// Category Archive for: Movie Reviews

Bloody Sheets, Bad Sweaters, and Broken Hearts: The Wisdom Of Crocodiles

Published on September 29th, 2009 in: Halloween, Horror, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews, We Miss The Nineties |

By Jemiah Jefferson

twoc_3
Jude Law, tasty son-of-a-bitch.

Originally this was going to be a gushing review of a very beautiful, very sexy vampire film that I remember loving the hell out of, but hadn’t seen in a very long time—ten years or so. Within 30 minutes of rewatching, though, this became much more of an exercise in “the golden glow of memory masking the flaws of fact.” Filmmaking, vampire movies, and I were all in somewhat different eras in 1999; we’ve all come a long way, and The Wisdom Of Crocodiles hasn’t really kept up. Unjustly obscure, the film also suffers from having been titled Immortality for its US release, and the shitty production values used when slapping its American title on the screen makes it look like it’s just a very expensive episode of the new Outer Limits.
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Moon: Does Sam Bell Dream Of Electric Sheep?

Published on September 29th, 2009 in: Current Faves, Halloween, Horror, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews, Science Fiction |

By Christian Lipski

SPOILER ALERT: I saw the movie, and am going to refer to specific things that happen in it. If you are looking for an article that will let you know if you should go see this film, here it is:

Yes. Go see it.

The rest of this article will be about my impressions of the movie and its major topics.
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NYC Foetus DVD

Published on July 30th, 2009 in: Art, Documentaries, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Music, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

For a discussion of the music on Limb, please read my review here.

For a discussion of the design elements of the 48-page Limb booklet, please read Ann Clarke’s review here.

JG Thirlwell has been making music since 1978. . .
He is a singer, a producer, a musician, a composer and a graphic artist.
From the intro to NYC Foetus, directed by Clément Tuffreau
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We’re All Watching The Watchmen

Published on March 30th, 2009 in: Comics, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Danny R. Phillips

Many times when a book is foolishly adapted for the big screen, the story becomes changed, warped, rearranged, and in the process, the fans of the original work leave the theater saying to themselves, “What was that?!?” Luckily, for director Zach Snyder, the film version of the so-called “greatest graphic novel of all time” is not one of those times.
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Not Your Mother’s Biopic: Gus Van Sant’s Milk

Published on January 30th, 2009 in: Issues, LGBTQ, Movie Reviews, Movies, Retrovirus, Reviews |

By Maureen

“My name is Harvey Milk, and I am here to recruit you.” At many of his public appearances, the late politician uttered these words. They’re also my words, because I am also here to recruit you . . . to see the film version of Milk’s life, directed by Gus Van Sant.
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The Heart Of Darkness: Comedy And Drama From The Coen Brothers

Published on January 30th, 2009 in: Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Lisa Anderson

In 2008, Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country For Old Men took home Oscars for best film, direction, supporting actor, and adaptation, as well as numerous other awards and critical accolades. This year, their follow-up caper comedy, Burn After Reading, garnered Golden Globe, BAFTA, and WGA nominations, before being passed up altogether by Oscar.

Speaking as a critic and a film fan, I appreciate the craft that went into both movies, but vastly prefer the first to the second. On the surface, both seem to have the characteristic Coen worldview, where nothing that happens has any meaning beyond itself. A closer look, however, reveals that the denizens of No Country For Old Men at least try to bring meaning to their own lives, even if they ultimately fail.
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It’s Finally Here: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains on DVD

Published on November 29th, 2008 in: DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Feminism, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Music, Retrovirus, Reviews |

By Noreen Sobczyk

fabulous stains DVD

Misfit youths who happened to catch a late night airing of Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains have been rubbing their magic lamps for years, fully willing to trade one wish for a good quality copy of this film. Now the wait is over, thanks to the folks at Rhino who’ve released it as the debut title in their Rock ‘N’ Roll Cinema Series.

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Halloween Horror Favorite: Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining

Published on September 29th, 2008 in: Halloween, Horror, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Retrovirus |

By Emily Carney

“Some places are like people: some shine and some don’t.”

True confession: I have never read Stephen King’s The Shining.
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Look Who’s Growling, Too: Our Deep, Abiding Love of Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby

Published on September 29th, 2008 in: Halloween, Horror, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Retrovirus |

By John Lane and Less Lee Moore

Hands-down, Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is one of our favorite horror movies of all time. We love it as much for what it doesn’t do as for what it does do. It seems that there’s a storm cloud of creepiness that settled upon this movie before, during, and after which makes it all the more fascinating. Like a lot of other things from the late sixties, it is a sinister relic from a haunted time. So here are our reasons why Rosemary’s Baby—behind and in front of the camera—is one of the most enduring, complex horror films ever committed to celluloid.

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The Dawn Of The Living Dead: I Walked With A Zombie

Published on September 29th, 2008 in: Halloween, Horror, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Retrovirus |

By Chelsea Spear

The year was 1942, and the producer/director team of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur were riding high. Cat People, the first feature released through Lewton’s B-horror division at RKO, had saved the studio from bankruptcy and was on its way to becoming a cornerstone of contemporary horror. Before they’d finished counting the receipts, RKO studio heads gave the pair their next assignment.
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