THE DANMAN CAN

The first time I saw  Suburbia (1983) was on VHS about ten years after it was released, as a teenager in the early '90s. I don't believe I'd seen it since around that same time, probably more than 30 years ago now. That's wild to think about.  Penelope Spheeris ' narrative debut holds up well more than 40 years on. It serves as a snapshot of punk and as a no holds barred coming-of-age drama. The film's heroes are kinda shitheads (misogyny, homophobia, and racism run rampant), but so is just about everyone else (many of whom have it out for them), and you really wish T.R. (The Rejected, as the protagonists dub themselves) could channel their angst into something more useful. The soundtrack and score are great and the mostly non-actors mostly work ( Flea is particularly entertaining). There are a few shocking moments that still pack a punch (the first of which feels tacked on, which you can blame producer Roger Corman for). Penelope Spheeris Feature Films Ranke...

As I mentioned in my review from my recent rewatch of  The House Of The Devil   (2009),  Ti West 's films just never quite gel for me; he always falls shy of making something truly special. The Innkeepers  (2011) is no exception—there's much to appreciate here (in particular Sara Paxton 's cute and goofy performance, and a competently spooky atmosphere), but this revisit didn't reveal anything new to me. I still think it's a good film, but not a great one. If you'd like to hear me talk in depth about the film, along with co-hosts   Lee Howard  and  Michael Mackenzie ,   as a guest on an episode of the  Movie Matters Podcast   from 2012, you can do so here . You can find my  Ti West Feature Films Ranked  list  here .