THE DANMAN CAN

MaXXXine  (2024) is a solid third entry in the  X  series , though it felt little bit too much like a season of American Horror Story  (2011–present) (but I will say this picture felt less nostalgia-gazing than many others that wade in similar waters). Much like  X   (2022) ( review ) with  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ), the   callouts ( De Palma , gialli, etc.) in  MaXXXine  were a little on the nose—literally in the case of Chinatown (1974)—but they were still enjoyable (and  Kevin Bacon  played another great slimeball).  Mia Goth  was good here but, other than a superb opening scene, lacked the conviction that she had in  Pearl  (2022) ( review ). Giancarlo Esposito steals all his scenes (as you would expect). The ending was pretty messy and felt rushed, as if it needed more refinement in the writing stage (in general, the comments on the Hollywood system and the meta aspects of ...

On a rewatch (my original review here ), just as I felt regarding my  Pearl  (2022) ( review ) rewatch,   X   (2022) (which I like less than Pearl ) lost a bit of steam. I still think it feels like a slow burn version of  Adam Green  and  Eli Roth  with a bit too many homages to  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ). However, this is still  Ti West 's second best film and I enjoyed my double feature revisit to prep for  MaXXXine  (the 1980s-set next film in the  X  series ) tomorrow night, which I hope doesn't disappoint. Ti West Feature Films Ranked

Pearl   (2022) ,  Ti West ’s prequel to  X   (2022) ( review ) (released only six months prior), doesn’t attempt to hide the influence of the  Golden Age of Hollywood  and  Douglas Sirk . But while  X ’s homages—namely  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review )—felt a tad on the nose,  Pearl  feels authentic enough without overt callbacks to classic films and provides more of a mood, which I tend to prefer over outright replication. Pearl is a really well-made backstory to X that feels natural and never forced. It’s also West’s best filmmaking in every regard—strong production design, costumes, and atmosphere.  Mia Goth  is simply fantastic in this role—dishing up the crazy like her life depended on it but also delivering a superb and impassioned long-take speech that serves as a highlight (plus that end credits sequence). Pearl  is a horror movie too, let’s not forget. It might be less gory than  X...

1.    Crimes Of The Future   **** ( Review ) 2.    The Banshees Of Inisherin   **** ( Review ) 3.    The Fabelmans   **** ( Review ) 4.    Pearl   **** ( Review ) 5.    The Northman   ***1/2 ( Review ) 6.    Confess, Fletch   ***1/2 ( Review ) 7.    The Whale   ***1/2 ( Review ) 8.    Bones And All   ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.    Decision To Leave   ***1/2 10.  X   ***1/2 ( Review ) 11.  The Menu   *** ( Review ) 12.  Glass Onion   *** ( Review ) 13.  Scream  *** ( Review ) 14.  Kimi   *** ( Review ) 15.  King Knight   (2021) *** ( Review ) 16.  Barbarian   ( Review ) 17.  Prey  ***   ( Review ) 18.  Nope   *** ( Review ) 19.  White Noise   *** ( Review ) 20. Blonde *** Biggest Disappointments Jurassic World Dominion  **1/2 ( Review ) The Black Phone...

Just as   X   (2022) ( review ) didn’t attempt to hide its allegiance to  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ), Pearl , Ti West ’s prequel to X , which was released only six months prior, doesn’t attempt to hide the influence of the Golden Age of Hollywood and Douglas Sirk . But while X ’s homages felt a tad forced, Pearl feels authentic enough that I never drifted out of its world to notice particular callbacks to classic films. It provides more of a mood, which I tend to prefer over outright replication. While I liked X a lot, I loved Pearl —the first Ti West film I can say that about. It’s a really well-made backstory that feels natural and never forced. It’s also West’s best filmmaking in every regard—I was impressed by the production design, costumes, and atmosphere. Mia Goth is simply fantastic in this role—dishing up the crazy like her life depended upon it but also delivering a superb and impassioned long-take speech that serves as a high...

X (2022) doesn't attempt to hide its allegiance to  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre   (1974) ( review ) and that's probably a good thing, as it would have been compared to it one way or another. It does feel a bit too "homagey"—for lack of a better term—at times though. There's definitely some of 1981's  The Evil Dead   ( review ) in the mix as well. Additionally, in a number of scenes I was reminded of Hatchet (2006), particularly with the humor involved.  On that note,  X  clearly comes from the Adam Green / Eli Roth  school of horror, which isn't necessarily a slight but also not a glowing recommendation from me either. It definitely feels like a  Ti West  film in the sense that it never fully grabbed me (none of his work does) but this is his best work yet by a slight margin. I was actually kind of surprised by how straightforward and tropey X was. This review might seem on the negative side but I had a good time with t...

Like all Ti West films, I found In A Valley Of Violence underwhelming. With a title like the one it has, I expected something more grim and grimy. Ethan Hawke is great, as always (and the dog is real cute), but I found most of the other performances lacking (particularly the inconsistent accents).  Jeff Grace ’s score is a mostly solid Morricone tribute (with some modern flourishes) but the cinematography is a bit too clean for my tastes. I appreciate West’s attempt at injecting humor into the film but most of the time it didn’t work for me. It all just comes off as either a lesser Italian Western or a Tarantino facsimile. I like that IAVOV is a simple story and it’s a decent western but, as someone who has seen quite a few of them, I have to say there are many better ones. For a truly violent (brutal, in fact)—and superior—western I recommend John Hillcoat ’s 2005 film The Proposition (my favorite western of the last 20 years). You can find my  Ti West Feature Films Ra...

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 .

Much like his 2013 effort  The Sacrament   (my review here ), which I revisited recently and which inspired this Take 2, I felt the same about Ti West 's 2009 super slow burner The House Of The Devil on a rewatch as I did the first time. His films never quite get there for me; he always falls just shy of making something truly special.  I love the buildup in HOTD —West does a commendable job of emulating late 70s/early 80s slashers, but then he all but squanders it with the shaky cam-ridden finale. Jocelin Donahue  plays a great Laurie Strode type, Greta Gerwig is a perfect stand-in for basically any P.J. Soles role, Tom Noonan 's quiet menace is *chef's kiss*, and I love the songs used (including the obviously intentional rip-off of The Cars ’ “ Moving In Stereo ” that plays over the opening titles), but I just don't like the film's payoff. Still, HOTD is a solid little horror flick that gets a lot of things right. You can find my  Ti West Feature Film...

Take 2 of Ti West 's Jim Jones jam: I feel about the same as I did the first time I watched it. Overall, The Sacrament (2013) is an effective and (mostly) realistic horror thriller with a better buildup than payoff. There is undoubtedly some disturbing imagery here, and a very good performance by Gene Jones , but found footage films have just never been my bag (even though this is one of the better examples of that genre). You can find my Ti West Feature Films Ranked list  here .

All Hallows' Eve descends on the Movie Matters podcast as co-hosts Lee Howard and Michael Mackenzie , accompanied by special guest Daniel Sardella (that's me), brave the terrors of three spine-tingling horror movies in the show's third annual Halloween special : Ti West 's THE INNKEEPERS , the horror anthology THE THEATRE BIZARRE , and Richard Donner 's classic THE OMEN . This episode also features Movie Matters ' first ever competition, open to all listeners worldwide. Listen to the show for details on how to win a copy of one of the films covered in a previous episode… DOWNLOAD The music sampled in this episode is from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Danny Elfman , THE INNKEEPERS by Jeff Grace , THE THEATRE BIZARRE by Pierre Marchand and THE OMEN by Jerry Goldsmith . Created by Lee Howard & Michael Mackenzie Edited by Michael Mackenzie Movie Matters Podcast