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 MoreConquest (1983) #RetroReview
Italian splatter god Lucio Fulci didn’t just make gruesome horror flicks. Case in point, 1983’s Conquest is a fever dream fantasy film that brings the fan favorite director’s penchant for gore to the sword and sorcery genre. It could be summed up as Conan the Barbarian on 10% of the budget and with cocaine-snorting werewolves.
Read MoreStrange Kindness (2024) #BUFF24
The folks at the Boston Underground Film Festival were nice enough to send me a screener of writer/director/cinematographer Joseph Mault’s first feature-length effort, Strange Kindness. Knowing that Mault cut his teeth on music videos, I expected a slick and frenetic thriller. Surprisingly, Mault had a more contemplative journey in mind.
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