THE DANMAN CAN

"But death we are, and death we've always been." Neil Jordan Feature Films Ranked

As is true of several of  Walter Hill 's films, Johnny Handsome (1989) features a strong cast, intense performances, violent antagonists, bold cinematography, thrilling action, and a sexy, slinky  Ry Cooder  score. JH  is an economic, noirish crime drama based on a novel by Morton Freedgood (under the pen name John Godey), who also wrote The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1973) [my review of the 1974 film adaptation  here ]. Walter Hill Films Ranked

🎵 "I want to see the zoo," she said "I want to see the zoo" "I want to take you there," he said "I want to go with you" 🎵 Mike Leigh Films Ranked

"All I'm guilty of is bad taste." Miloš Forman Feature Films Ranked

Daylight (1996) is a sturdy, well-shot, tense, emotionally earnest Irwin Allen -style disaster/survival flick with thrilling, mostly practical effects, impressive production design, and a good cast.

"What do you think of the view?" "Better all the time." "Would you like a soda? Yeah, a soda." "You don't want a soda." "Yes, I do. Yes , I do. What could be nicer on a hot afternoon than a tall, clean, cool soda?" "You're gonna wish to Christ you never laid eyes on me." "I already do." Dennis Hopper Films Ranked

Much like Howard The Duck   [ review ] , released the previous year, I have loved Masters Of The Universe  (1987) since I was a child. Sure, it's kinda clunky; sure, it's kinda cheesy, but as a Golan - Globus -era Cannon -produced film adaptation of a toy line and (a kinda clunky, kinda cheesy, but very fun and nostalgic)  animated series , it's exactly what you'd expect.  As a child, I just thought the movie was cool and lots of fun. As an adult, it's still those things—though I now recognize it as derivative of Star Wars and other sci-fi action-adventure films—but now I also really appreciate the practical and optical effects,  the costumes, the makeup, the production design, etc. I also love Bill Conti 's score, and Frank Langella hamming it up as Skeletor is pure bliss.

Despite the sleazy 42nd Street setting, Fear City (1984) is a bit tame (and very straightforward) for  Abel Ferrara . The cinematography is really nice, the cast is solid, the music is great, and overall it's entertaining, though.  Recommended for fans of  Maniac   (1980) [ review ],  Vice Squad  (1982) [ review ], and  10 To  Midnight   (1983) [ review ]. Abel Ferrara Feature Films Ranked

Cheesy, breezy fun. John Woo Feature Films   Ranked

"Special delivery. A beumb. Were you expecting one?" Blake Edwards Films Ranked

"It is a large beump. You could receive the concussion from such a beump." Blake Edwards Films Ranked

"Keep up this good work, and very soon I will see to it you become a bell man ." Blake Edwards Films Ranked

"This pen has been fired recently." Blake Edwards Films Ranked

"There are some very strange things going on here." Blake Edwards Films Ranked

Here's the latest video I created to celebrate the continuing saga of Freakout Friday (presented by Weirdo Wednesday ) at The Owl Theatre in Lowell, MA. (This one had to be uploaded to Vimeo since YouTube blocked it in the US due to one of the songs used.) Subscribe to the Weirdo Wednesday Podcast on your favorite streaming platform and follow us on Instagram for updates! Dates for our fall/winter '26 screenings are below! NSFW (Gore) WW/FF Videos by Demented Danman WW Logo by Iris Miller FF Owl Poster by Lil Spooky

Unmistakably a product of the '80s, Voyage Of The Rock Aliens (1984) doesn’t make a lick of sense, but it provides plenty of mindless fun. Combining sci-fi, new wave, rockabilly, dance numbers, and a weird cast, VOTRA doesn’t quite click—owing to its undercooked “kitchen sink” approach (seriously, this might be the most random movie ever made)—but it has an undeniably goofy charm. I liked the film even more on a rewatch with an audience. Incredibly entertaining trash. Recommended for fans of Phantom Of The Paradise (1974) [ review ], The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) [ review ].

"Deep shit on all sides is what this is." "If we put a foot wrong he'll swallow us and shit us out." "Life's nothing but a meteor. It should flare up and then be over." Takashi Miike Films Ranked

"It's really hard to play with myself in this thing." Good old-fashioned post-apocalyptic pop art rebel punk fun. "What the hell is that?" "Sounds like Cole Porter, sir."

"Watch and weep, furry fucker." Raging Rat vs  RoboCop  (1987) [ review ] from the  director  of  Rambo II  (1985).  In my previous review of Of Unknown Origin (1983), I mentioned that if you’ve ever seen interviews with (Dr.)  Peter Weller , you’ll know that he is incredibly well-spoken, intelligent, and literate, and that I’d  love  to see him wax philosophical about  this  film. Well, he does just that in a recent interview for Vinegar Syndrome 's 4K UHD release. George P. Cosmatos Films Ranked

"Think of our newscast as a screaming woman running down the street with her throat cut." "I feel like grabbing you by your ears right now and screaming in your face, 'I'm not fucking interested!' Instead, I'm going to drive home and do some accounting."

A gorgeous gothic fairy tale full of tragedy and malaise. Recommended for fans of  The Reflecting Skin  (1990) [ review ],  Picnic At Hanging Rock    (1975) [ review ], and  Nosferatu The Vampyre  (1979) [ review ].