THE DANMAN CAN

Director  Yorgos Lanthimos scores again with his most accessible film to date, The Favourite  (2018), his third English language feature, after 2015's  The Lobster (2015) ( review ) and 2017's  The Killing Of A Sacred Deer   ( review ). Those  other two films tend to be intentionally obtuse, but, accessible as this film may be, it's still a bitter, darkly comic delight about what women of various statures will do for love, for country, and, in particular, for their own gain. The cinematography draws much attention to itself but Lanthimos goes for broke (to great success) with swish pans, fisheye lenses, multiple exposure, and natural lighting à la  Barry Lyndon  (1975) ( review ). All three leads are fantastic, as they plot, yearn, and backstab. The at times rapid-fire, acerbic dialogue is delicious. The costumes and production design are impressive, but a wonderful juxtaposition is created by the crude language, anachronistic dance move...

Having finally seen Blood Feast  (1963) I can now say that I've seen a Herschell Gordon Lewis film. And it was about what I'd expected: awful, laughable, cheesy, thinly plotted, and terribly acted but very entertaining. An important film for horror, impressive for having grossed $4 million on a $25K budget, and a huge inspiration to one of my heroes, John Waters , but not one I'd go out of my way to ever watch again.

Lucio Fulci 's Zombie  (aka Zombi 2  aka  Zombie Flesh  Eaters )  (1979) is no perfect film, but it is a genre classic that never gets old. Full of blood 'n' guts 'n' maggots 'n' ocular violence (the mother of all ocular violence in cinema, in fact), as any great Fulci horror film is,  Zombie  is the one that goes all the way and delivers where few other horror films up until that point did. The atmosphere is oppressive, the direction is technically impressive, Giannetto De Rossi 's makeup and effects are disgustingly delightful, and  Fabio Frizzi 's score is memorable. You can find my  Lucio Fulci Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

They'll Love Me When I'm Dead   (2018) is a highly recommended companion piece to the film  The Other Side Of The Wind   (2018). Presented in a way that mirrors the techniques of the film it documents and directed by Morgan Neville , who directed this year's other excellent documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? , TLWWID  features interviews and footage from the cast, crew and people related to those that made the film, and helps make more sense of the at times confusing narrative of TOSTW , along with  giving you a greater understanding of Welles's intentions and his struggle to complete it (which, sadly, he never did before he died).

The Other Side Of The Wind  (2018) is definitely a film that warrants multiple viewings. The rapid fire editing and multiple storylines make it difficult to decipher on a first watch, but just the fact that it finally saw the light of day is cause for celebration. The film-within-a-film footage is truly the highlight. It was as if Welles put on a mask (his own words) and channeled Jess Franco and Sergio Martino to make a satirical yet functional avant-garde psych film. I highly recommend reading more about Wind  here and watching the documentary about the making of this film,  They'll Love Me When I'm Dead  (2018), immediately after watching Wind ,  if you can. It helps make more sense of this film and gives you a greater understanding of Welles's intentions and his struggle to complete it (which, sadly, he never did before he died).

Ken Russell 's Women In Love  (1969) presents the many emotions and phases of love between men and women and between men and men. It's a film about sensuality, individuality, sexuality, possession, frustration, and breaking free of social norms—all through the lens of a cinema madman. Don't let the Academy Award win and noms fool you—Russell's version of this "love" story set in post-World War I England is personal, controversial, cinematographically and editorially experimental and absolutely of its time (the late '60s hippie movement, etc.). The four leads are all excellent, willing to go the distance in their portrayals of complex, deep-thinking, sadomasochistic individuals. The score by Georges Delerue is sumptuous but also jarring—the abruptness and juxtaposition of some of the musical queues is quite interesting. This is my kind of period drama.

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 now. 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) 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 aired on cable TV) called Salem's Lot: The Movie ,...

Blood Rage (aka Slasher ) (1987) is not a "good" film, but it sure is a good time. It's filled with every '80s slasher trope imaginable, from fashion—perms, mullets, striped Nike shirts, popped collars—to gore—lopped-off hands, beheadings, bisected bodies, machete stabs—to nudity (apparently women of all  ages were super  horny in that decade). Blood Rage makes no attempt at any kind of artistry whatsoever—from the flat, garish lighting to the subpar camerawork to skipping any semblance of a backstory or character development (Thanksgiving is very loosely involved, though does provide an amusing, if overused, one-liner)—instead favoring and embracing its tastelessness. The "plot" revolves around two brothers (Todd and Terry), both played in their adult form by  Mark Soper , who actually does a decent job of distinguishing between the two in his performance—though his acting isn't particularly great (then again nobody's is in this film). When th...

Some films transcend hyperbole. Some Like It Hot  (1959) is brilliant, hilarious, flawlessly paced, endlessly rewatchable, one of my Top 10 Comedies, one of my Top 100 Films , and in a word: perfect. Billy Wilder  truly was a genius and Marilyn Monroe , Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon  were incredibly inspired casting (really, can you imagine anyone else in these roles?). You can find my Billy Wilder Films Ranked list  here . Sugar Kane:  "Boop-boop be-doop!"    Spats Colombo:  "These are my lawyers. All Harvard men." Jerry/Daphne:  "I tell ya, it's a whole different sex!" Osgood Fielding III:  "Nobody's perfect."

Midnight Cowboy (1969) is one of those classic, much-heralded films that, while I don't hold it in quite the same esteem as a lot of folks, I recognize how influential, important, and exceptional it is. Dustin Hoffman and John Voight 's performances are impeccably honest and seamlessly natural. They portray the (at that time) cinematically unique friendship (or is it more?) of two down on their luck men who, despite hurling insults at each other, care deeply for one another. Director  John Schlesinger  and cinematographer Adam Holender 's vision is grimy, varied, realistic, and, at times experimental (flashbacks, dream sequences, the party scene). John Barry ’s (uncredited!) brilliantly simple, harmonica-heavy  theme song , along with Harry Nilsson 's memorable tune " Everybody's Talkin' " (used numerous times throughout the film) provide the appropriately melancholic mood to match the story. The ending of Cowboy  has an interesting parallel wi...