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Reviews
The Crow (1994)
A love story of special significance
This film is incredibly poignant, through its story, acting, soundtrack and score. Even after thirty years it still makes me laugh and cry. The villains seem to represent the chaotic violence that seems to happen mindlessly in metropolitan areas today... while Eric is a symbol of justice and redemption.. its Sarah who is the survivor... doomed to roam the streets alone in the wake of her friend's deaths. Eric comes back from the dead to balance the scales... to the music of the Cure, Nine Inch Nails and even an appearance by Chicago's own My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. I will never tire of watching this film. Ever.
Final Summer (2023)
Possibly the worst movie ever made
If I had to guess what the budget for this movie is I think I would guess fifty cents. A swarm of "actors" who have no skills and a TERRIBLE script and no direction. One take per scene, and the script was probably written by a class of pre schoolers who have never seen a film. Given the average rating is 3/10, a whopping 30%.... Which would be a low F- if this were a school grade, I don't know what I was expecting but this isn't "so bad its good", its so bad that someone should be fined 500 million dollars, and possibly jailed too- for a minimum of fifty years. Maybe even the entire cast. I rarely want my time back from watching ANYTHING, but thats where we are.
Saltburn (2023)
Intoxicating
Honestly I was totally enchanted by this film... especially the dynamic between Ollie and Felix. It seems like quite a bromance until the end explains all... as much as it might seem one way... Oliver loves Felix. I was captivated enough by shots of Ollie's behind, captivated by a certain bathtub scene, a certain funerary display... but was floored when he dances naked in the end. I was not expecting that at all... I almost thought I willed it to happen, I almost felt seduced by Ollie myself... the actor Barry Keoghan is absolutely beautiful. More so I'm glad directors are starting to realize what an untapped frontier the male nude is. It is far too one sided in cinema. Is it really so necessary to expose women but never men? Obviously women aren't always nude in context... I'm glad this film wasn't scared to go in these directions. SO many Agatha Christie mysteries have a twist like this story... bravo.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Only one thing can save the children...
This movie is absolutely fantastic, it was the first in this franchise I fell in love with and probably because it reminded me of Marvel's Xmen... since these teenagers, the last of the Elm Street children; get to focus on dream powers to fight Freddy. The added bonus of getting more Heather Langencamp and getting a ghost nun just makes it all the better. Patricia Arquette arguably is the most haunting member of the cast, and I wished she could have done the follow up Dream Master- because Tuesday Knight is not an acceptable substitute. The special effects in this film are fantastic and we even get a fun performance from "Mrs Snell" from Stephen King's Carrie... and also Laurence Fishburne. In this film Nancy Thompson returns as a post grad student who studies nightmares and sleep disorders and lends her expertise about Freddy to the remaining children of the mob who burned Freddy alive. This is another film I have seen five hundred times at least and could continue watching endlessly.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
A new dimension in fantasy terror
When I was seven I was haunted by night terrors. I was never allowed to watch anything horror but managed to catch this at a neighbors house... it haunted my dreams for YEARS. It makes me laugh that people say such snide things about it because NOBODY can scream like Mark Patton!! Not even Jamie Lee Curtis! Although there are a few scenes I would have edited out, this is still an extremely frightening movie... considering half of all horror is watered down nonsense this film deserves an 8 all the way. If they had not 1.) had that parakeet scene, 2.) had Freddy come out during the pool party and not revealed it to be a dream, 3.) had Lisa love Freddy away in the end.... This film could have been a perfect 10. Yes that dance scene of Jesse's was super lame, and Yes- they should have had a MUCH hotter gym teacher if we were gonna have to look at his butt in that shower scene... but the atmosphere is haunting, the house is still iconic... this movie does have a kind of seduction, a homoeroticism involved that makes some men uncomfortable- but it gets in your head and THAT IS THE POINT! What I'd love to see is for them to turn UP that juice and REALLY go for it. What if Brad Pitt got this role? He did audition for it.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Not just another nightmare
First of all, the most amazing thing about this film is the score. It is among the best of any film I have ever seen. I could listen to it endlessly... without its atmospheric quality it would be a 5 or 6. All of the performances are incredibly believable... especially industry vet John Saxon (Lt Fuller- Black Christmas, Enter the Dragon). This is Johnny Depp's first film... and Heather Langencamp is absolutely fantastic. Robert Englund is terrifying as a dream stalker who taunts his victims for a few nights before finally slaughtering them. The ending has some flaws but because so much of the film is supposed to be a dream, it can always be written off as such... hard to believe Wes Craven had to shop this script around Hollywood for as long as he did. This will always be my favorite film.
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
So much fun!
First of all -I loved this movie! The protagonist Tara Tooms is like someone I would hang out with in real life. I have always loved punk rock/ metal types and easily this movie could take place in the late 90s when I was a teenager if it wasn't for a few things. Thats really the only hard to believe part of this- that anyone still thinks Lemmy from Motorhead is a "God". I would have found it more believable if she had been a little more Naked Raygun and a lot less Motorhead. There is a definite Terminator vibe but unlike Sarah Conner in the first film, Tara is a badass. The kills and gore in this are top notch, so if you love splatter gorefests- this film is for you!