THE DANMAN CAN

Turbo Kid   (2015) is an endlessly fun and funny mashup of  Mad Max  (1979) [ review ],  Escape From New York   (1981) [ review ],  Indiana Jones , BMX movies, and more featuring an impossibly adorable co-lead ( Laurence Leboeuf  as Apple), wildly creative gore gags, and a pulsing, head-bobbing synth score by  Le Matos . Rather than subvert genre tropes,  Turbo Kid  fully embraces them and never stops being a blast because of it—what it lacks in deep characters, finesse, and budget it makes up for in retro diversion and heart. If you had to live in a post-apocalyptic future, wouldn't you want to live in one this colorful and playful, with a soundtrack as great as this? (And remember: eyes, throat, genitals! )

There is something entirely satisfying to me that  Conquest   (1983) feels like it was birthed from the imagination of a 14-year-old boy. There is no denying that the movie   is an Italian knockoff of  Conan The Barbarian   (1982) [ review ] and  The Beastmaster   (1982) [ review ] that has more in common with  Hawk The Slayer  (1980), but there is also no mistaking that this is a  Lucio Fulci  film, and that's what makes it so enjoyable. It's unfortunate that the photography is not up to par with Fulci's other pictures (the soft focus was applied a bit too liberally and many scenes were shot too dark), but it's impossible not to enjoy this fantasy freakfest (and Cauldron Films did a superb job with their 4K UHD ). If you like your sword and sorcery flicks with a mostly-nude, golden-masked, snake-wielding, brain-eating, orgiastic necromancer witch who has an army of wolfmen and the power to control the sun and the moon, look no fur...

"Talk about frightening experiences, you ever tried slam dancing?" "I'm in a strange man, surrounded by strangers in a strange room." "Demons talk through you, not to you." With innovative (Oscar-winning) effects by Dennis Murren  (plus some wonderful makeup via Rob Bottin ) , hilarious physical gags and dialogue, a great (as always) Jerry Goldsmith score, and an excellent cast (including lots of Robert Picardo ; always welcome), Joe Dante 's Innerspace (1987) is a Hitchcock ian sci-fi comedy that holds up incredibly well almost 40 years on. Joe Dante Feature Films Ranked

"I could stand on my head nine months." "God, don't kill them. Let me do it." "I need some fuckin' shoes." Tense, gritty, beautifully scored , over the top, occasionally very funny, occasionally quite moving, and always incredibly entertaining. Runaway Train (1985) is a strange bird—a  Cannon  film, based on an  Akira Kurosawa  screenplay, made by a distinguished Russian director ( Andrei Konchalovsky ), full of larger than life performances (and ridiculous accents) by Jon Voight , Eric Roberts , and John P. Ryan , requiring a great deal of suspension of belief. Somehow it all works wonderfully.

I'd seen  Lucio Fulci 's Demonia (1990) before, more than 20 years ago, but I didn't remember much about it. I can see why—other than a few memorable gore scenes (one in particular is quite gnarly), the film is slow-moving and mostly mediocre. With more care put into the production, this one could have been great, but, as it is, it's clumsy, the acting isn't great, and the score is chintzy. Lucio Fulci Feature Films Ranked

Warning! Contents Under Pressure By Jeffrey Franken My heart is packed so full of love for you That I dreamed I exploded, like aerosol cans sometimes do I blew with such force that my bones became shrapnel And leveled the town, except the small chapel My teeth flew like bullets, I didn't know what was happenin' They killed everyone in sight, except for the chaplain And then, thanks to him, we were happily wed Even though, at the time, I think we were both dead The end Frank Henenlotter Feature Films Ranked

"You, you're a gullible goose." "And you're a malicious moose." Bill Plympton Animated Feature Films Ranked

"Well, she's...something a little strange."

"What are you doing?" "I'm looking at my wife." Jonathan Glazer Feature Films Ranked

Shanghai Blues (1984) is a screwball rom-com with lots of over the top physical gags. Because it's  Tsui Hark  it's, of course, visually inventive and full of political (sub)text. There's some dated humor, but it's mostly charming. Sally Yeh is the MVP in this goofy love triangle period piece. Tsui Hark Films Ranked

"Snow is falling... Falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." John Huston 's final film (screened less than a week after he died), 1987's The Dead —based on the final short story (technically a novella) in James Joyce 's first published book of fiction, the 1914 collection Dubliners —is a fittingly poetic bookend to an amazing filmography. It's a lyrical, melancholic, and nostalgic, beautifully lit, delicately scored, and wonderfully performed picture that reminded me a lot of  Ingmar Bergman 's masterful  Fanny And Alexander (1983) [ review ]. John Huston Feature Films Ranked

It's one of my least favorite  Martin Scorsese  films, but Boxcar Bertha (1972) offers more than your average exploitation movie. As per the assignment from Roger Corman , the requisite boxes are checked for this low budget  Bonnie And Clyde   (1967) knockoff: violence, nudity, outlaws. However—though it is a bit rough around the edges—in the hands of Scorsese, there's an energy, visual style, and depth to the main quartet of characters (along with a downbeat ending) that brings the material up a notch. Martin Scorsese Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) is my least favorite  Powell  and  Pressburger  film so far, but I still have many to see. I did greatly enjoy IKWIG , particularly the beautiful Scottish locations and the expressive black and white cinematography, but I found the romance a bit lacking. This might be a film that I appreciate more on a rewatch. Powell & Pressburger Films Ranked

Greetings,  Weirdos ! In this month's installment, hear your favorite Weirdos ( Uncle Spooky ,  Demented Danman , and  Lil Spooky ) dive into the macabre world of Lucio Fulci . Whether you're a casual Fulci consumer or a seasoned gorehound, this episode goes right for the guts . And as a special treat, Uncle Spooky reveals the films to be shown (via Cauldron Films ) at Cinema Obscura Salem ( FB  |  IG ) at  Cinema Salem  on April 25th! Listen to  Weirdo Wednesday Podcast : Episode Eleven  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 winter/spring 2026 Freakout Fridays at  The Owl ...

"I guess when we get born, we just all have to take our chances." Elia Kazan 's Splendor In The Grass (1961) plays like a teen-centric cross between  Tennessee Williams  (somehow even hornier) and John Steinbeck . This was a rewatch, but SITG is one of those films that still manages to be shocking and moving. The melodrama is turned up to 11 and the performances are electric. Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty  (in his feature debut) are impossibly attractive and impassioned, Kazan's direction is air tight and assured, and Boris Kaufman 's cinematography is evocative and engaging. Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind Elia Kazan Feature Films Ranked

An entertaining but very weird and random movie, Fade To Black (1980), with its film-obsessed lead, is relatable on some levels, but I wish it was more cohesive and had better characterization (the Cagney references are a bit much after a while too). If the picture was 90 minutes, had stronger supporting characters, more exciting kills, and better editing it could have been pretty special. All that said, Dennis Christopher gives a committed performance and the score/soundtrack is cool.

Cry-Baby   (1990) is one of my Top 3  John Waters  films. While not as subversive as his early work, it's got more bite than its predecessor, 1988's  Hairspray .  That film was a big success, while  C-B  was a box office failure which has gone on to become a cult classic. This  Elvis  musical/ Grease  parody is a blast and easily Waters' most fun film—perfectly cast and wonderfully performed, eminently quotable and rewatchable, full of beautiful costumes and production design, and very funny to boot. This movie's got it. It's got it raw! John Waters Feature Films Ranked