THE DANMAN CAN

"You have chosen to live in agony." A candy-colored, crystal-coated, mist-enshrouded, hyper-stylized comic book fairy tale fever dream, filtered through  Bava ,  De Palma ,  Friedkin , Lynch , and  Mann , with an absolutely gorgeous score by  Pino Donaggio . Bold cinematography, sumptuous production design, delicious artifice. Bizarre, mysterious, lovely. Nicolas Winding Refn Ranked

Curry Barker 's Obsession (2025) is an assured debut feature with excellent performances—a disturbing, reflective horror flick and a cool variation of W.W. Jacobs ' short story The Monkey's Paw (1902). Barker did miss a great opportunity to use both  Jennifer Paige 's original version of " Crush " and  The Dismemberment Plan 's downbeat  cover  in the film, though.

Damian McCarthy 's Hokum (2026) is a well-made, handsome-looking, and creepy film with good performances, but it's a bit too Mike Flanaganc ore for my tastes. Less boring than  The Innkeepers (2011) [ review ] but more boring than  The Shining (1980) [ review ].

I'm always wary of modern hype machine movies, but I ended up enjoying Kane Parsons ' feature film debut  Backrooms (2026) quite a bit, despite some shortcomings. I've never seen the web series, but my biggest gripe with the feature is the found footage aspect. To begin with, I'm not super into found footage films, but I also feel it wasn't necessary here and Backrooms would have functioned better without it. I was simultaneously glad it wasn't the driving force and bummed that it was there at all. That alone prevented me from awarding the picture another half star as a rating.  Still, I liked the ambiguity and the creepiness of this surreal low budget horror movie, the performances are good, and the fact that Parsons got the elusive Boards Of Canada to agree to use a song from their stellar new album, Inferno , over the end credits (and before said album, their first in 13 years, even dropped) is truly impressive.

Undoubtedly grand spectacle filmmaking, but I have the same problems with The Odyssey (2026) that I do with most of  Christopher Nolan 's movies, which is that the editing is oftentimes atrocious and the action is sloppy. Here, too, his out-of-sync style feels like it's designed to draw audiences back for revisits to make more money than as a fitting narrative device.  That being said, this picture is easier to understand and follow on the first viewing than much of his prior work (by virtue of the fact that the source material is so well known and that no great attempt was made to be faithful to the Greek origins; usually I'm not too bothered by anachronisms, but they were egregious here). Thankfully, most of the dialogue can be made out as well (unlike 2020's  Tenet   [ review ]) . The look and feel of The Odyssey is very much in line with  Denis Villeneuve 's Dune  films, which I'm not in love with either.  Overall, entertaining enough and worth se...

"He bugged me." Chris Walas ' The Fly II   (1989) was never going to be able to match the beauty of its predecessor [ review ], but it's a very solid sequel and a helluva monster movie, with good performances by Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga , a strong score by Christopher Young , and exceptional/disturbing effects/creatures. "I had to give it up; it cost me an arm and a leg."

"Now are you happy?" "Delirious." Neil Jordan 's The Crying Game (1992) is a complex, sensitive, and moving film concerning identity, conflict, and kindness, with wonderful performances, beautiful cinematography, and a moody score. Neil Jordan Feature Films Ranked

"You take the sinners away from the saints, you're lucky to end up with Abraham Lincoln." "Happens to everybody. Horses, dogs, men. Nobody gets out of life alive." Martin Ritt 's Hud (1963) is a beautiful and sad revisionist western about the struggle between generations and ideologies. It features a wonderful central performance by Paul Newman  as the self-centered, cynical titular character, along with strong, award-winning supporting performances by Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal , a sparse, elegiac score by the legendary  Elmer Bernstein , and gorgeous, stark cinematography by the versatile  James Wong Howe . Very much the antithesis of Shane   [ review ]—released a decade prior (and also starring Brandon De Wilde )—this unflinching, prophetic, humanist film remains a powerful portrait of unresolved familial conflict and the looming specter of capitalism and modernity. "You're just gonna have to make up your own mind one day about what's...

"Don't look back. You'll turn into a pillar of shit." "The whole state is shit." "Don't talk dirty, Tommy. How many times do I have to tell you?" An affecting, tragically funny, wonderfully acted, beautifully written and shot portrait of a struggling, widowed mother and her young, bored ("B-O-R-E-D... BORED!") son. "Well, now, would you mind turning around for me?" "Turn around for you? Why?" "I want to look at you." "Well, look at my face. I don't sing with my ass." Martin Scorsese Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

"How about making me vice president in charge of cheering you up?" With its incredible cast, brilliant and playful dialogue, impeccable fashion by Givenchy , beautiful cinematography by Charles Lang , a mysterious and hip score by the legendary  Henry Mancini , and a mesmerizing title sequence by Maurice Binder , Stanley Donen 's  Hitchcock ian thrilling masterpiece Charade (1963) stands the test of time. Perfect entertainment. "I don't bite, you know, unless it's called for." Stanley Donen Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition)

Lamberto Bava 's  Delirium: Photo Of Gioia (1987) is an impeccably shot, stylish, at times surreal giallo with a bevy of Italian genre vets, copious nudity, a rocking soundtrack by Simon Boswell , and some creative murder tableaus. Lamberto Bava Films Ranked Giallo Feature Films   Ranked

"Whoa now. The world's a pretty big place." "Made up of stupid little people." Much of what makes Gilda (1946) great (both the film and the character) and much of its legacy lives on the sex appeal of the bombshell-defined Rita Hayworth . The film is a very good noir as well—utilizing solid direction, lush cinematography, gorgeous gowns, and it's got the crime element, hard-biting humor, plus a ruthless love triangle—but it wouldn't be half of what it is without that particular "femme fatale" (though she isn't really). As well, there is an interesting (and uncommon, for the time) gay subtext running throughout this story of repressed desires, power dynamics, and the potent emotion that is hatred. To riff on the infamous introductory scene of the titular character, I don't know about "decent," but Gilda is definitely dazzling. Film Noir Feature Films Ranked

My least favorite Evil Dead  film so far, Evil Dead Burn (2026) is about 15 minutes too long (at 109 mins it's the longest ED ), has that drab grey look that too many modern horror movies do, is yet another horror-movie-as-trauma allegory (yes, I know many, even older, horror films are as well, but they didn't feel so on the nose about it), and uses far too much CGI (the finale is particularly poor, in that sense, and just in general). EDB is not without merit though—it contains a lot of great gore gags (many of which appear to be practical effects?), some innovative camerawork, and I enjoyed it just fine. Solid overall, but here's hoping  Evil Dead Wrath (a prequel set in 1972) is better. You can find my reviews of the other films in the series here , here , here , here , and here . Evil Dead Franchise Films Ranked

"Cheeseburger." Horror, humor, drama, science fiction, and tragedy all blend together to near perfection in  David Cronenberg 's The Fly  (1986), celebrating its 40th anniversary in just a few weeks. With its disgusting, gooey, and amazing practical effects (courtesy of Oscar winner Chris Walas ), plenty of quotable dialogue, affecting performances by Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis , a moving score by  Howard Shore , and more,  The Fly  is an all-time genre classic. "Spicy eggplant, champagne." If you'd like to hear to  Uncle Spooky , Lil Spooky , and myself talk about Cronenberg, take a listen to  Episode Twelve of the Weirdo Wednesday Podcast . David Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition) Top 10 Horror Films

Emilie Blichfeldt 's The Ugly Stepsister (2025) is a deliciously bent version of Cinderella , full of grotesqueries (via wonderful practical effects), lush cinematography, exquisite costume and production design, and an excellent score (whose anachronistic qualities I actually quite like; on that note, you gotta love a random Busby Berkeley -style sequence).  Disturbing yet beautiful, tragic yet hilarious, TUS is a visual feast, a subversive stab at the patriarchy (without being too on the nose; IYKYK), and an impressive feature film debut, with a fearless, committed performance by Lea Myren . A truly grim fairy tale. Recommended for fans of  The Substance  (2024) [ review ],  Pearl   (2022) [ review ] ,  Excision  (2012) [ review ],  Audition   (1999) [ review ], and  The Company Of Wolves  (1984) [ review ].

 "I sometimes hang awake at night dreaming of being spat at in the face." "How shall we fuck off, O Lord? "Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each." Terry Jones Films Ranked

"I love you. I loved you the moment I saw you. I'm mad about you. My little shoplifter. My sweet little pickpocket. My darling." Ernst Lubitsch Feature Films Ranked

"We all have our ghosts, Marshal." "God's got nothin' to do with it." Ted Post Feature Films Ranked

"You look like Pinehaven." "How does Pinehaven look?" "Well-tended." Lawrence Kasdan 's 1981 debut  Body Heat  is a neo-noir chock full of seductive dialogue, gorgeous compositions, and excellent early performances by William Hurt , Kathleen Turner (in her feature debut), and Ted Danson (who has a few very amusing scenes). Kasdan's sweaty, horny version of  Double Indemnity   (1944) [ review ] is perfect viewing for a 95° summer day.

"Friends don't have a pecking order." John Woo 's Bullet In The Head (1990) is a very good film overall, but I found it overlong, repetitive, and I wasn't in love with large swaths of the score. It's perhaps Woo's darkest and most downbeat (and certainly most pessimistic) picture. There are some truly affecting moments, with some expertly shot sequences, but it's also haphazard in its construction (kinda feels like three different movies mashed into one). The drama in BITH worked better for me than the action. John Woo Feature Films   Ranked

"What's the matter with you?! You wanna spend the rest of your life living out of a shopping cart?! We could be on top again. We could be drinking champagne instead of Night Train."

"Here's my card. Johnny Tremaine's the name. Making rock stars is this man's game. You know, I think I see real talent. I almost even see Led Zep. You know, I think I could do for you girls what God did for mankind."

The 1960s really was one the best decades of film.  Lee Marvin  as Walker is easily one of the most badass characters in any film. The dreamy psychedelic sequences, the jazzy  Schifrin -like score by  Johnny Mandel , the great supporting roles ( Keenan Wynn ,  Carroll O'Connor ,  Michael Strong ,  John Vernon ), the style, the time shifts/jump cuts, the economy of  John Boorman 's filmmaking (only his sophomore film!)—there is so much to savor here.  Point Blank   (1967) was a huge influence on  Steven Soderbergh 's   The Limey   (1999) [ review ] (another favorite film) and was remade, as a lesser but still great film called  Payback   (1999), both based on  Donald E. Westlake 's (writing as Richard Stark) novel  The Hunter   (1962). John Boorman Feature Films Ranked

Akira Kurosawa 's ninth solo feature film and third collaboration with  Toshirō Mifune , Stray Dog (1949), is a solid noir police procedure. The film drags a bit in the first half (the pursuit in the second half is more exciting) and sits in the bottom quarter of my Kurosawa rankings, but it's got strong performances (the actors convey the sense of heat quite well) and striking camerawork Akira Kurosawa Films Ranked Top 20 Directors Film Noir Feature Films Ranked

If you've ever watched a movie and thought, "I wish this had more flesh mutating," then  David Cronenberg  has you covered! Plug in as  Uncle Spooky , Demented Danman , and Lil Spooky  explore the wonderfully bizarre career of the king of body horror—where flesh, technology, and existential dread collide! Listen to Weirdo Wednesday Podcast : Episode Twelve  here .     Let us know what topics/films you'd like to hear us talk about! Follow us on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram . We love feedback and positive reviews too. Don't forget that Weirdo Wednesday takes place every Wednesday evening at Cinema Salem in Salem, MA at 7:30 PM (tickets here ). Dates for summer 2026 Freakout Fridays at The Owl Theatre in Lowell, MA are listed below (tickets here ). Come get Weird with us in both Salem and Lowell! WW Podcast Themes by Demented Danman WW Logo by Iris Miller FF Owl Poster by Lil Spooky

To celebrate his centennial, I decided to watch the only  Mel Brooks  movie that I hadn't seen, 1991's Life Stinks .  Trading Places (1983) [ review ] took a similar idea and did it much better.  LS is an uneven film with underdeveloped ideas and characters. It's easy to see why it's his least regarded picture, but there are some good, funny (if non sequituresque) bits in it regardless, and Lesley Ann Warren is charming. Mel Brooks Films Ranked

Like the film's namesake dance show host,  John Waters ' Hairspray (1988) is (intentionally) corny as hell, but it also has a heartfelt, earnest message about being true to yourself and having pride in who you are. While I prefer my Waters filthy, there's enough oddball outsiders and amusing dialogue to give Hairspray his stamp, and I can't deny the fun, fashion, and killer tunes of his mainstream hit. John Waters Feature Films Ranked

I've lived to see  John Waters '  Desperate Living   (1977) restored in 4K (and it looks great!). I first paid a visit to Mortville when I bought a VHS tape of the film in the late '90s. DL is slightly less offensive than JW's opus, 1972's  Pink Flamingos  [ review ] but just as much fun.  Divine 's presence is sorely missed.  Mink Stole  almost makes up for his absence by stealing every scene she's in (including  one of the best line deliveries ever in any film , in a movie jam-packed with priceless dialogue), but  Edith Massey  gives her a run for her money. I love the  Dreamlanders  and I love this picture. A trashterpiece. John Waters Feature Films Ranked

Siege (aka Self Defense ) (1983) is a taut and lean, mean and downbeat thriller. A simple and singular picture with a gritty realism and an eerie synth score, Siege is a cool little Canadian genre gem. Recommended for fans of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) [ review ], Vigilante (1982) [ review ], and Green Room (2015) [ review ].

Carl Reiner 's Summer Rental (1985) is light on plot but full of lighthearted fun, with plenty of laughs from the always lovable John Candy  (and Richard Crenna makes a great foil). Carl Reiner Films Ranked

I'm me babe I'm free babe Peter Weir Feature Films Ranked

One of  Stanley Kubrick 's  93 favorite films and an influence on  George Miller 's  Mad Max  (1979) [ review ],  Peter Weir 's cult feature debut, The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) concerns the secrets surrounding the strange inhabitants of a small town. A surreal slow burner building to a violent, frenetic finale. Recommended for fans of  The Wicker Man  (1973) [ review ] , Calvaire (2004), and Eddington (2025) [ review ]. Peter Weir Feature Films Ranked

Mario Bava ’s Four Times That Night (1971) is a visually inventive, if obviously problematic, sex comedy and very much a product of its time. Bava's comedic take on  Rashomon  (1950)—while certainly not one of his best efforts—features fantastic  production and costume design and solid performances. Mario Bava Feature Films Ranked

A lusty and tragic psychological thriller full of obsession, manipulation, and melodrama, Macabre (1980),  Lamberto Bava 's solo directorial debut, is a bit a slow burner, but it's beautifully shot, features a tense, hypnotic score, and good (if appropriately over the top) performances—all building to an explosive and disturbing finale. Lamberto Bava Films Ranked

 Marking its centennial this year, The General remains an impressive and amusing action comedy and Buster Keaton 's defining film.

"Everyone in Japan is lonely." More than a quarter century on,  Audition   (1999) doesn't pack quite the same punch that it did when I first saw it, but it's still a very good film with a level of reserve and depth—touching upon loss, longing, the Japanese patriarchy, and child abuse—lacking from some of director  Takashi Miike 's other work. While I understand it's intentional (in order to lull the audience), barring a few jarring scenes starting at the 43-minute mark,  Audition  is a very slow, ordinary drama (in both look and tone) until its final, unforgettable act. I get that the build-up approach is necessary and makes the ending that much more shocking (at least the first time), but I think there are other films that do the "slow burn to a crazy climax" thing just a bit better. However, those last 35 minutes really are something—hallucinatory, revolting, disturbing, but, at times, beautifully and dramatically shot. "To live means to appro...

"And we didn't even get to tell you the secrets of the universe." Joe Dante 's Explorers (1985) is a goofy but charming sci-fi adventure featuring the (cinematic) film debuts of Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix . It's uneven, the characters are underdeveloped, and much of the comedy falls flat (no shade on Robert Picardo ), but it's hard to deny the earnestness and the fun production design and makeup effects (by Rob Bottin ). Joe Dante Feature Films Ranked

"Hendra, we might be the first ones who dared to kiss among all these skulls." "My hunch is that you are a very dangerous human being." "You're an amazing girl, Cathy. Even in a state of pain you can still smile." "I will only borrow your head to perfect my knowledge."

Romero 's best film.  Savini 's best effects work. Bleak. Prophetic. The perfect zombie movie. George A. Romero Feature Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition) Top 10 Horror Films