. I love it  because  it's ludicrous. It has ninja, a glowing, floating sword, a love scene involving V8, aerobics, a demonic possession scene featuring  James Hong , an arcade game that shoots rainbow lights and a fantastic soundtrack/synthesized score. Producers  Menahem Golan  and  Yorum Globus , director  Sam Firstenberg , and writer  James R. Silke  pull no punches (while the characters deliver  all  the punches) and go all out  and  all in. Extremely rewatchable. Recommended for fans of  Revenge Of The Ninja   (1983) [ review ], and  Big Trouble In Little China  (1986) [ review ], and  Miami Connection   (1987) [ review ]. Sam Firstenberg Feature Films Ranked

Revenge Of The Ninja   (1983) is virtually nonstop action and fun starring the king of '80s ninja films,  Sh o   Kosugi . While  Revenge  doesn't have the supernatural aspect of its in-name only sequel  Ninja III: The Domination  (1984) [ review ], it is nearly as bonkers, thanks to  Sam Firstenberg   and  James R. Silke , who directed and wrote both films, respectively. The plot borrows many elements from classic  Bruce Lee  films—family members killed, a sworn oath of non-violence (which of course must be broken), a move to America, a business acting as a front for drug dealing, gangsters that must be taken out, etc. Despite a great deal of goofiness, the stunts and martial arts are impressive, and the score is awesome. It's a blast to watch Kosugi Sho(w) (sorry) all those baddies who's boss and his real life son  Kane   kicks some major ass (literally). Sam Firstenberg Feature Films Ranked

Loads of ninja action, goofy dialogue, and an amazing score. White ninja, black ninja,  Franco Nero 's intense stares,  Sh o   Kosugi 's physical skills, Christopher George 's smarmy charm. Not sure what more you could ask for.

"Crowbars up." John Hughes Penned Feature Films Ranked

One of only a handful of screenplays by  Elmore Leonard  (and one of only a few that weren't based on one of his novels or short stories), John Sturges ' Joe Kidd (1972) is a perfectly serviceable but unremarkable western with a good, solid cast (including  Clint Eastwood ,  Robert Duvall , John Saxon , and Don Stroud ), handsome cinematography by Eastwood regular Bruce Surtees , and a great score by the always excellent Lalo Schifrin .  John Sturges Films Ranked

I made a tribute video which can be viewed  here . R.I.P. to a mensch Rob Reiner Feature Films Ranked

3615 Code Père Noël  (aka  Deadly Games  aka  Dial Code Santa Claus  aka  Game Over ) (1989) plays as a horror-centric  Home Alone  (1990) crossed with  Commando ,  Rambo: First Blood Part II  (both 1985), and  Die Hard   (1988) [ review ], filtered through the minds of directors like  Jean-Pierre Jeunet  and  Terry Gilliam .  French director  René Manzor  cast his own son ( Alain LaLanne ) to portray child prodigy Thomas, a tween boy who likes to play pretend war games in his widowed mother Julie's ( Brigitte Fossey ) mansion. When Julie is away on Christmas Eve, managing the  Printemps  department store where she works, Thomas, believing he's contacting Santa Claus via a  Minitel  (an online precursor to the World Wide Web), accidentally reveals to a deranged man ( Patrick Floersheim ) where he lives. When the killer Santa shows up at his home, it's up to Thomas to use hi...

The Muppet Christmas Carol   (1992) was the first  Muppet  movie made after Jim Henson 's death two years earlier (regular Muppet performer  Richard Hunt  also passed away earlier the year that  MCC  was released). The film, directed by Henson's son  Brian  and adapted from  Charles Dickens 's timeless  1843 novella , arrived eight years after the previous theatrical Muppet movie, 1984's  The Muppets Take Manhattan   [ review ]. It’s great that all of the remaining living Muppet performers were involved in this production and the artistry shows. I love the puppets, the sets, and a good deal about the film. But this film hit at an age where Muppets weren't really my thing (I loved them when I was younger and then picked them back up in my twenties), so I didn't first see it until 2014. Meaning, I don't have the same sense of attachment to it that I know many people do. Steve Whitmire  does a commendable job of per...

Breezy, charming, melancholic, and melodramatic.  Nobuhiko Obayashi  seems to be channeling  Douglas Sirk  a bit here. It drags a bit, but The Island Closest To Heaven (1984) does a great job of encapsulating the feeling of romantic film from a bygone era. Nobuhiko Obayashi Feature Films Ranked

"Look, Ma! I'm a Picasso!" "Gosh. I only axed you for a smoke." "Well, it ain't fucking Frosty!"

My favorite film. Every moment is forever ingrained in my brain (and heart).  Pure unfiltered joy. Tim Burton Feature Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition) "I pity the poor fool who don't eat my cereal!" "You'll be sorry, Pee-wee Herman!" "I got some new items you might be interested in." "I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." "That's me. They call me Chuck." " FRANCIS! " "He's having' his bath." "Go ahead and scream your head off! We're miles from where anyone can hear you!" "Fruit, please." "Well, a deal's a deal. So fork over my money for lifting it for you, Bux ton !" "The mind plays tricks on you. You play tricks back !" " Is this something you can share with the rest of us, Amazing Larry?! " "You're here because you... want something." "The Alamo! In...the basemenT ." "I got a real bad temp...