‘Blair Witch’ at 25: Found-Footage Shocker Still Gives Us the Creeps
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez’s “The Blair Witch Project” (1999) was not the first horror film to utilize the “found footage” angle. Others came before it that also claimed to be “real,” documentary footage of a frightening anomaly that was caught on camera. However, even with film history reminding us of other works that pushed …
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’13th Warrior’ Is as Bad as Advertised, Until …
John McTiernan’s “The 13th Warrior” (1999) is the Michael Crichton adaptation that, unlike “Jurassic Park” (1993), you might have passed on. Chances are, you’re like me and heard some terrible things long before the film hit theaters. Based on Crichton’s 1976 novel, “Eaters of the Dead,” which was a re-telling of “Beowulf” but with Vikings, …
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‘2010: The Year We Make Contact’ Isn’t Kubrick, But It’s Close Enough
Peter Hyams’ “2010: The Year We Make Contact” (1984) was the first time a director dared to make a sequel to a Stanley Kubrick film. Of course, today this is commonplace, with Mike Flanagan’s excellent “Doctor Sleep” and that shaky portion of “Ready Player One” (making Jack Torrance a video game character – nice one, …
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‘Hudsucker Proxy’ – From Flop to Cult Classic
Joel and Ethan Coen’s “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) is the first true cult film of the Coen Brothers, whose run of extraordinary independent films revealed a duo capable of spinning any genre in a fresh direction. After the socko streak of “Blood Simple” (1984), “Raising Arizona” (1987), “Miller’s Crossing” (1990) and “Barton Fink” (1991), the …
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Kevin Costner Swings for the Fences with ‘Horizon’
Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga” is an enjoyable western and a chance for Costner, as star, director, co-writer and producer, to unabashedly share his love for the genre. It’s three hours and occasionally slow moving (until the pacing suddenly giddy-ups to a gallop during the action), which will make it a challenge for those …
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It’s a Shame Ford’s ‘Clear and Present Danger’ Stalled the Franchise
“Clear and Present Danger” (1994) felt like a middle chapter for director Phillip Noyce and star Harrison Ford. The film marked their second time adapting a Tom Clancy bestseller after the success of their “Patriot Games” (1992). Instead, “Clear and Present Danger” was not only the last time Noyce and Ford would work together, but …
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Michael Mann’s ‘Collateral’ Still Hits Hard 20 Years Later
Michael Mann’s “Collateral” (2004) knows that the city at night is a different beast, a living, breathing entity that has a completely different feel from the day. This is something Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” (1985) also knows, as people don’t behave the same way at night. The rules are different. Max, the cab driver played …
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How Costner’s ‘Wyatt Earp’ Set the Stage for ‘Horizon’
Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” isn’t the first time the actor took a massive risk in presenting a lavish, three-hour western during the summer movie season. Thirty years ago, during the busy summer of 1994, Costner headlined Lawrence Kasdan’s “Wyatt Earp.” Kasdan’s film, which covers a lot of the same ground …
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Stop-Motion ‘Primevals’ Worth the Insanely Long Wait
David Allen’s “The Primevals” has finally arrived. After maintaining a mythic status for nearly 50 years as a legendary unfinished and “lost” film, Full Moon Pictures has completed a movie I never thought I’d see. A bit of backstory: Like most cinephiles my age, I first encountered “The Primevals” in a 1978 issue of Cinefantastique …
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‘Hit Man’ Gives Glen Powell His Movie Star Breakthrough
Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” is a delightful new comedy that he not only directed but also co-wrote and co-produced with his leading man, Glen Powell. For Linklater, this is not in the same league as his masterpieces but another potent and surprising sleeper, similar to 2011’s “Bernie.” For Powell, however, this is an arrival; Powell’s …
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