VHYES, debuting this week in a limited release, takes the found footage genre and filters it through a quirky, off-kilter, Adult Swim-esque approach. Director Jack Henry Robbins uses highly fractured narratives to create a sort of collage that trades on nostalgia but is decidedly postmodern and faintly satirical. It’s high concept stuff but the director, his cowriter Nunzio Randazzo, and co-creator Nate Gold weave together some bizarre threads into a satisfying conclusion.
Read MoreJoker (2019)
Seasoned comic readers may remember DC Comics’ Elseworlds imprint, described as being stories where “…super-heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places - some that have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.” Angry, but artful, and featuring a riveting lead performance, Todd Phillips’ Joker again shows the elasticity of the superhero genre.
Read MoreRiki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) #RetroReview
Gloriously over the top and magnificently gory, writer/director Ngai Choi Lam’s Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky from 1991 is one gonzo fun martial arts prison flick. A Hong Kong production that adapts the Japanese manga by Tetsuya Saruwatari and Masahiko Takajo, this film overcomes budgetary limitations with high-flying kung fu action and gruesome, if fairly unrealistic, effects work. In the far-flung dystopian future of 2001, the government has privatized everything, including prisons.
Read MoreReady or Not (2019)
Darkly funny with nice production values and distinctive performances, filmmaking collective Radio Silence deliver a crowd-pleasing thriller with 2019’s Ready or Not. Laced with biting class satire, the film aims to entertain as well as skewer. Wide-eyed Grace, the product of humble foster homes, is about to marry Alex, the youngest son of a wealthy family.
Read MoreThe Mothman Prophecies (2002) #RetroReview
With Mothman sightings currently being reported in Chicago, I decided to revisit 2002’s The Mothman Prophecies last night. My initial viewing of director Mark Pellington’s film was probably eight or nine years ago and my appreciation for it has only grown over time. Though it’s ostensibly based on true events, there are obvious fictionalizations present before even considering the supernatural elements.
Read MoreKrampus (2015) #RetroReview
Michael Dougherty made a splash in genre circles back in 2007 with his imperfect but highly enjoyable Halloween horror anthology, Trick ‘r Treat (a work he wrote and directed). After a bit of a hiatus, he returned in 2015 and pulled double duty again, this time with a Christmas themed creature feature. Besides the obvious holiday focused approach, Krampus is reminiscent of his previous effort in that it is flawed but still entertaining.
Read MoreReturn of the Living Dead III (1993) #RetroReview
For years, I’d avoided 1993’s Return of the Living Dead III. There was something about the cover art that screamed cash in, low effort sequel to me. Books and covers, I know. I should’ve known better, too, considering I really like the theatrical poster for II but find the actual movie to be merely okay.
Read MoreWinners and Losers of Disney+ Launch (2019)
Disney unveiled its Netlflix-like streaming service to the world yesterday, and, of course, it wasn't without criticism. While I had my reservations, I think it is safe to say that Disney, like usual, has their shit together, and while a lot of us were met with the now-infamous "unable to connect" screen, it wasn't long before we were swimming through an impressive array of content, new and old. The launch included 7,500 episodes of current and concluded TV shows, 100 recently-released Disney theatrical films, and 400 movies from Disney’s exclusive catalog.
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