THE DANMAN CAN

With its many characters and twisty-turny plot,  Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler   (1922)—the first of three  Mabuse  films by visionary director  Fritz Lang —can be confusing at times. Its 4 1/2 hour run time can be a test of anyone's patience as well (on this viewing I watched Part 2 only, to celebrate the film's centennial anniversary today). Nevertheless, the cinematography is impressive, the story is engaging, and the film is undoubtedly highly influential. While it is my least favorite of the three Lang Mabuse films (my reviews of the other two  here  and  here ), it is an undoubtedly important piece of cinema.   Fritz Lang Films Ranked

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010) is a silly and fun little horror comedy. It approaches its material in the same way that  Shaun Of The Dead   ( review ) did 6 years prior (basically a rom-com with horror elements), but it's not the slam-dunk that that classic is (a lot of that has to do with Edgar Wright having a much stronger and bolder visual style).  Still, T&D is a definite crowdpleaser and there are admittedly many laugh-out-loud moments. It's hard to deny the charm of the titular lovable hillbillies but there's certainly plenty of cliches abound (some playfully subverted, some not). The film has a very strong first half and stalls out a bit here and there in the second, it gets a little too cute for its own good, nor do I find it is as clever as it wants to be, and the villain is pretty weak, but it is an enjoyable romp nonetheless.  Recommended for fans of  Cabin Fever   (2002) ( review ),  Hatchet   (2006), and  What We Do In ...

Christopher Nolan 's Insomnia (2002) is one of the few remakes that, despite not straying far in plot and events, carves its own path and stands (just about) toe to toe with its predecessor. I'm happy to report that it's held up very well.  Erik Skjoldbjærg 's 1997 original is a slightly better film but Nolan's has the benefit of two excellent lead performances by Al Pacino and Robin Williams , in some of the best work of their careers (and they've both had illustrious ones). While Skjoldbjærg's is the more nihilistic and cold of the two films, Nolan's has a warmth and humanity that isn't always present in his work (or isn't always handled as well as it is here).  Jonathan Demme  was originally attached to direct this film (with Harrison Ford  set to star in the Pacino role). This could have been interesting and it's easy to see why he was attracted to the material— Insomnia is very much a spiritual successor to  The Silence Of The Lambs ...

James Bond Feature Films Ranked

Hilarious high-grade Spanish satanic softcore sleaze with lots of moaning and tongue-flicking.  😈🕯🐐🍑🗡 José Ramón Larraz Films Ranked

Hilarious and compulsively watchable late '90s horny neo-noir melodrama trash bliss with more twists than a pretzel. I’ve seen Wild Things  (1998) numerous times since it was released and I’ve always enjoyed it, but it’s even better than I remembered. Recommended for fans of Body Heat (1981), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), and  The Hot Spot  (1990). John McNaughton Feature Films Ranked

A tough modern western with amped-up action, an atmospheric Jerry Goldsmith score, and a superb cast—including Nick Nolte , Powers Boothe , Michael Ironside , Maria Conchita Alonso , Rip Torn , Clancy Brown , and William Forsythe — Walter Hill 's Peckinpah -inspired  Extreme Prejudice  (1987) (from a story by John Milius ) is a highly satisfying tale of a stoic Texas ranger, a flamboyant drug kingpin, and a group of charismatic rogue soldiers. Walter Hill Films Ranked

Dominic Sena had directed many music videos for popular artists like Janet Jackson , Richard Marx , and Sting before making his 1993 feature film debut, the serial killer road thriller  Kalifornia , a box office bomb that has gone on to have a certain cult following. I think that I saw the film in its theatrical run but my memory is fuzzy. I know that I definitely watched it on VHS, and possibly DVD, and—if so on the latter—that was the last time I had viewed it. The movie holds up well. Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis  are perfect embodiments of their characters—Pitt, unhinged and frightening but also hilarious, and Lewis, sad and sweet but impossibly endearing in her dimwittedness. There's a certain grungy, exploitative quality to this noir-tinged story but also a tangible emotional weight and some really handsome-looking cinematography by Bojan Bazelli .  Kalifornia  suffers at times from David Duchovny 's trite voice-over and somewhat bland performance, and just ...

James Bond Feature Films Ranked

One of my early teenage staples, John Milius '  Conan The Barbarian (1982) holds up well, 40 years on, as a lyrical, epic, blood-splattered, at times camp classic with strong performances (particularly a serpentine  James Earl Jones ), memorable dialogue, wonderful costumes, impressive production design by Ron Cobb , delightful practical effects, and a thunderous and poetic score (one of the greatest ever composed) by Basil Poledouris .