Absentia (2011)

This micro-budgeted ‘haunting’ flick lands right in the middle of the road for me. On one hand, the story of two sisters tormented by a dark, malicious people-snatching entity is effectively simple in its narrative and contains more than a couple eerie moments. The filmmakers realized their short-comings (budget-wise) and played it safe; subscribing to […]

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

I’ll start off by saying that I enjoyed Guy Ritchies first take on the Holmes character. Having the iconic detective be brought to life by the always impressive Robert Downey Jr., in amongst the fun, kinetic visuals and ideas, was an inspired choice that certainly helped elevate the ‘meh’ story. The end result cleaned up […]

Threads (1984)

I stumbled across the existence of this TV movie from the BBC by accident and, after having now seen it, I’m filled with joy and wonder! Um…not really. This gritty and depressing flick is a step by step examination of the realistic effects of a nuclear holocaust on the UK industrial town of Sheffield. The […]

Westworld (1973)

This cynical, but strangely playful science fiction flick was written and directed by author Michael Crichton and, when coupled with his ‘Jurassic Park’ story, one would think that an amusement park once raped and killed his entire family…or something. Westworld follows a pair of Chicago businessmen who decide to spend some time at the newest […]

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

“Klaatu, Barrada, Nikto”. Those famous words were first uttered in this intelligent B/W science fiction classic (and then in Army of Darkness!) and it’s interesting to note how they’ve resonated through cinema history…just like the message that propels this whimsical flick along. As the ominous spectre of The Cold War seeps into the lives of […]

Them! (1954)

I couldn’t resist diving back into another of these classic B/W flicks from the Cold War Era…and I’m glad I did. This one’s surprisingly well done! It’s a cautionary tale warning of the ‘negatives’ behind weaponized radiation; driven forward by a determined group of cop, soldier and scientist characters tasked with hunting down and destroying […]

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

Here’s another helping of pure 1950s schlock…only this one comes with a propaganda-heavy ‘message’ that comes at you with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer: Russians…er….deadly giant mantis=BAD! USA=GOOD! It seems to me that the studio that created this overly patriotic drivel was handed a ton of stock military footage and told to build a […]

The Thing from Another World (1951)

The second flick in my 1950s ‘Creature Feature’ double bill was the inspiration for one of my favorite genre films, John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). And I can see why. Compared to ‘IT! The Terror from Beyond Space’ this one is a winner, hands down. The story centers on the military and civilian inhabitants of […]

IT! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

“Another name for Mars…is DEATH!” It’s widely known that this hilariously low budget and obviously dated sci-fi flick influenced a number of later (and better) genre films; the most notable being 1979s revolutionary and excellent ‘Alien’. The obvious parallels can be found in the rudimentary story: A rescue ship, in the futuristic future of 1973(!), […]

Contraband (2012)

This ‘caper’ left me feeling strangely dissatisfied…and not sure of the ‘smarts’ behind what I saw. Marky Mark leads this not-so-thrilling ‘thriller’, playing another version of…well…Mark Wahlberg as he phones in the role of the former master smuggler; dragged back into the sordid life by his unfortunate, dumbass brother-in-law. As Wahlberg and Co. put their […]