THE DANMAN CAN

🎶Mermaids got no gams🎶 Coen Bros. Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

"Life is just so goddamn wonderful, you almost won't believe it." Coen Bros. Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

"Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to endless night." Dead Man  (1995) remains my favorite  Jim Jarmusch  film. To me it's the perfect blend of his style—road movie, existential trip, lyrical dialogue, sumptuous black and white visuals, dry and darkly tinged wit, ensemble cast—all wrapped up in the western genre. There is so much to appreciate about this film. Just to name a few things: 1.  Robby Müller 's gorgeous cinematography. This man shot some incredible films with some of the best directors:  Repo Man   (1984) [ review ],  Paris, Texas  (1984) [ review ],  To Live And Die In L.A.  (1985) [ review ],  Breaking The Waves  (1996), along with Jarmusch's  Down By Law  (1986) [ blogpost ],  Mystery Train  (1989) [ blogpost ], and  Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai   (1999) [ review ].  Dead Man  may just be the most impressive thing he ever filmed though. 2.  That  ...

It's hard to believe that  Salem's Lot  (1979) was only the second adaptation of a  Stephen King  story. It's also hard to believe that I somehow only managed to watch it for the first time in 2018. King had only written six books by the time that  SL  started filming, so it makes sense (and I say  only  six because he's been incredibly prolific over the course of his career). It's just I sometimes forget that "King Fever" didn't truly ramp up until the '80s (with three feature films based on his works released in 1983 alone). Speaking of the '80s, just six months after  Lot  aired,  Stanley Kubrick 's vastly superior  The Shining   (1980) [ review ] was unleashed—still one of the best King adaptations (and I don't care what the man himself thinks about it). Salem's Lot  aired as a miniseries on CBS over two nights, totaling just over 3 hours in runtime. There was also a theatrical cut (released in Europe and air...

 "This is what I call a timely interruption! Though what'll come of it, the devil himself only knows!" Michael Curtiz Feature Films Ranked

While it certainly can't compare to 1982's  Conan The Barbarian   [ review ] and it's even a step below 1984's  Conan The Destroyer  [ review ], Red Sonja (1985) is still a fun film, which I think gets a bit of a bad rep. I love '80s fantasy/sword and sorcery pictures and I hadn't seen RS since I was a teenager, so this was an enjoyable revisit. Though the story is lacking, Brigitte Nielsen is good in the lead role, and the production design and practical effects are easy to appreciate. Richard Fleischer Feature Films Ranked

"If it's all right with you, you can give me two dollars extra for making me nervous." Delmer Daves Feature Films Ranked   Elmore Leonard Feature Film Adaptations Ranked

"Can you find the wolves in this picture?" Martin Scorsese 's  Killers Of The Flower Moon  (2023) is a compelling, visually captivating, richly woven story delivered by an octogenarian.  Robbie Robertson 's final score is moody, droning, and hypnotic—reminiscent of the bass-playing of  Mark Sandman  (of  Morphine ) and the scores of  Nick Cave  and  Warren Ellis . The accompanying soundtrack of old blues and indigenous music marries perfectly to the movie. The sense of authenticity and genuineness is impressive, but thankfully the film never tips into documentary territory and retains its emotional core. Recommended for fans of  There Will Be Blood   (2007) [ review ],  The Irishman  (2019) [ review ],  Heaven's Gate   (1980),  Days Of Heaven   (1978) [ review ], and  Boardwalk Empire   (2010–2014). Martin Scorsese Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors Top Films Of 2023

 "Peking duck or Kung Pao chicken?" Tsui Hark 's revolutionary sisterhood action comedy,  Peking Opera Blues (1986), is a wild genre-mashing ride featuring frenetic energy, genuinely surprising tonal shifts, and a whopper of a finale. Bonus points for using songs from Peter Gabriel 's 1985 Birdy soundtrack , which I recognized before confirming on Wikipedia .

"In 22 seconds, I could break your fucking spine. In 22 seconds, I could pinch your head off like a fucking insect and spin it all over the fucking pavement. In 22 seconds, I could put 22 bullets inside your ridiculous gut. What I seem unable to do in 22 seconds is to keep you from fucking up my film!"

R.I.P.  Sam Kieth  (January 11, 1963 – March 15, 2026), my favorite comic book artist, responsible for my favorite comic book,  The Maxx  (later an animated series on MTV). I was so taken by Sam's art that I had a page from the first issue of The Maxx  tattooed on my back (by the also insanely talented Cory Kruger, who did my entire backpiece; pictured below). Sam wrote and/or illustrated many, many other comics as well, all worthwhile, and I have no doubt in my mind that I missed something from my collection in the images below.  Kieth had a one-of-a-kind (and instantly recognizable) voice and style, often blending techniques and media in ways that no other comic artist did. His work ran the gamut from child-like sketches to beautifully painted fine art, and his stories were deeply human and characters deeply (often endearingly) flawed. You'll be missed, Sam .

Another perfectly serviceable, entertaining film by Radio Silence , purveyors of perfectly serviceable, entertaining films. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)* includes some fun (if a few underutilized) additions to the cast and some creative kills, but it's a touch longer than it needs to be and I wish the visual style was a little more distinctive. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Feature Films Ranked *The title card for the film does not include the "2" and, personally, I think it's better without it (also, it's not necessary).

Liquid Sky   (1982) is a truly bizarre, unique, and highly influential cult film. I first saw it when I was 13 or 14 years old and it left a definite impression. If you love weird, transgressive cinema,  Liquid Sky  delivers one of a kind neon thrills with its blend of amateur acting (including brilliant dual androgynous performances by  Anne Carlisle ), early '80s NYC backdrop, Punk/New Wave fashion, a squonky/eerie  Fairlight CMI  score, and experimental style. I loved screening this for an unexpecting audience!

Perhaps it's the surreal and fantastical elements or his lack of shying away from occasional dark moments that set  Nobuhiko Obayashi 's films apart, but in another director's hands the same stories would feel overly sentimental. No one captures the qualities of youth (excitement, confusion, embarrassment, sincerity, melodrama, love, heartbreak) in the way that he does. The Girl That Leapt Through Time (1983) is a beautiful motion picture filled with Obayashi's visual flair. 🎶The idiot pear takes 18 years🎶 Nobuhiko Obayashi Feature Films Ranked

"I don't take my skates off." "It, it kicks. It, it turns. It curls up your belly. Makes you wanna freaky deaky, right?" "Those are really cool. Are they lizard?" "No, they're Italian." "This is the film I want them to remember me by." Paul Thomas Anderson Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition)

"The sky is sure full of stars tonight." David Lynch Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

I appreciate its ideas, its audacity, and its production design, but The Bride! (2026) could have used better editing, a shorter running time, and wow, what a schizophrenic film (reminded me a lot of 2013's  Gangster Squad   [ review ]).

A simple, unadulterated genre exercise featuring believable performances (most notably  J.T. Walsh  in the final role released during his lifetime), taut direction, a rich score by  Basil Poledouris , and a whopper of a finale,  Jonathan Mostow 's road thriller  Breakdown   (1997) is about 90 minutes of just pure tit (IYKYK).  Recommended for fans of  The Hitcher  (1986) [ review ],  Duel  (1971) [ review ], and  Hitch-Hike   (1977) [ review ].

Slays. John Boorman Feature Films Ranked

And ya don't stop

"Sloppy with your drink." Michael Crichton Films Ranked

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films (2014) is a really fun documentary about the infamous  Cannon Group  that paints a picture of what sounded like a truly unhinged time in cinema history. Several of the films discussed were shown at Weirdo Wednesday  during its  Luna Theater  run, so it was fitting to screen this for Freakout Friday at  The Owl Theatre . Can anyone tell me why 1986's  Cobra  (one of Cannon's best films, in my opinion) wasn't even mentioned though? If you'd like to hear more about documentaries shown at WW, take a listen to Episode Ten of the podcast that I cohost with   Uncle Spooky  and  Lil Spooky .

It's hard to believe that the  Scream   franchise is 30 years old this year and that I've seen every single film in the series in its original theatrical run. I find it humorous the way fans rate/rank some of the films so  much higher than others, and the reasons they point to as to why one film is superior to another just make me chuckle. I guess that's because I think this series is just fine—outside of 1997's  Scream 2 , I don't really love any of them—so my expectations are always firmly kept in check. Anyway, I had fun with  Scream 7   (2026). You can find my reviews of the previous  Scream  films here:  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , 6 Scream  Franchise Films Ranked

Ah,  Re-Animator  (1985), a classic that never gets old. I first saw it at the way-too-young age of 12 or 13 and I've loved it ever since. I've seen (and owned) it on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and now 4K UHD. I've seen it badly projected in a conference room at  Rock And Shock . I've seen it well-projected at the  Luna Theater . The 4K UHD release by Ignite Films features an absolutely beautiful transfer. Stuart Gordon 's splatter masterpiece has it all—camp, comedy, and gore galore, plus an indelible performance by  Jeffrey Combs , who gets most of the memorable lines (and delivers them with aplomb). In my opinion, it belongs on everyone's Top 10 Horror list (it's on  mine ). Stuart Gordon Films Ranked The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition)

Greetings  Weirdos ! The beloved  Lil Spooky  makes a return to join  Uncle Spooky  and  Demented Danman  as they dive into the strange world of documentaries.  Listen to  Weirdo Wednesday Podcast : Episode Ten  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 FFs at  The Owl Theatre  in Lowell, MA are listed below (tickets  here ). Come get Weird with us in both Salem and Lowell! And don't forget to follow Cinema Obscura Salem ( FB  |  IG  |  Submissions ) for updates on the upcoming film fest (April 25th)! WW Podcast Themes  by...