I doubt I’ll ever get tired of watching George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road from 2015. I’m definitely a fan of the whole series and after what was probably my sixth or seventh watch of the film, I’d still place it firmly as second best of the franchise after 1981’s Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior. The film is something of a throwback, with its reliance on practical effects and invoking of classic Western genre imagery, but that’s part of why the film is so damn good.
Read MoreThe Coffee Table (2022) #DVD
The Coffee Table isn't your typical horror film. In fact, it's far from it. Director Caye Casas takes a simple household item, a coffee table, and turns it into the centerpiece of a harrowing, unforgettable cinematic experience.
Read MoreThe Return of Swamp Thing (1989) #RetroReview
My love for DC Comics’ Swamp Thing began in the mid-’80s when I started picking up Alan Moore’s run on the series from my local newsstand. I was probably too young to be reading some of that stuff, but I suppose that was par for the course in a Gen X childhood. By the time Jim Wynorski’s The Return of Swamp Thing debuted in 1989, I was already a full-fledged Swamp Thing fanatic.
Read MoreF'd: Tales from the End Times (2024)
A couple of years ago, writer/director Ash Hamilton impressed me with his micro-budgeted feature-length debut, Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story. So, when he popped up on my radar again, touting his involvement in an anthology horror flick, my ears pricked up. F’d: Tales from the End Times teams Hamilton with writer/directors Dillon Brown, Joshua Brucker, Michael Gregory, and Ben Harl.
Read MoreNo Escape (1994) #RetroReview
Seemingly forgotten, Martin Campbell’s No Escape from 1994 offers up dystopian thrills on a medium-sized budget. Prescient in its discussion of private prisons, the film also seems like a bit of a throwback, taking inspiration from ‘80s action films and ‘70s exploitation fare. Seeing as how it’s celebrating its 30th anniversary on April 29th, I thought I’d take a look back!
Read MoreeXistenZ (1999) #RetroReview
Writer/director David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ is ostensibly his science fiction-y take on video games. However, the Canadian auteur has never been one to tackle subjects in a straightforward or conventional manner. Grotesque and unsettling, the film wields Cronenberg’s New Flesh aesthetic while tapping into age-old mind-bending philosophical questions about the nature of reality, all viewed through a subtly dystopic and stylized lens.
Read MoreArcadian (2024)
Arcadian surprises with its polished production value, challenging the expectations of an indie film with its seemingly high-budget appearance. Directed by Benjamin Brewer and penned by Mike Nilon, this film offers a refreshing take on horror and sci-fi, bolstered by an ensemble cast led by the ever-reliable Nicolas Cage. Set in a hauntingly familiar yet eerily dystopian future, Arcadian centers around Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, navigating a world ravaged by an unexplained evil.
Read MoreCivil War (2024)
If Alex Garland is involved in a project, then it’s getting my eyeballs. Even if he follows through on his recent statements that he’s retiring from directing to once again solely focus on writing, he’ll have left an impressive mark in his brief stint pulling double duty. His work with Danny Boyle on 28 Days Later remains one of the preeminent examples of post-9/11 cinema.
Read More