I was always told that if there isn’t a lot to write about a subject, don’t tax the reader by padding out an article. Nothing could be truer of this advice than my review of the newest release, Machete Kills. I suppose some folks are going to criticize this critique because I do not appreciate…
When one titles a film using a human emotion or condition (i.e., “Frantic” or “Frenzy” or “Psycho” or “Vertigo“), the bar needs to be set fairly high. In the case of Paranoia, however, that bar could not possibly get any lower. And despite starring several Academy Award-caliber performers (previous nominees Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman,…
Never before has a title of a film been more descriptive of what it’s about as Machete Kills. Yep, just like “Machete” before it, Danny Trejo dices, hacks and stabs his way through everyone. But now since B-Movie Grindhouse is apparently in vogue again, some big names like Mel Gibson and the now red-hot Michelle…
Hunter S. Thompson was an acclaimed author and journalist, though as memorable as his literature is, he also has a legacy for his lifelong love of alcohol, mescaline, LSD, and cocaine. And on February 20, 2005, when the drugs stopped supplying happiness, he shot himself to death. The suicide note read: “No More Games. No…
Johnny Depp must be a kindred spirit to Hunter S. Thompson (as well as Tim Burton), as he is starring in his third Thompson written and/or inspired movie. The Rum Diary, for which the first trailer was released, has him playing a slightly off center journalist who moves to Puerto Rico to start afresh. While…
The mental institution is a great location for nearly all movie types, but none more so than the horror or thriller genre. Isolation, deeply disturbed patients and or a sadistic doctor are several cornerstones that can be explored. And using some of these staples, John Carpenter, emerging from a ten year hiatus from movie making,…
Some may say the better days of horror pioneer John Carpenter (“Halloween”) are behind him. From the domestic trailer for The Ward it’s hard to say whether he’s returned to form or not (early festival reviews are a mixed bag) but it is good to at least see him in the director’s chair again, back…
