‘Gremlins’ Remains a Nasty ’80s-Era Triumph
Joe Dante’s “Gremlins” isn’t just a seminal work of 1980’s pop cinema but a very-dark horror/comedy set at Christmastime. It’s often funny, occasionally sweet but more often a truly nasty piece of work. I mean that latter quality as a compliment. Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is a kindhearted teen who works at a bank in …
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‘Day of the Fight’ Punches Above Its Weight Class
Jack Huston’s “Day of the Fight” begins with the familiar but becomes something truly special. To be specific, I was emailed a press note from the director that this isn’t a boxing movie but a movie about a boxer. Alright, but to not undersell it, the film does have a great boxing match as its …
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How ‘The Polar Express’ Changed Hollywood Forever
Robert Zemeckis’ “The Polar Express” (2004) represents not only a turning point in the filmmaker’s career but a no-turning-back moment in visual effects. Here was a film that showed us photo-realistic characters and vividly rendered CGI settings in a manner that was uncanny and chilling. Despite the limitations of the 2004 technology, Zemeckis’ film seemed …
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Is ‘Nosferatu the Vampyre’ the Creepiest Count Ever?
Werner Herzog’s “Nosferatu the Vampyre” (1979) is among the most faithful film adaptations of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” It’s also one of the strangest. Herzog, Germany’s extraordinary chronicler of natural beauty, human obsession and unorthodox living, made a film that, while dutiful in the way it recreates the well-told vampire tale, is in line with his …
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‘Coherence’ Offers Master Class in Cinematic Brain Teasers
James Ward Byrkit’s “Coherence” (2013) begins with Em (Emily Foxler) on her cell phone, which suddenly cracks for no apparent reason. Em arrives at a dinner party with an eclectic group of friends, many of whom are fascinated by reports that a comet is about to pass by. As the evening continues and friendly, casual …
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‘My Penguin Friend’ Is the Blockbuster Antidote We Need
David Schurmann’s “My Penguin Friend” is a refreshing alternative to the late summer movie lineup. The adorable one sheet provides a hilarious contrast to the “Alien: Romulus” poster hanging next to it outside my local multiplex. It stars the great Jean Reno as a Brazilian fisherman with a sad past (which we witness in an …
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Dalton, Davi Made ‘License to Kill’ a Brutal Bond Highlight
John Glen’s “License to Kill” (1989) is an easy candidate for the most underrated James Bond thriller. It’s also among the most unusual. The film’s brutal, risk-taking story made it the first 007 thriller to merit a PG-13 rating. This was the second and last film to star Timothy Dalton as Bond. and it’s his …
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‘Buckaroo Banzai’ at 40: Accept No Substitutes
W.D. Richter’s “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension” (1984) is among the definitive cult movies, a secret handshake of science fiction, comedy, horror, metaphysics, comic book heroes and Twinkie consumption. Peter Weller is Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, who we first meet when he’s testing his “Oscillation Overthruster,” an invention that allows his Jet …
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This Made Roger Corman’s ‘Frankenstein Unbound’ So Unique
Roger Corman’s “Frankenstein Unbound” (1990) is a fascinating work that deserves rediscovery, and not simply because we lost Corman this year and this was the last film he ever directed. While Corman’s body of work is a tall stack of cheaply made independent films, most of which have been deemed “schlock” or B-movies, Corman’s shoot-fast-and-inexpensively …
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‘Blood Simple’ – Blood-Stained Poetry That Left a Mark
Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Blood Simple” launched their directorial careers, established their dedication to no-nonsense film noir and marked an enormously accomplished film debut. In the decade that is often generalized as the height of empty Hollywood filmmaking and the death of 1970s independent auteurism, not enough credit is given to the fiery artists who …
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