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

"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

"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

"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

"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.

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

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

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

With The 'Burbs (1989), Joe Dante made a fun, macabrely funny, quotable cult movie about next door neighbors that may or may not be crazed murderers. The Tim Burton comparisons are unavoidable at times, but that's hardly important. And what a great cast. Tom Hanks  is easily the funniest he's ever been in this picture. Rick Ducommun is fantastic as well and threatens to steal the movie in almost every scene he's in. I love this film, which got better with age. Joe Dante Feature Films Ranked

"Sometimes one has to alter the truth a bit. An author understands that." Erik Skjoldbjærg 's Insomnia (1997) is a cold and calculating, glacially-paced neo-noir featuring a notably dubious protagonist brilliantly brought to life by  Stellan Skarsgård .

 "I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it." Ron Howard Feature Films Ranked

An incredibly stylish, suspenseful, and beautifully shot gothic classic. "It was an evil house from the beginning—a house that was born bad." "The dead are not quiet in Hill House." "In the night. In the dark."  Robert Wise Feature Films Ranked

Freeway (1996), Matthew Bright ’s darkly hilarious take on Little Red Riding Hood , treads in similar ground to other scuzzy ‘90s crime films, but it does a commendable job of subverting expectations a number of times.  At only 19, Reese Witherspoon is as good here as she is in 1999's Election [ review ] and really leaves an impression. Kiefer Sutherland takes a bit of a backseat to Witherspoon, screen time-wise, but is perfectly sinister as a pedo predator. Brittany Murphy , in a smaller role, is as awkward, weird, and charming as she was in the following year’s Drive [ review ]. Danny Elfman 's score is a fun one, before he started churning out bland sonic wallpaper.  I love the genre-mashing happening in this trash odyssey—it dabbles in street drama, serial killer psychological horror, women’s prison picture, and road movie, all while maintaining a blackly comic sense of humor (featuring some amazingly inappropriate dialogue). The film takes a little bit of time to get...

"Congratulations. You're one step closer to hitting bottom." David Fincher Feature Films Ranked

"Curiouser and curiouser." Walt Disney Animated Feature Films Ranked (1937–2011) The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition)