Monthly Archives: February 2016
HBO’s Tales From the Crypt was in it’s sixth Season when they started a bold plan to break out into movies. There had been a Tales from the Crypt film in the seventies, but this would be different. Instead of being an anthology film, the Tales from the Crypt movies would tell a theatrical length tale. They assembled a series of scripts, none of which were specifically written for the franchise. This… Read More
So, since the last time I talked about Deadpool, I was proven very wrong. Deadpool was a hit with critics and audiences, receiving a lot of praise. There are people who did not care for it, but the movie broke records nobody expected. I am happy to be wrong here. I am glad it has succeeded. And I think there is room for both family friendly super hero films and ‘R-Rated’ super-hero… Read More
Before Terminator 2, James Cameron made the Abyss. As with almost every film he makes, he introduced revolutionary technology. Without the Abyss (and it’s now simple “Water Tentacle”, we may not have seen any of the other revolutions in digital effects that followed). But it is not the effects that make this film a joy to watch. It is the storytelling. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio play estranged husband and wife… Read More
Also in 1989, we were treated to Leviathan. This was set at a deep sea mining facility. Getting close to rotating out, they discover a sunken ship called the Leviathan. In hopes of claiming riches, they brink back a safe. But the safe just contains video tapes and a bottle of vodka. The next morning, one of the crew is struck ill and dies. But this is only the beginning, as the… Read More
1989 saw three competing sci-fi/horror films. One stood out above the other two, but we will get to that one later. First up is Sean Cunningham’s Deep Star Six. Cunningham was known primarily for producing and directing the first Friday the 13th. He is probably more well known for his producer credits. It is the story of an underwater nuclear test facility. One morning they discover an underwater cavern. it apparently housed… Read More
There was a time when Val Kilmer was primarily doing goofball comedies like Top Secret or playing supporting roles like Iceman in Top Gun. Not like when he was a serious actor in Batman Forever. Anyways, Real Genius was a little more grounded in reality than the other two entries in Science Gone Mad. There is no alien technology or magic genies. Instead, it follow the story of young science prodigy Mitch… Read More
John Hughes’ juvenile take on Mary Poppins and genies should really be more problematic than it often is. Released in 1985, the film pandered to boyish nerd fantasies. It focuses on downtrodden super nerds Wyatt and Gary. Both are obsessed with girls while being relentless humiliated by bullies. It is, of course a common trope meant to garner sympathy. Anthony Michael Hall had not yet broken free of the nerd role established… Read More
1985 was a big year for Teen Science Nerd films. I will be reviewing the three films over the next three days. Today, we start with director John Betuel’s My Science Project. Betuel wrote the classic Sci-Fi film the Last Starfighter and he wrote this film, which would give one real hope. The cast is a combination of well known (Dennis Hopper, Richard Masur and Barry Corbin) combined with “up and Comers”… Read More
Tim Miller’s Deadpool is hilarious and fun. A darkly comic take that brings the pages to life by simply understanding the character. The movie is also extremely crass, full of over the top cartoonish violence, raunchy humor, some nudity and plenty of profanity. This is not for everyone, and if you find those things hard to get past, I would recommend skipping this one. It is also not for your kids. This… Read More
I have now seen two articles that talk about how movies either had spoilers or Easter Eggs that reveal the end of the movie. I feel like we are getting dumber and dumber. The claim of movies with spoilers was quickly derided by pointing out that providing hints and clues in a film about itself is a story technique called foreshadowing. A spoiler is, actually, information given about the story before you… Read More
