For someone who's not really a fan of horror films, I've somehow managed to review quite a few of them. I don't know how it happened, but it just happened, and quite honestly, I'm not too broken up about it. It's an interesting genre. However, I will not, under any circumstances, review slashers. As the … Continue reading A Gallery of Horror
Another Night At the Museum
Mwahahaha... Ever have something show up on your Amazon list and you have no idea how it got there? That was me with 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum. Maybe I hit the save button by accident, who knows. Anyway, I left it on there because it looked intriguing, and it is. Directed by Michael … Continue reading Another Night At the Museum
Five Reasons To See “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
Hello, Mr. Herrmann... OK, I know I just did one of these "Reasons" posts, but 1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still is another classic movie that deserves to be discovered or re-discovered. The film starts out pretty basic, with a flying saucer, a Cylon-ish robot named Gort, and a spaceman in a silver suit saying he … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
Dune (With A Few Spoilers)
Dune is finally out. Only took it, what, a year? Yay. Frank Herbert fans everywhere are rejoicing. So will everyone else once they see this movie because...wow. It's uh-mazing. I don't want to spoil anything, so here's the barest synopsis. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is preparing to become duke. His planet, Caledan is in control of the … Continue reading Dune (With A Few Spoilers)
Hammer Tries Singing the Blues
Hammer, meet Amicus. Amicus, meet Hammer... Hammer and Amicus films might seem like they're mostly pulpy horror movies, but they managed to work in quite a variety of subjects. Naturally, there has to be blood somewhere, and in the case of 1954's The Black Glove, the blood belongs to a doomed blues singer named Maxine. American … Continue reading Hammer Tries Singing the Blues
Reading Rarities: I Take My Religion Seriously
There was way more to Charles M. Schulz than Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and from the mid-1950s until early 1965 Schulz drew monthly or bi-weekly single-panel comics for Youth and Reach Magazines. It's been said that these characters are the Peanuts kids as teenagers, but Schulz tried to keep the two strips as separate as he could. He … Continue reading Reading Rarities: I Take My Religion Seriously
Manos, King of Slaps
OK, little change of plans. I just looked at my dashboard and noticed I'm about to publish my six-hundred sixty-sixth post. Not review. Post. Now, I'm not superstitious or anything, not by a long shot, but I thought something truly weird would be fitting for the occasion. We'll go back to the fifties sci-fi later. … Continue reading Manos, King of Slaps
Put the Blame On Mame
Here's Mr. Ford... Our guest of honor sure had a way of landing some interesting roles, and one of the most iconic films he did by far was 1946's Gilda. It might be more iconic for Rita Hayworth than Glenn Ford, but it's a tossup as to who makes the bigger impression. The film was tumoultous … Continue reading Put the Blame On Mame
Thirty-one Days Until the Distraction Blogathon
One month to go until the Distraction Blogathon, people. One month until we talk about the twists, turns, dead ends, rabbit holes, and all the other things that grip us when we see a good movie. Thanks heaps to everyone who's signed up so far! I'm so glad to see all the enthusiasm for this … Continue reading Thirty-one Days Until the Distraction Blogathon
Five Reasons To See “Them!”
I don't know about anyone else, but 1950s sci-fi and horror have really grown on me lately, especially sci-fi, and 1954's Them! is pretty infamous. It feels quick, it's just creepy enough, and it's fun. For those who aren't familiar with the plot, it's simply this: Giant ants are attacking mankind, and it's all the fault of … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “Them!”
Page To Screen: Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday
Who's been to Cannery Row? For those who haven't, it was a group of fish canneries, flophouses and dive bars on Ocean View Avenue in Monterey, California. It was a tough, wild, colorful place, and its king was marine biologist Ed Ricketts, best friend of John Steinbeck and collector of strange scientific samples. Of course, … Continue reading Page To Screen: Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday
Taking Up Room 