By the mid-1980s, people of Southeast Asia still weren’t equally represented in American mass media. (Just look at Lonf Duk Dong.) Movies like The Killing Fields portrayed them as victims, villains or friends of white people who were the lead. Even though that movie is based on a real story of violence and genocide, youContinue reading “‘A Better Tomorrow’ At 40: The Action Movie Made A Huge Impact”
Tag Archives: reviews
‘Howard The Duck’ At 40
In the summer of 1986, Howard the Duck was anticipated to be the next biggest thing. Commercials and trailers teased the titular character. George Lucas spearheaded it as executive producer. The husband-wife duo of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz wrote the script with Huyck directing. They had co-wrote American Graffiti with Lucas. What could goContinue reading “‘Howard The Duck’ At 40”
‘Dead Calm’ A Great Thriller From Down Under On The High Seas
Dead Calm is a movie that works on two common fears – alone in the middle of the ocean while something bad happens and the realization that no one will come to help you in time. Sam Neill plays John Ingram, a captain in the Royal Australian Navy, and his younger wife, Rae (Nicole Kidman),Continue reading “‘Dead Calm’ A Great Thriller From Down Under On The High Seas”
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ Crumbles Under Its Own Pretentiousness
For a movie that is a two-hour criticism of artificial intelligence and internet technology, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die feels like the script was written by AI as it’s a compilation of Groundhog Day, Black Mirror, Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and Twelve Monkeys and The Terminator franchise. With a budget of $20 million, it’s directedContinue reading “‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ Crumbles Under Its Own Pretentiousness”
‘Idiocracy’ Is Only A Horror Movie If You Make It One
When Idiocracy was released 20 years ago, it was to fulfill a contractual obligation between 20th Century Fox and Mike Judge.The movie bombed because the studio tried to bury it in as few as many theaters as possible with no press or marketing. But its notorious release helped word of mouth to spread as socialContinue reading “‘Idiocracy’ Is Only A Horror Movie If You Make It One”
‘They Will Kill You’ Will Bore You With Its Overkill Execution
The problem with They Will Kill You is that it reveals its twist early and there’s no build-up so the execution is overkill, literally. Made like a cross between Ready or Not and Kill Bill, Zazie Beets plays Asia Reaves, who was convicted of killing her abusive father, but has been released and takes aContinue reading “‘They Will Kill You’ Will Bore You With Its Overkill Execution”
‘Bound’ Is A Brilliant Film Noir Thriller From The Wachowskis
A lot of famous directors didn’t hit it out of the park the first time. They’re still rough around the edges, handicapped by a small budget and no big name actors. But that can also be what makes their directorial debuts so wonderful. Like the Coen Brothers, the Wachowskis had a great thriller with theirContinue reading “‘Bound’ Is A Brilliant Film Noir Thriller From The Wachowskis”
‘Cape Fear’ Shows How Extreme Fathers Go To Protect Their Families
I haven’t seen the Cape Fear series and I’ve only seen parts of the 1962 version. But the 1991 version directed by Martin Scorsese as a followup to Goodfellas brought him the best commercial success of his career so far. While the original with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum is set in the last daysContinue reading “‘Cape Fear’ Shows How Extreme Fathers Go To Protect Their Families”
Fade Out For Gene Shalit
There’s an old saying of “There’s a face for radio.” And Gene Shalit may not have had the preppy looks of Tom Brokaw or Peter Jennings, but he made film criticism worth watching with his witty puns and on-camers enthusiasm.His distinct look which consisted of a brushy moustache, frizzy Afro-styled hair, horn-rimmed glasses and bowContinue reading “Fade Out For Gene Shalit”
Before ‘Scary Movie’ There Was The Horror Parody ‘Student Bodies’
Horror comedies have been around for decades all the way back when ‘Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ had the two sharing the silver screen with Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. And then Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder gave us ‘Young Frankenstein.’ In 2000, the Wayans brought us ‘Scary Movie,’ a crude but hilarious parodyContinue reading “Before ‘Scary Movie’ There Was The Horror Parody ‘Student Bodies’”
Zane Says 