Twixt (2011 [theaters] 2013 [DVD]) is the latest film made by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now). It was panned by most critics but is a good concept and does some things well even if it isn't that great as a whole. It's a horror movie narrated by Tom Waits featuring Val Kilmer as a washed up horror writer having long in depth philosophical discussions with Edgar Allan Poe in dream sequences all taking place within a Twin Peaks-like small town, to boot. Need I say more? The actual plot involves possible vampires/witchcraft and for sure serial killing/mass murder and ghosts. The movie even though very low budget and sometimes seeming amateurish with the cinematography retains a well polished dreamlike-ness to it which is appropriate because the majority of plot development takes place in dreams. The movie has a bunch of story elements that never get fully explained though, so they either just don't make sense and you have to accept them, or, for some of them they could have just cut that detail completely. But even though those flaws exist it still kind of works because most of the movie takes place in dream sequences, and how many of you fully understand and can make total sense of your dreams? I know I rarely can. The film makes up for whatever story flaws it may have with an interesting enough concept, some surprisingly hilarious scenes, an interesting cast, and some good acting (though there is some bad acting too). I give the film an A for effort and a 3.5/5 (P.S. the film also stars Elle Fanning and Bruce Dern). Below is the trailer, followed by the funniest scene from the movie IMO (val kilmer gets drunk while trying to write his next book after his publisher tells him "I don't want any of that 'fog on the lake' crap!"):
The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) the first really truly crazy spoof movie aside from the works of Mel Brooks. This was the first film by the people who brought you the Airplane! and Naked Gun series, so same kind of humor. The movie is made up of all skits and fake movie trailers, while the film quality is low (really low budget) the jokes are grade A. Definitely worth a watch or looking at select scenes. If you don't offend easily the best scene in the movie is "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble" by far, otherwise "feel around" is great too. This is also the second movie by big name director John Landis (Animal House, Blues Brothers, American Werewolf in London, the Thriller music Video). There is some gross humor here, some racial, and a lot of sexual humor. I give it a 3.75/5 I couldn't find a trailer so here's the "feel a-round" scene (as in, "this film is brought to you in 'Feel a-round'"):
I'm really beginning to love Clive Barker's writing. Candyman had wonderful social commentary and actually scared me in some parts (that doesn't normally happen). The story is wonderfully interesting and I think I will have to see one of the sequels now. It's refreshing to see a Black character as a horror villain and especially a complex one who not only makes you afraid of him but simultaneously endears you to him as well. The music was designed not to give away any of the jump scares the movie featured, unlike a typical horror movie. It's also refreshing to see a horror movie set in such an urban environment as the Chicago projects (filmed in a real project) where so much real horror and sadness actually takes place. also the actress in the film was under hypnosis for a lot of scenes, that was really effective, and if you think Wicker Man when you think "not the bees!" think again, It's also a wonderful psychological study of people and urban legends. Phillip Glass's scores tend to get on my nerves at times though, and it was a bit too bloody for me at times, so I give it a 4.75/5, view trailer below:
Though some may love the name it often gets overlooked by serious moviegoers for obvious reasons. Those who look for and enjoy serious dramas the likes of Schindler's List, won't necessarily lean towards a film titled "The Crawling Eye". But here's what you should know about it and why those other people are missing out: The Misfits wrote a song about it, Stephen King is a fan and referenced the film in IT, and John Carpenter said it was a main inspiration for The Fog(1980). The movie was developed from the ruins of a failed British TV series (The Trollenberg Terror) The film is about aliens that hide in a mountain pass always hiding in fog. The aliens start decapitating mountain climbers and prepare for a descent to the village below. The plot is centers around a woman medium who has a psychic connection with the aliens. The film is very well acted, superbly filmed from a cinematography standpoint, and unlike most 50s "B-movies" it is very logically sound. The movie's feel is similar to Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945) or The original version of The Thing (1951 aka The Thing from Another World). Just like classic creature films like Cat People (1942) rarely do you ever see the monster, until the end. This is also probably one of the first films to cover the subject of decapitation, and it did a really good job with the special effects (ahead of most 1950s standards). Mystery Science Theater 3000 did do an episode on this movie, but trust me it's still legit. I give it a 4.5-5/5, I'd advise against watching the trailer because it shows the monster, and in my opinion knowing what the monster looks like is worth waiting for. This film is featured on Rue Morgue Magazine's list of 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See.
Believe it or not there were actually a lot of killer doll movies before this one even though this is the most famous, so I had seen a lot of the same scares and "tricks" before, but it was still really good. The scenes that scared me the most were when the doll wasn't doing anything. Another thing that scared me though was when I was watching the movie I noticed that I owned the birthday banner that's in andy's apartment, and that it was hanging in the room next to me as I watched the film. Also It was surprising to see Oscar nominated actor Brad Dourif (Grima Wormtongue from The LOTR Two Towers, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) as the killer that becomes Chucky, and I guess he voiced Chucky for all the sequels too. This film was written and directed by Tom Holland, the same guy who wrote and directed another cult classic horror film two years before Child's Play: Fright Night. Chris Sarandon (the vampire from Fright Night) is the main cop in this one. I also really loved the aesthetic of the apartment building the kid lives in, it strikes me as a mix between the apartment and building from Ghostbusters II (1989) and the apartment from Look Who's Talking (1989). I give it a 4.75/5, view trailer below:
The sequel to Suspiria (1977) and the 2nd of Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, Inferno, was also a collaboration between him and the other creator of Giallo cinema, Mario Bava. The involvement of Bava meant wonderful gothic imagery (candelabras cats and gothic architecture) the special effects were great and actually endangered the crew in many different ways (being burnt to death, clawed to death by cats, or eaten by rats). The film also had a pretty cool soundtrack, by one of my favorite musicians, Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer. The sets and cinematography also resemble that of Suspiria a bit, and the acting is good, BUT there are some big logic and plot holes in it, and that is why I do not give it a higher rating. Argento loves to throw in crazy stuff to confuse the audience so they won't get bored with the film, or know what's coming next; while Hitchcock or Agatha Christie may be able to due that to their audience while maintaining logic, continuity and context, Argento just throws in red herrings without necessarily having any explanation for them. I give it a 3.75/5. The film is available to stream for free on Hulu, view the trailer below:
This is the third film by Jim Jarmusch that I've seen, and I found it spectacular. The film is a series of three vignettes that all occur in Memphis during the same night and eventually all the characters' stories overlap. The film mainly centers around two japanese teens who make a pilgrimage to Memphis to visit Graceland and Sun Studios where Elvis and so many early rock greats recorded. The film is a great late night viewing, it shows what goes on during the wee hours of the morning in the city of Elvis, and as a night owl it's always nice to watch a good "late night movie" every now and then. It's heartwarming at times, hilarious throughout, serious, and a good portrayal of some of life's confusions, struggles and hardships. At times shocking and surprising, but fun throughout. Listen to this cast: Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, Screamin' Jay Hawkins (of I Put a Spell on You fame), Joe Strummer (lead singer of the Clash), and soul legend Rufus Thomas ("Do the Funky Chicken" and "Walk the Dog") Tom Noonan (Heat, the bad guy in The Last Action Hero) and Rick Aviles (the bad guy from Ghost), and with such a great cast of musicians you can bet the soundtrack is good too. I'm really beginning to love Jarmusch's stuff, this film is also on Criterion. I give it a 5/5, and I highly recommend it.
P.S. instead of showing the trailer here I will instead include one of my favorite scenes with Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Context for this scene: one of the japanese tourists gave the bellboy a special Japanese plum as a tip (they do not understand the concept of "tipping" in Japan):
This is the third film by Jim Jarmusch that I've seen, and I found it spectacular. The film is a series of three vignettes that all occur in Memphis during the same night and eventually all the characters' stories overlap. The film mainly centers around two japanese teens who make a pilgrimage to Memphis to visit Graceland and Sun Studios where Elvis and so many early rock greats recorded. The film is a great late night viewing, it shows what goes on during the wee hours of the morning in the city of Elvis, and as a night owl it's always nice to watch a good "late night movie" every now and then. It's heartwarming at times, hilarious throughout, serious, and a good portrayal of some of life's confusions, struggles and hardships. At times shocking and surprising, but fun throughout. Listen to this cast: Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, Screamin' Jay Hawkins (of I Put a Spell on You fame), Joe Strummer (lead singer of the Clash), and soul legend Rufus Thomas ("Do the Funky Chicken" and "Walk the Dog") Tom Noonan (Heat, the bad guy in The Last Action Hero) and Rick Aviles (the bad guy from Ghost), and with such a great cast of musicians you can bet the soundtrack is good too. I'm really beginning to love Jarmusch's stuff, this film is also on Criterion. I give it a 5/5, and I highly recommend it.