Junta Juleil's Culture Shock

Only now does it occur to me... THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE!

2012-01-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... that the "father breaking down door with an axe to get at his cowering family" is an established genre.

Film Review: STATE OF THE UNION (1948, Frank Capra)

2012-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

Stars: 4.5 of 5.
Running Time: 124 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Angela Lansbury, Van Johnson (THE CAINE MUTINY, BRIGADOON), Adolphe Menjou (PATHS OF GLORY, A FAREWELL TO ARMS), Margaret Hamilton (13 GHOSTS, THE WIZARD OF OZ). Based on the play by Howard Lindsay and and Russel Crouse (LIFE WITH FATHER, THE SOUND OF MUSIC). Screenplay by Anthony Veiller (THE KILLERS '46, THE STRANGER) and Myles Connolly.
Tag-line: "How's the state of the union? IT'S GREAT!" Not quite nailing the nuance, there.
Best one-liner: "No woman could ever run for President. She'd have to admit she's over thirty-five."

What with the state of the union address last week and the primary circus reaching new heights of wondrous absurdity, the timing feels right for a look at Frank Capra's STATE OF THE UNION.

I'd seen most of the "big" Capras as a kid, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, ARSENIC & OLD LACE, and LOST HORIZON– and of them, only MR. SMITH really made an impression. I'd sort of written off Capra as something of a craftsmanly sentimentalist, and that was a terribly reductive way to look at who's now, really, one of my favorite directors. While I was working on this ongoing "Junta Juleil's All-Time Top 100" list, MR. SMITH came up, and J.D. of Radiator Heaven strongly recommended some "bleaker Capra," which led me onto a real Capra kick, one that ended with a trio of hard-hitting, gut-ripping, compassionately progressive but bitterly true films: MEET JOHN DOE, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, and STATE OF THE UNION. As I wrote in a comment previously– I'm almost shocked that these things were allowed to be made, in that they highlight the *gasp* "socialist" ideals of the Founding Fathers; attack nearly all kinds of mass media; and rise above the pettiness of politics and instead piling on dollop after dollop of pure, bright-eyed Humanism in a world on the brink of tearing its own throat.

STATE OF THE UNION feels ridiculously prescient, though I suppose it's arrogant to believe that the problems of our era are in any way unique. We've got fights over government deregulation, pre-nomination doubletalk, fear-mongering politicians, a media kingmaking "primary" that's more important than the actual votes (see the much-spoken of "Murdoch Primary" for comparison) - the film even boldly dares to ask if there's any real difference between Democrats and Republicans anymore. And the line "Politicians have remained professionals only because the voters have remained amateurs!" has to be one of my favorite zingers in the history of political cinema.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, but it involves Spencer Tracy as an industrialist ("Any man's made as much money as him is a good sound American") who's pushed into running for president by the kingmakers and who decides to do anything he can to get the nomination. The respective angel and devil on his shoulders are his reluctant, conscionable wife (Katherine Hepburn) and the ruthless, power-hungry media magnate (Angela Lansbury). And, as anyone will attest, an evil Lansbury in your movie is always a good thing. (Futhermore, Lansbury is the most vicious, calculating character in a movie whose cast includes Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West!)

Evil Lansbury refuses to acknowledge the help.

So go see STATE OF THE UNION. It's pretty damn good, and it's extremely damn relevant. Which makes it all the more hilarious that Google offered the old chestnut "I'm sorry, did you mean to search for XXX 2: STATE OF THE UNION?"

So on to my secondary point: I watched STATE OF THE UNION later on the same day that I rewatched BARTON FINK, which is probably my favorite Coen brothers film. I was treated to some extremely bizarre and possibly intentional coincidences; some so specific that I probably never would have noticed them had I not happened to view the films back to back. Since the Coens love to repackage and adapt past works (CUTTER'S WAY and THE BIG SLEEP become THE BIG LEBOWSKI, THE GLASS KEY and RED HARVEST become MILLER'S CROSSING, etc.), I'm probably not way off base here.

Now, both BARTON FINK and STATE OF THE UNION are both set in the 1940s, so there's nothing extraordinary about overlapping fashion and decor and popular slang of the time like calling guys "heels," yet, as I watched on, these general tonal similarities began to strike me as odd. And, you know, Judy Davis is kind of like 1991's answer to Katherine Hepburn in her own way.

There's nothing terribly remarkable about that. But then I realized that the plots are basically the same– a man fighting to be in touch with the common man is whisked from one opportunity to another by soulless and strange entourages and handlers who use him as a tool to advance their own self-interests. Also, both films take place largely within the confines of hotel rooms. And, hey!– there's even a creepy little bellhop who prefigures the bizarre-itude of Buscemi in BARTON FINK.

Then, IMDB lists the infamous (of Ed Wood, Jr. fame) Tor Johnson as an uncredited wrestler. It must have been a blink and you'll miss it walk-on, because I must have blinked and missed him, but aficionados of BARTON FINK will take note of the wrestling connection.
But finally, the last parallel, and the one that vindicates my craziness: there's a scene whereupon Tracy and Hepburn are going through the campaign mail bag. They finish reading a letter and marvel, in a strange little moment, about how it's signed "Madman Mundt..."

...who is John Goodman in BARTON FINK!

I'm not sure what I've proven, precisely, outside of "The Coen brothers must love STATE OF THE UNION," but I suppose I'll take that.

-Sean Gill

Only now does it occur to me... THE GODFATHER!

2012-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... that Sterling Hayden's Captain McClusky is the most lovable character in THE GODFATHER.

At first glance, it might not seem like it's the case, but hear me out. When I first saw the film sometime in the early 90s, I had no idea who Sterling Hayden was. Subsequent viewings upgraded him to "the guy from DR. STRANGELOVE" and later to "the guy in all those films noir" and finally, ultimately, to "Sterling mutherfucken Hayden." Yes, I became a full-fledged fanatic. You can read what I've written about him (and some of his fantastic life story) HERE.

Anyway, who is Captain McClusky? At best, a supporting role; at worst, a throwaway henchman. But to me, he's simply the bee's knees.

He first appears as a big lug police captain who's on the take from the nefarious narcotics man, Sollozzo (played by Al Lettieri, of MR. MAJESTYK and THE GETAWAY), punching devoted son Michael (Al Pacino) outside his father's hospital, and, okay, I'll admit that that's not very nice.

But look how happy he is!

Hey, though– he even apologizes later!

He's like a lovable gym teacher, or a kid's soccer coach. "Sorry I had to ride you so hard before the last game, Mikey, but you have to admit, doing those extra laps gave you back the eye of the tiger." Look at his back-slappin', "good job, son" face:

He probably just got back from Grandparents' Day at the local elementary.
Conversely, look at Pacino: planning to kill him. Plotting to bump off sweet old McClusky. What a mean guy. Yet there's a little satisfaction hidden beneath there, too. He's probably already contemplating the horrors of THE GODFATHER PART III.

Then they go to dinner. McClusky's just interested in some veal. Best in the city. Just a sweet old man eatin' some veal. Sollozzo reveals that he'd like to speak privately with Michael in Italian, and look at McClusky:

He's a "go-with-the-flow" kind of a guy. Speak your Italian, make your gangland deals, just leave me to my meal. He's simple, meat-and-potatoes. Well, mostly potatoes, if ya know what I mean, but hey, aren't we all.

Then Michael leaves to retrieve the murder weapon from the bathroom. McClusky's not worried. He frisked him already. He's frisked a thousand punks.

He's so matter-of-fact about it, too. He's not bragging. He's a humble, blue-collar hero who happens to be in the volatile business of punk-frisking. Is that any reason why he should have to die? You tell me.

Then, when Michael's been gone for an inordinate amount of time, he glances toward the bathroom.

It's not an evil glance, nor a scheming one. I think, and correct me if I'm wrong here, that it's a fatherly look. He's genuinely concerned that Michael's having some sort of an issue in the bathroom. Grandpa McClusky is here, ready and willing: need me to fix the toilet, Mikey?, having some trouble with the paper towel dispenser, Mikey?, I have a fine stool softener you can borrow if you'd like, Mikey. What a gent.

Then Michael comes out, and, after a tense moment where you're unsure if he's going to go through with it, actually going to shoot the beloved Gramps McClusky– he does.

I won't even show it here. I'm tearing up, just thinking about it. Doesn't even let him finish his bite of veal. Pretty rough stuff. Here's to you, Captain McClusky; only now does it occur to me that you're THE GODFATHER's emotional core. Or at least the core of veal-luvin', vaguely brutish grandfatherliness. Pass the Werther's.

Only now does it occur to me... FROM HERE TO ETERNITY!

2012-01-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... that pretty much the last thing you want to hear after being court-martialed– but before you're about to be severely clobbered with a billyclub by Ernest Borgnine– has got to be "Hello, tough monkey."

Only now does it occur to me... BIG!

2011-12-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... someone once knocked down Robert Loggia– and lived!

Annnnd... exit Loggia. But fear sweeps in his wake. Sure, later he plays 'Chopsticks' on a giant piano with his feet, but this is the man who so frightened David Lynch at his BLUE VELVET audition that he ended up casting Dennis Hopper, who seemed docile and wholesome in comparison. I'd bet anything that to this day, Tom Hanks checks under his bed every night to make sure Loggia isn't there, waiting.

Only now does it occur to me.... SCROOGED!

2011-12-30T11:50:00.001-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... that once upon a time, John Glover and Robert Mitchum once sat at the same table and shared incredulous looks regarding the increasingly erratic behavior of one Bill Murray.

Long time readers of the site will know of my love for Mitchum and Glover, and to see them both in the same 80s locale in a popular movie that I'd even seen before came as a tremendous and welcome shock. Now, neither of these gents have a great deal to do in SCROOGED (Mitchum is sort of a low-key conscience figure for TV exec Bill Murray, and Glover is an L.A. quasi-sleazebag who's been brought in to direct the SCROOGE TV special which features the Solid Gold Dancers), but it's comforting to know that somewhere out there, John Glover was sitting beside Robert Mitchum, perhaps even helping him in his career-long pursuit of not giving a shit. Happy holidays!

Film Review: V.I. WARSHAWSKI (1991, Jeff Kanew)

2011-12-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Stars: 3.8 of 5.
Running Time: 89 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Kathleen Turner (ROMANCING THE STONE, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, SERIAL MOM), Jay O. Sanders (JFK, GLORY), Charles Durning (SHARKY'S MACHINE, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS), Wayne Knight (Newman on SEINFELD, JURASSIC PARK), Stephen Root (OFFICE SPACE, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN), Nancy Paul (LIFEFORCE, SHEENA QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE), Angela Goethals (HOME ALONE, JERRY MAGUIRE). Directed by Jeff Kanew (REVENGE OF THE NERDS, TROOP BEVERLY HILLS). Music by Randy Edelman (GHOSTBUSTERS II, KINDERGARTEN COP). Cinematography by Jan Kiesser (FRIGHT NIGHT, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL).
Tag-line: "V.I. Warshawski: A private detective with a name as tough as she is."
Best one-liner: "Murray, have you ever seen what I can do with a nutcracker?"

The consensus is that V.I. WARSHAWSKI is not a good movie. The consensus hates V.I. WARSHAWSKI. The consensus sees the Hollywood Pictures logo and cries out in despair, "If you see the Sphinx, it stinks!" But the consensus is wrong. The world needs V.I. WARSHAWSKI. It needs Randy Edelman's almost nonstop, wall-to-wall strains of sleazy saxophone. It needs its comforting 80's Chicago trappings, soaked in Old Style and sitting in an apartment with a terrific view of Wrigley Field. It needs its TV-movie style mystery and cornball comedic stylings. It's like RUNNING SCARED meets MURDER, SHE WROTE with a hearty dash of SERIAL MOM. This is a good thing.

V.I. WARSHAWSKI achieves the impossible: a private-eye/buddy-kid flick that doesn't make one's hair stand on end. For a film whose major throughline is the mispronunciation of our heroine's surname, that says quite a lot. Though WARSHAWSKI may occasionally veer into one-liner territory that's a little too clever for its own good, dammit, it's never "precious." And I'm not gonna lie, WARSHAWSKI– that means a lot. Sure, Kathleen Turner spends half the flick teamed up with a scrappy teen (Angela Goethals), but she threatens bodily harm against children on at least a dozen occasions, muttering (drunken?) lines like "Be back by midnight, or I sell the kid!" Ohhh– and that's right– I just said Kathleen Turner.

You didn't know that? Shame on you. Get ready for America's husky-voiced sweetheart to charm the pants offa ya, and then smash yer nuts– quite literally, on more than one occasion. She attempts a Southern accent, partakes in a motorboat chase,

hoses down the bad guys ("Thanks for the use of your hose." –"She can use my hose anytime."), diffuses an office stand-off by threatening to unplug a computer that hasn't saved its files in hours, seduces a hockey player (like Carla on CHEERS?), and gets punched in the face, brutally, by Wayne Knight (famous for being SEINFELD's 'Newwwwwwman!' and JURASSIC PARK's 'Nyut-nyut-uh! You didn't say the magic word').

Kathleen Turner, one-liner at the ready.

But don't worry, ball-crushing aficionados, Kathleen wreaks hideous revenge upon her chubby nemesis with an actual nutcracker.

Wayne Knight, mere nanoseconds away from the business end of a nutcracker.

Yes, friends, this is a great movie.

And all the supporting character archetypes are here, too. We got Jay O. Sanders as a self-described "mild-mannered reporter" and sometime sidekick/love interest, a supporting villain with an (art? metallurgy?) studio, an overreaching villain who may or may not be a land developer, and the legendary Charles Durning as the gruff and fatherly cop-type who invariably urges restraint but ends up helping our private eye in the clutch.

Durning's first appearance involves him speaking unnecessarily through a megaphone, and at one point he trumps Kathleen Turner's "gut feeling" by proclaiming "my gut is bigger than your gut." I always applaud you, Durning. Always.

In the end, the movie bombed and averted the hoped-for series of V.I. WARSHAWSKI films (apparently there was a whole series of novels which preceded it), and retrospect hasn't been too kind either– it doesn't seem to have developed the cult following which some of its contemporaries have. For me, it's a solid second-tier buddy cop/P.I. type movie, and it can stand tall alongside the likes of ACTION JACKSON, QUIET COOL, RED HEAT, ALIEN NATION, THE ROOKIE, and a whole host of other, occasionally incredible films that are the perfect accompaniment to a profusion of beer and pizza and super-nachos on a Friday night. I bought the Blu-ray (!) of this film for a mere three dollars and fifty-cents, and though the picture quality is probably on-par with a low-to-medium-end DVD, there is a certain satisfaction in being able to say that I own V.I. WARSHAWSKI on fucking Blu-ray. How many of us even are there? How many brave souls who will step forward and admit to owning V.I. WARSHAWSKI at all, much less on the most-advanced, state-of-the-art format, because our passion for and dedication to V.I. WARSHAWSKI is so shockingly vigorous, that anything less would be simply profane! Well, I'm stepping forward, WARSHAWSKI. I'm brave enough. I am your champion. Amen.

-Sean Gill

Only now does it occur to me... 12 ANGRY MEN!

2011-12-13T20:11:00.001-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... exactly how goddamned unsanitary nondisposable bathroom towels used to be! Seriously, though. I love 12 ANGRY MEN, but only upon the latest viewing did I comprehend the full ramifications of the following:

Jack Warden combs his greasy head, then proceeds to wipe the comb on the communal towel:

Henry Fonda dives in right after him like Pete Rose, smothering his face in the exact greasy spot,

then nonchalantly drying his hands as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

And maybe it is. Maybe the mollycoddlin' 21st Century has made a pantywaist germaphobe out of me, and for that I am truly ashamed.

But really, though. Communal bathroom towel? Communal sweat, grease, fluid, urine, excrement, what-have-you? I tell you, those men had reason to be angry.

All joking aside– if you haven't already, see this movie, and do it now. It may very well possess some of the finest blocking ever arranged in a constricted space and some of the more volatile (and sweaty) performances in filmdom. Pass the paper towels!

Only now does it occur to me... BADLANDS!

2011-12-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

Only now does it occur to me... that the Sheen clan has such an extensive history of garbage collecting.

Martin in BADLANDS.

His progeny.

Only now does it occur to me... LABYRINTH!

2011-12-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

So, I've been pretty bad lately in terms of writing reviews– and while many more reviews and the Top 100 countdown shall certainly continue at their own pace, I thought I'd introduce a new feature that allows me to post without eating up a great deal of time. These will be quick, one-off, filmic observations: think of it more as a screening log. Anyway, I was watching LABYRINTH on the big screen the other weekend at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, and I was incredibly lucky to see it with Brian Henson and designer Brian Froud, his wife Wendy, and their son Toby (who played the baby Toby in LABYRINTH) in attendance; and their talkback was truly inspiring for somebody like me, who is obsessed with practical effects, and is entirely enamored of the practical world that Henson, Froud, and so many others built with THE DARK CRYSTAL and LABYRINTH.

Anyway, only now does it occur to me... that 'Hoggle' is basically Charles Bukowski.

Junta Juleil's Updated, Browsable Review Archive: December 2011

2011-12-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

#
3 MEN AND A BABY (1987, Leonard Nimoy)
THE 3 MUSKETEERS (1973, Richard Lester)
7 DAYS IN MAY (1964, John Frankenheimer)
13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS! (1963, William Castle)
13 GHOSTS (1960, William Castle)
48 HRS. (1982, Walter Hill)
52 PICK-UP (1986, John Frankenheimer)
99 AND 44/100% DEAD (1974, John Frankenheimer)
1990: BRONX WARRIORS (1982, Enzo G. Castellari)

A
THE A-TEAM: "TAXICAB WARS" (1983, Gilbert M. Shilton)
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971, Robert Fuest)
ABOUT LAST NIGHT... (1986, Edward Zwick)
ACE IN THE HOLE (1951, Billy Wilder)
ACTION JACKSON (1988, Craig R. Baxley)
ADAM RESURRECTED (2008, Paul Schrader)
ALAMO BAY (1985, Louis Malle)
ALICE COOPER: PRIME CUTS (1991, Neal Preston)
ALIEN NATION (1988, Graham Baker)
ALL THAT JAZZ (1979, Bob Fosse)
ALLIGATOR (1980, Lewis Teague)
AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973, George Lucas)
ANGEL HEART (1987, Alan Parker)
ANTICHRIST (2009, Lars Trier)
A*P*E (1976, Paul Leder)
APPALOOSA (2008, Ed Harris)
THE APPLE (1980, Menahem Golan)
APRIL FOOL'S DAY (1986, Fred Walton)
ARTHUR (1981, Steve Gordon)

B
BABY DOLL (1956, Elia Kazan)
BAD LIEUTENANT (1992, Abel Ferrara)
THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (2009, Werner Herzog)
BAD RONALD (1974, Buzz Kulik)
BALTIKA EXTRA 9 (2008, Russia)
BARFLY (1987, Barbet Schroeder)
BASKET CASE (1982, Frank Henenlotter)
BATTLE IN HEAVEN (2005, Carlos Reygadas)
BEAT GIRL (1959, Edmond T. Gréville)
BEAT STREET (1984, Stan Lathan)
THE BEGUILED (1971, Don Siegel)
BEST WORST MOVIE (2009, Michael Stephenson)
BIG BLOW (2000, United States)
THE BIG CLEAN (198?, Michael Ironside)
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986, John Carpenter)
"BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA" (1986, The Coup de Villes)
BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956, Nicholas Ray)
BILL AND COO (1948, Dean Riesner)
THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970, Dario Argento)
BLACK BOOK (2006, Paul Verhoeven)
THE BLACK CAT (2007, Stuart Gordon)
BLACK MOON RISING (1986, Harley Cokliss)
BLADE RUNNER (1982, Ridley Scott)BLIND FURY (1989, Philip Noyce)
THE BLOOD OF HEROES (1989, David Webb Peoples)
BLOODSPORT (1988, Newt Arnold)
BLUE COLLAR (1978, Paul Schrader)
BLUE DIAMOND BEER (2005, China)
BLUE STEEL (1989, Kathryn Bigelow)
THE BLOB (1988, Chuck Russell)
BLOOD WORK (2002, Clint Eastwood)
BOARDING GATE (2008, Olivier Assayas)
BODY DOUBLE (1984, Brian De Palma)
BODY OF EVIDENCE (1993, Uli Edel)
BODY PARTS (1991, Eric Red)
BORDERLINE (1980, Jerrold Freedman)
BOXING HELENA (1993, Jennifer Chambers Lynch)
THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986, Nick Castle)
BRAINSCAN (1994, John Flynn)
BRAZIL (1985, Terry Gilliam)
BROKEN ARROW (1996, John Woo)
BRONX WARRIORS (1982, Enzo G. Castellari)
THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (1978, Steve Rash)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1992, Fran Rubel Kazui)
BUIO OMEGA (1979, Joe D'Amato)
BULLETPROOF (1988, Steve Carver)
THE BURNING (1981, Tony Maylam)
BURNT OFFERINGS (1976, Dan Curtis)

C
CANDYMAN (1992, Bernard Rose)
CANE TOADS: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY (1988, Mark Lewis)
THE CARD PLAYER (2004, Dario Argento)
CARMEN (1983, Carlos Saura)
CARPY & THE CAP'N- PART 1 (2010, Sean Gill)
CARPY & THE CAP'N- PART 2 (2010, Sean Gill)
CARPY & THE CAP'N- PART 3 (2010, Sean Gill)
CASTLE FREAK (1995, Stuart Gordon)
THE CAT (1992, Ngai Kai Lam)
LE CERCLE ROUGE (1970, Jean-Pierre Melville)
CHAMPAGNE COLA (2009, United States)
THE CHANGELING (1980, Peter Medak)
CHARLES BRONSON'S MANDOM 1-3 (197?, Nobuhiko Obayashi)
CHARLES BRONSON'S MANDOM 4-5 (197?, Nobuhiko Obayashi)
CHARLES BRONSON'S MANDOM 6 (197?, Nobuhiko Obayashi)
CHARLEY VARRICK (1973, Don Siegel)
CHELSEA ON THE ROCKS (2009, Abel Ferrara)
CHILD'S PLAY (1988, Tom Holland)
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE #84: YOU ARE A MONSTER (1988, Edward Packard)
CHOPPING MALL (1986, Jim Wynorski)
CHRISTINE (1983, John Carpenter)
C.H.U.D. (1984, Douglas Cheek)
CLASS OF 1984 (1982, Mark L. Lester)
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
COCKTAIL (1988, Roger Donaldson)
COFFY (1973, Jack Hill)
COMBAT SHOCK (1986, Buddy Giovinazzo)
COMMANDO (1985, Mark L. Lester)
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984, Neil Jordan)
CONQUEST (1983, Lucio Fulci)
COPYING BEETHOVEN (2006, Agnieszka Holland)
THE COTTON CLUB (1984, Francis Ford Coppola)
CRASH (1996, David Cronenberg)
CREEPSHOW (1982, George A. Romero)
CREEPSHOW 2 (1987, Michael Gornick)
CRIMES OF PASSION (1984, Ken Russell)
THE CRIMINAL LIFE OF ARCHIBALD DE LA CRUZ (1955, Luis Buñuel)
CRITTERS (1986, Stephen Herek)
CRITTERS 2: THE MAIN COURSE (1988, Mick Garris)
CRITTERS 3: YOU ARE WHAT THEY EAT (1991, Kristine Peterson)
CRITTERS 4: THEY'RE INVADING YOUR SPACE (1991, Rupert Harvey)
CRY-BABY (1990, John Waters)
CUTTER'S WAY (1981, Ivan Passer)
CUTTING CARDS (1990, Walter Hill)

D
DAD'S OLD FASHIONED BLUE CREAM SODA (2009, United States)
DAGON (2001, Stuart Gordon)
DARK BLUE (2003, Ron Shelton)
THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982, Jim Henson & Frank Oz)
DARK FORCES (1980, Simon Wincer)
DARK PASSAGE (1947, Delmer Daves)
DARK OF THE SUN (1968, Jack Cardiff)
DAVID (1988, John Erman)
DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993, Richard Linklater)
DEAD & BURIED (1981, Gary Sherman)
DEAD HEAT (1988, Mark Goldblatt)
DEAD LIKE ME: LIFE AFTER DEATH (2009, Stephen Herek)
DEAD MAN'S CURVE (1986, Roger Vadim)
THE DEAD POOL (1988, Buddy van Horn)
DEADBEAT AT DAWN (1988, Jim van Bebber)
THE DEADLY SPAWN (1983, Douglas McKeown)
DEADLY WEAPONS (1974, Doris Wishman)
DEATH HUNT (1981, Peter R. Hunt)
DEATH WISH (1974, Michael Winner)
DEATH WISH II (1982, Michael Winner)
DEATH WISH 3 (1985, Michael Winner)
DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN (1987, J. Lee Thompson)
DEATH WISH V: THE FACE OF DEATH (1994, Allan A. Goldstein)
DEEP RED (1975, Dario Argento)
THE DELTA FORCE (1986, Menahem Golan)
DELTA FORCE 2: THE COLUMBIAN CONNECTION (1990, Aaron Norris)
DEMOLITION MAN (1993, Marco Brambilla)
DEMONS 2 (1986, Lamberto Bava)
THE DEVILS (1971, Ken Russell)
DIARY OF THE DEAD (2008, George A. Romero)
DILLINGER (1973, John Milius)
DIRTY HARRY (1971, Don Siegel)
DOCKS OF NEW YORK (1928, Josef von Sternberg)
DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (1973, John Newland)
DOWN BY LAW (1986, Jim Jarmusch)
DR. JEKYLL AND MS. HYDE (1995, David Price)
DRACULA (1931, Tod Browning)
DUCK, YOU SUCKER (1971, Sergio Leone)

E
THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... (1953, Max Ophüls)
EATING RAOUL (1982, Paul Bartel)
ELVES (1989, Jeffrey Mandel)
ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK (1988, James Signorelli)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980, Irvin Kershner)
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA PROCUREMENT (2009, United States)
THE END (1978, Burt Reynolds)
ENTER THE NINJA (1981, Menahem Golan)
ENSAYO DE UN CRIMEN (1955, Luis Buñuel)
ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996, John Carpenter)
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981, John Carpenter)
EUREKA (1983, Nicolas Roeg)
AN EVENING WITH GOLAN AND GLOBUS (2010, Sean Gill)
THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (1984, J. Lee Thompson)
EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977, John Boorman)
THE EXORCIST III: LEGION (1990, William Peter Blatty)
EXOTICA (1994, Atom Egoyan)
THE EXTERMINATOR (1980, James Glickenhaus)
EXTERMINATOR 2 (1984, Mark Bunztman)
EXTREME JUSTICE (1993, Mark L. Lester)
EXTREME PREJUDICE (1987, Walter Hill)

F
FACE/OFF (1997, John Woo)
THE FACULTY (1998, Robert Rodriguez)
FAIL-SAFE (1964, Sidney Lumet)
FALLING DOWN (1993, Joel Schumacher)
FANCY FOOTWORK (1952, Martin Rackin)
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009, Wes Anderson & Mark Gustafson)
FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (1975, Dick Richards)
FAREWELL TO THE KING (1989, John Milius)
FAST FORWARD (1985, Sidney Poitier)
FAT CITY (1972, John Huston)
FAT GIRL (2001, Catherine Breillat)
FATAL BEAUTY (1987, Tom Holland)
FEAST II: SLOPPY SECONDS (2008, John Gulager)
FEAST III: THE HAPPY FINISH (2009, John Gulager)
FIRESTARTER (1984, Mark Lester)
FIREWALKER (1986, J. Lee Thompson)
THE FIRM (1993, Sydney Pollack)
FLASHDANCE (1983, Adrian Lyne)
FLASHPOINT (1984, William Tannen)
FLESH + BLOOD (1985, Paul Verhoeven)
FLESHBURN (1984, George Gage)
THE FOG (1980, John Carpenter)
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965, Sergio Leone)
FOR Y'UR HEIGHT ONLY (1981, Eddie Nicart)
FORCED TO KILL (1994, Russell Solberg)
FOREVER MINE (1999, Paul Schrader)
FOXY BROWN (1974, Jack Hill)
FRANKENHOOKER (1990, Frank Henenlotter)
FREDDY VS. JASON (2003, Ronny Yu)
FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE (1991, Rachel Talalay)
FREDDY'S GREATEST HITS- PART 1 (1987, The Elm Street Group)
FREDDY'S GREATEST HITS- PART 2 (1987, The Elm Street Group)
FREEBIE AND THE BEAN (1974, Richard Rush)
FREEJACK (1992, Geoff Murphy)
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III: IN 3-D (1982, Steve Miner)
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989, Rob Hedden)
THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (1973, Peter Yates)
FRIGHT NIGHT (1985, Tom Holland)
FROGS (1972, George McCowan)
FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM (1987, Jeff Burr)
FROZEN RIVER (2008, Courtney Hunt)

G
THE GAMBLER (1980, Dick Lowry)
THE GARBAGE PAIL KIDS MOVIE (1987, Rod Amateau)
GEEK MAGGOT BINGO (1983, Nick Zedd)
GET CARTER (1971, Mike Hodges)
THE GHOST MAKER: A HALLOWEEN TALE (1988, John Carpenter)
GHOULIES III: GHOULIES GO TO COLLEGE (1991, John Carl Buechler)
GIALLO (2010, Dario Argento)
A GIRL CUT IN TWO (2008, Claude Chabrol)
THE GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE (1968, Jack Cardiff)
THE GLASS SHIELD (1994, Charles Burnett)
GO GO TALES (2007, Abel Ferrara)
GOTHIC (1986, Ken Russell)
GRAN TORINO (2008, Clint Eastwood)
LA GRANDE BOUFFE (1973, Marco Ferreri)
GREY GARDENS (1975, Albert & David Maysles)
GUINNESS- PURE GENIUS: PART 1 (1987-1993, Rutger Hauer)
GUNCRAZY (1992, Tamra Davis)

H
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982, Tommy Lee Wallace)
HANA-BI (1997, Takeshi Kitano)
HANG 'EM HIGH (1968, Ted Post)
HANGOVER SQUARE (1945, John Brahm)
HANNIBAL (2001, Ridley Scott)
HAPPY (1983, Lee Philips)
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008, Mike Leigh)
HARD RAIN (1998, Mikael Salomon)
HARD TICKET TO HAWAII (1987, Andy Sidaris)
HARLEQUIN (1980, Simon Wincer)
HAUSU (1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi)
HEARTBREAK RIDGE (1986, Clint Eastwood)
HEAVENLY BODIES (1984, Lawrence Dane)
HEIST (2001, David Mamet)
HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1968, John Boorman)
HELLBOUND (1994, Aaron Norris)
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988, Tony Randel)
HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II (1987, Bruce Pittman)
HELLRAISER (1987, Clive Barker)
HERO AND THE TERROR (1988, William Tannen)
THE HEROIN BUSTERS (1977, Enzo G. Castellari)
HI, MOM! (1970, Brian De Palma)
HIGH SCHOOL U.S.A. (1983, Rod Amateau)
HIGH SPIRITS (1988, Neil Jordan)
HIGHBALL (1997, Noah Baumbach)
HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951, John Farrow)
THE HIT (1984, Stephen Frears)
THE HITCHER (1986, Robert Harmon)
THE HITCHHIKER: "DEAD MAN'S CURVE" (1986, Roger Vadim)
THE HITCHHIKER: "HOMEBODIES" (1987, Carl Schenkel)
THE HITCHHIKER: "LAST SCENE" (1986, Paul Verhoeven)
THE HITCHHIKER: "THE LEGENDARY BILLY B." (1987, Chris Thomson)
THE HITCHHIKER: "STRIPTEASE" (1986, Jerry Ciccoritti)
THE HITCHHIKER: "W.G.O.D." (1985, Mike Hodges)
HOLLOW MAN (2000, Paul Verhoeven)
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1995, Jodie Foster)
HOMEBODIES (1987, Carl Schenkel)
HOMECOMING (2005, Joe Dante)
HOMER AND EDDIE (1989, Andrei Konchalovsky)
HOMICIDAL (1961, William Castle)
HOMICIDE (1991, David Mamet)
HOOPER (1978, Hal Needham)
HOUSE OF WAX (1953, Andre de Toth)
THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959, William Castle)
HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY (1987, Ethan Wiley)
HOUSE III: THE HORROR SHOW (1989, James Isaac)
HUDSON HAWK (1991, Michael Lehmann)
HUNGER (2008, Steve McQueen)
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990, John McTiernan)
THE HURT LOCKER (2009, Kathryn Bigelow)

I
IN THE LOOP (2009, Armando Iannucci)
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994, John Carpenter)
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984, Steven Spielberg)
INFERNO (1953, Roy Ward Baker)
INFERNO (1980, Dario Argento)
THE INNOCENTS (1961, Jack Clayton)
INTRUDER (1989, Scott Spiegel)
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978, Philip Kaufman)
IRISH POTCHEEN (2006, Ireland)

J
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963, Don Chaffey)
JFK (1991, Oliver Stone)
JOHN CARPENTER FANFICTION (2010, Sean Gill)
A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS (2009, John Waters)
JOHNNY HANDSOME (1989, Walter Hill)

K
KELLY'S HEROES (1970, Brian G. Hutton)
KENNY ROGERS AS THE GAMBLER (1980, Dick Lowry)
KEOMA (1976, Enzo G. Castellari)
KICKING AND SCREAMING (1995, Noah Baumbach)
KILL, BABY...KILL! (1966, Mario Bava)
KILLER WORKOUT (1986, David A. Prior)
THE KILLERS (1964, Don Siegel)
KING COBRA MALT LIQUOR AD- PART 1 (1985, Fred Williamson)
KING OF THE ANTS (2003, Stuart Gordon)
KNIGHTRIDERS (1982, George A. Romero)
KOYAANISQATSI (1983, Godfrey Reggio)
KUFFS (1992, Bruce A. Evans)

L
LABATT MAXIMUM ICE (1993, Michael Ironside)
THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM (1988, Ken Russell)
THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998, Whit Stillman)
THE LAST DETAIL (1973, Hal Ashby)
LAST SCENE (1986, Paul Verhoeven)
THE LAST SHARK (1981, Enzo G. Castellari)
LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3 (1990, Jeff Burr)
THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN (1985, Matthew Robbins)
THE LEGENDARY BILLY B. (1987, Chris Thomson)
THE LEOPARD MAN (1943, Jacques Tourneur)
LET'S KILL UNCLE, BEFORE UNCLE KILLS US (1966, William Castle)
THE LETTER PEOPLE, EPISODE 1- MEET MR. M (1974, Elayne Reiss-Weimann & Rita Friedman)
THE LETTER PEOPLE, EPISODE 2- MEET MR. T (1974, Thomas McDonough)
THE LETTER PEOPLE, EPISODE 23- MEET MR. G (1974, Thomas McDonough)
LEVIATHAN (1989, George P. Cosmatos)
LIFE AT THE OUTPOST (1979, Skatt Bros.)
LIFEFORCE (1985, Tobe Hooper)
THE LIMEY (1999, Steven Soderbergh)
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL (2009, Jim Jarmusch)
LITTLE WITCHES (1996, Jane Simpson)
LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN (1971, Lucio Fulci)
LONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983, Steve Carver)
LOST HIGHWAY (1997, David Lynch)
THE LOVELESS (1982, Kathryn Bigelow & Monty Montgomery)

M
THE MACHINIST (2004, Brad Anderson)
MACSHAYNE: WINNER TAKES ALL (1994, E.W. Swackhamer)
MAD MONSTER PARTY? (1967, Jules Bass)
MADIGAN (1968, Don Siegel)
MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937, Leo McCarey)
MAN ON WIRE (2008, James Marsh)
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975, John Huston)
MANHUNTER (1986, Michael Mann)
MANIAC! (1980, William Lustig)
MANIAC COP 2 (1990, William Lustig)
THE MANITOU (1978, William Girdler)
MARY (2008, Abel Ferrara)
MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986, Stephen King)
THE MECHANIC (1972, Michael Winner)
MEN AT WORK (1990, Emilio Estevez)
THE MERCENARIES (1968, Jack Cardiff)
MESSENGER OF DEATH (1988, J. Lee Thompson)
MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL (1997, Clint Eastwood)
METROPOLITAN (1990, Whit Stillman)
MILDRED PIERCE (1945, Michael Curtiz)
MIRACLE MILE (1988, Steve De Jarnatt)
MISSING IN ACTION (1984, Joseph Zito)
MISSION TO MARS (2000, Brian De Palma)
MISTER LONELY (2008, Harmony Korine)
MODESTY BLAISE (1966, Joseph Losey)
MONSTER DOG (1984, Claudio Fragasso)
THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987, Fred Dekker)
MOONWALKER (1988, Jerry Kramer, Colin Chivers, & Jim Blashfield)
MORTUARY ACADEMY (1988, Michael Schroeder)
MOTHER OF TEARS (2008, Dario Argento)
MR. JEALOUSY (1997, Noah Baumbach)
MR. MAJESTYK (1974, Richard Fleischer)
MR. NORTH (1988, Danny Huston)
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939, Frank Capra)
MURDER ROCK (1984, Lucio Fulci)
MURPHY'S LAW (1986, J. Lee Thompson)
MY BEST FRIEND IS A VAMPIRE (1987, Jimmy Huston)
MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981, George Mihalka)
MY OWN WORST ENEMY (2008, Jason Smilovic)
MY SCIENCE PROJECT (1985, Jonathan R. Betuel)
MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE? (2009, Werner Herzog)
MY WINNIPEG (2008, Guy Maddin)

N
NAKED (1993, Mike Leigh)
THE NAME OF THE ROSE (1986, Jean-Jacques Annaud)
NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (2007, Jon Turteltaub)
NEAR DARK (1987, Kathryn Bigelow)
THE NEVERENDING STORY II: THE NEXT CHAPTER (1990, George Miller)
NEVERMORE: AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE (2011, Stuart Gordon)
NEW NIGHTMARE (1994, Wes Craven)
THE NEW YORK RIPPER (1982, Lucio Fulci)
NEW YORK STORIES (1989, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, & Woody Allen)
NIGHT MOVES (1975, Arthur Penn)
THE NIGHT WALKER (1964, William Castle)
NIGHTFALL (1957, Jacques Tourneur)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984, Wes Craven)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD (1989, Stephen Hopkins)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 6: FREDDY'S DEAD (1991, Rachel Talalay)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 7: NEW NIGHTMARE (1994, Wes Craven)
NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD (2009, Mark Hartley)
NOWHERE TO HIDE (1987, Mario Azzopardi)

O
O.C. AND STIGGS (1985, Robert Altman)
OBSESSION (1976, Brian De Palma)
THE OCTAGON (1980, Eric Karson)
OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN (1983, George P. Cosmatos)
THE OFFENCE (1972, Sidney Lumet)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO (2003, Robert Rodriguez)
ONE CRAZY SUMMER (1986, Savage Steve Holland)
ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1938, Howard Hawks)
OUT FOR JUSTICE (1991, John Flynn)
THE OUTFIT (1973, John Flynn)
OUTRAGEOUS! (1977, Richard Benner)

P
THE PARK IS MINE! (1986, Steven Hilliard Stern)
PAST MIDNIGHT (1991, Jan Eliasberg)
PATTY HEARST (1988, Paul Schrader)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009, Oren Peli)
PELTS (2006, Dario Argento)
THE PENALTY (1920, Wallace Worsley)
PHASE IV (1974, Saul Bass)
PHENOMENA (1985, Dario Argento)
THE PIANO (1993, Jane Campion)
THE PIANO TEACHER (2001, Michael Haneke)
PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953, Sam Fuller)
PIECES (1982, Juan Piquer Simón)
PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING (1981, James Cameron)
THE PIRATE MOVIE (1982, Ken Annakin)
PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY (1999, Martyn Burke)
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1991, Stuart Gordon)
PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965, Mario Bava)
POLTERGEIST (1982, Tobe Hooper & Steven Spielberg)
POOR PRETTY EDDIE (1975, Chris Robinson & David Worth)
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (2005, John Putch)
PREDATOR 2 (1990, Stephen Hopkins)
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987, John Carpenter)
THE PRINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA (1988, Ron Nyswaner)
THE PRINCIPAL (1987, Christopher Cain)
PRIVATE PARTS (1972, Paul Bartel)
PROM NIGHT (1980, Paul Lynch)
PROM NIGHT II: HELLO MARY LOU (1987, Bruce Pittman)
THE PROWLER (1981, Joseph Zito)
PSYCHO (1998, Gus van Sant)
PULP FICTION (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
PUMP UP THE VOLUME (1990, Allan Moyle)
PUSS IN BOOTS (1988, Eugene Marner)

Q
Q & A (1990, Sidney Lumet)
QUIET COOL (1986, Clay Borris)

R
THE RAGE (1997, Sidney J. Furie)
RAGING BULL (1980, Martin Scorsese)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, Steven Spielberg)
RAISING CAIN (1992, Brian De Palma)
RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (1985, George Cosmatos)
RAMBO III (1988, Peter MacDonald)
RAMBO IV (2008, Sylvester Stallone)
RAWHIDE: "DUEL AT DAYBREAK" (1965, Sutton Roley)
REAL COTTON CANDY (????, United States)
[•REC] (2007, Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza)
RED DAWN (1984, John Milius)
RED DRAGON (2002, Brett Ratner)
RED ROCK WEST (1993, John Dahl)
THE RED SHOES (1948, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger)
THE RED SKELTON SHOW: "FANCY FOOTWORK" (1952, Martin Rackin)
REDNECK COUNTY RAPE (1975, Chris Robinson & David Worth)
RENT-A-COP (1987, Jerry London)
THE RESURRECTED (1992, Dan O'Bannon)
THE RESURRECTION OF BRONCHO BILLY (1970, James R. Rokos)
REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983, Sam Firstenberg)
REVOLVER (1973, Sergio Sollima)
RHINESTONE (1984, Bob Clark)
RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY (1991, Ngai Kai Lam)
RIO BRAVO (1958, Howard Hawks)
ROADGAMES (1981, Richard Franklin)
ROADIE (1980, Alan Rudolph)
ROBOT JOX (1990, Stuart Gordon)
ROCK 'N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979, Joe Dante & Allan Arkush)
ROCK 'N ROLL NIGHTMARE (1987, John Fasano)
ROLLER BOOGIE (1979, Mark L. Lester)
ROLLING THUNDER (1977, John Flynn)
THE ROOKIE (1990, Clint Eastwood)
THE ROOM (2003, Tommy Wiseau)
ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968, Roman Polanski)
RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985, Andrei Konchalovsky)
RUNNING SCARED (1986, Peter Hyams)
RYAN'S DAUGHTER (1970, David Lean)

S
THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD (2003, Guy Maddin)
SALEM'S LOT (1979, Tobe Hooper)
SALSA (1988, Boaz Davidson)
SALUTE OF THE JUGGER (1989, David Webb Peoples)
SATURN 3 (1980, Stanley Donen)
SAVAGE STREETS (1984, Danny Steinmann)
SAVE ME (1994, Alan Roberts)
THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934, Josef von Sternberg)
SCREAMERS (1995, Christian Duguay)
SEE YOU AT THE CAST PARTY, IRONSIDE (2010, Sean Gill)
SEINE GROSSE ERFOLGE (1969, Heino)
THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1988, Wes Craven)
SEVEN BEAUTIES (1975, Lina Wertmüller)
SEVEN DAYS IN MAY (1964, John Frankenheimer)
SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1978, Michael Schultz)
SHAKES THE CLOWN (1991, Bobcat Goldthwait)
SHARKY'S MACHINE (1981, Burt Reynolds)
THE SHINING (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
THE SHOOTIST (1976, Don Siegel)
SILENT LIGHT (2007, Carlos Reygadas)
SILENT RAGE (1982, Michael Miller)
THE SILENT WORLD (1956, Jacques Cousteau & Louis Malle)
SILVER BULLET (1985, Daniel Attias)
SIMPLE MEN (1992, Hal Hartley)
SLEEPWALKERS (1992, Mick Garris)
SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999, Tim Burton)
SLUGS THE MOVIE (1988, Juan Piquer Simón)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008, Danny Boyle)
SMITHEREENS (1982, Susan Seidelman)
SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980, Jeannot Szwarc)
SOUTHERN COMFORT (1981, Walter Hill)
SPACEHUNTER: ADVENTURES IN THE FORBIDDEN ZONE (1983, Lamont Johnson)
SPASMO (1974, Umberto Lenzi)
SPIDER BABY (1964, Jack Hill)
ST. IDES MALT LIQUOR JINGLE (1992, Ice Cube)
ST. IVES (1976, J. Lee Thompson)
THE STAND (1994, Mick Garris)
STAR 80 (1983, Bob Fosse)
STAR CRYSTAL (1985, Lance Lindsay)
STAR WARS (1977, George Lucas)
STEPFATHER 2: MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY (1989, Jeff Burr)
STONE COLD (1991, Craig R. Baxley)
THE STONE KILLER (1973, Michael Winner)
STRAIGHT TIME (1978, Ulu Grosbard)
STRAIT-JACKET (1964, William Castle)
STREET SMART (1987, Jerry Schatzberg )
STREET TRASH (1987, J. Michael Muro)
STRIPTEASE (1986, Jerry Ciccoritti)
STRIPTEASE (1996, Andrew Bergman)
STROKER ACE (1983, Hal Needham)
STROZEK (1978, Werner Herzog)
STUCK (2008, Stuart Gordon)
THE STUFF (1985, Larry Cohen)
THE STUNT MAN (1980, Richard Rush)
THE SUBSTITUTE (1996, Robert Mandel)
SUBURBIA (1983, Penelope Spheeris)
SUMMER HOURS (2009, Olivier Assayas)
SUNSET BLVD. (1950, Billy Wilder)
SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD (2010, George A. Romero)
SURVIVAL QUEST (1989, Don Coscarelli)
SURVIVING THE GAME (1994, Ernest R. Dickerson)
SUSPIRIA (1977, Dario Argento)
SWAMP THING (1982, Wes Craven)
SWING SHIFT (1984, Jonathan Demme)
SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (1975, Jack Hill)

T
THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV (1966, Roberto Rossellini)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: "CUTTING CARDS" (1990, Walter Hill)
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE (1990, John Harrison)
TALES OF HOFFMANN (1951, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger)
TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS (1981, Marco Ferreri)
TALES OF THE CITY (1993, Alastair Reid)
THE TALL T (1957, Budd Boetticher)
TAPEHEADS (1988, Bill Fishman)
TAXICAB WARS (1983, Gilbert M. Shilton)
TEACHERS (1984, Arthur Hiller)
TELEFON (1977, Don Siegel)
TENEBRE (1982, Dario Argento)
TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN (1958, Joseph H. Lewis)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974, Tobe Hooper)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986, Tobe Hooper)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3 (1990, Jeff Burr)
THEY LIVE (1988, John Carpenter)
THE THING (1982, John Carpenter)
THE THIRD MIRACLE (1999, Agnieszka Holland)
THIRTEEN FRIGHTENED GIRLS! (1963, William Castle)
THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS (1952, Felix E. Feist)
THREE MEN AND A BABY (1987, Leonard Nimoy)
THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973, Richard Lester)
THUNDER ROAD (1958, Arthur Ripley)
THUNDERBIRD WINE AD (196?, James Mason)
THE TINGLER (1959, William Castle)
TOMBSTONE (1993, "George Cosmatos" & Kurt Russell)
TOP GUN (1986, Tony Scott)
TOTAL RECALL (1990, Paul Verhoeven)
TOURIST TRAP (1979, David Schmoeller)
TRANCERS (1985, Charles Band)
TRAPPED ASHES (2006, Various)
TRICK 'R TREAT (2009, Michael Dougherty)
TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975, Dan Curtis)
TRON (1982, Steven Lisberger)
LE TROU (1960, Jacques Becker)
TROUBLE THE WATER (2008, "Tia Lessin & Carl Deal")
TRUCK TURNER (1974, Jonathan Kaplan)
TRUE CRIME (1999, Clint Eastwood)
TRUST (1990, Hal Hartley)
TUAREG: THE DESERT WARRIOR (1984, Enzo G. Castellari)
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992, David Lynch)
TWINS (1988, Ivan Reitman)
TWO EVIL EYES (1990, George A. Romero & Dario Argento)

U
UNDER SIEGE (1992, Andrew Davis)
THE UNHOLY THREE (1925, Tod Browning)
THE UNKNOWN (1927, Tod Browning)
USED CARS (1980, Robert Zemeckis)
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995, Bryan Singer)

V
THE V WORD (2006, Ernest R. Dickerson)
VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS (1970, Jaromil Jires)
VAMP (1986, Richard Wenk)
VAMPIRE'S KISS (1988, Robert Bierman)
VAMPIRE'S SECRET ICE POPS (1993, United States)
VAMPIRES (1998, John Carpenter)
VAMPYR (1932, Carl Th. Dreyer)
VIDEODROME (1983, David Cronenberg)
VIGILANTE (1983, William Lustig)
VIOLENT CITY (1970, Sergio Sollima)
VISION QUEST (1985, Harold Becker)
VISITING HOURS (1982, Jean-Claude Lord)

W
W. (2008, Oliver Stone)
W.G.O.D. (1985, Mike Hodges)
WAITING OUT THE EIGHTIES: PART 1 (1985, The Coupe de Villes)
WAITING OUT THE EIGHTIES: PART 2 (1985, The Coupe de Villes)
THE WANDERERS (1979, Philip Kaufman)
THE WARD (2011, John Carpenter)
WAXWORK (1988, Anthony Hickox)
WEDLOCK (1991, Lewis Teague)
WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S (1989, Ted Kotcheff)
WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE (1994, Wes Craven)
THE WHITE BUFFALO (1977, J. Lee Thompson)
WHITE DOG (1982, Sam Fuller)
WHITE HUNTER, BLACK HEART (1990, Clint Eastwood)
WHITE LINE FEVER (1975, Jonathan Kaplan)
WHITE SANDS (1992, Roger Donaldson)
WHO AM I THIS TIME? (1982, Jonathan Demme)
WILD AT HEART (1990, David Lynch)
WILD BILL (1995, Walter Hill)
WILD FOR KICKS (1959, Edmond T. Gréville)
THE WILD ONE (1953, Laslo Benedek)
WILD PALMS (1993, Kathryn Bigelow, Keith Gordon, Phil Joanou, & Peter Hewitt)
THE WILLIES (1991, Brian Peck)
WINNING (1969, James Goldstone)
THE WIZARD (1989, Todd Holland)
THE WORST WITCH (1986, Robert Young)
THE WRESTLER (2008, Darren Aronofsky)

X

Y
YOU, THE LIVING (2009, Roy Andersson)
YOU ARE A MONSTER (1988, Edward Packard)

Z
ZERO EFFECT (1998, Jake Kasdan)
ZIP ZAP RAP (1986, Devastatin' Dave the Turntable Slave)

Junta Juleil's Top 100: #45-41

2011-11-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

45. THE CRIMINAL LIFE OF ARCHIBALD DE LA CRUZ (1955, Luis Buñuel)

One of the wildest and weirdest films in Buñuel's entire oeuvre. Often, cineastes delve into Buñuel from one end or the other (either from his early, surrealist works like UN CHIEN ANDALOU and L'AGE D'OR, or from his latter-day international arthouse successes like THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE or BELLE DU JOUR) and neglect the lesser-well-known films of his Mexican catalogue (roughly 1947-1960). There's some real gems in there, films like EL, FEVER MOUNTS IN EL PAO), SUSANA, NAZARIN, and THE CRIMINAL LIFE OF ARCHIBALD DE LA CRUZ. Following a daydreaming milquetoast who believes himself responsible for a series of murders (and maybe he is...), the film delves deeply into thought crimes and 'the murderous urge.' Is it aberrant? Perverse? Can it be healthy if not acted upon? Toss in some insane, uncomfortable imagery and a wicked sense of humor and this is one of Buñuel's finest works.

44. KICKING AND SCREAMING (1995, Noah Baumbach)

I first watched KICKING AND SCREAMING the weekend before I graduated from college. I thought it was funny and quotable, sure, but I can't say it had too much of an impact. Then I watched it again about eight months after graduation, and suddenly it was relevant, it was poignant, it was real and it was true. I can't really think of a better example of a film that improves with real-life context, and perhaps it can all be summed up in one critical line of dialogue: "What I used to be able to pass off as a bad summer could now potentially turn into a bad life." But it's hilarious, too, and the whole pre-SQUID AND THE WHALE Baumbach gang is here, and in top form: the deadpan, crossword puzzling Chris Eigeman who at one point faces off with his trashy teenage girlfriend against a man who "ALREADY would rather be bow-hunting," Carlos Jacott's propensity for pajama tops and hiding from the cookie man, Eric Stoltz as the aging perpetual-college-student-bartender dispensing nuggets of wisdom and overseeing an awkward two-man book club, Baumbach himself accusing you of cow-fucking. We've got Parker Posey as the typical (but always welcome) lovably bitchy character that she plays, Elliot Gould as another cypher for Baumbach's own father, and Josh Hamilton and Olivia d'Abo as a doomed(?) couple that forms the emotive core of the picture. In the end, it seems that either you'll connect with the subject matter in KICKING AND SCREAMING, or, like the cacophony of anti-Baumbach voices that accompanied it when it entered the Criterion Collection, you plainly just won't get it. But it doesn't matter– for its target audience, KICKING AND SCREAMING (like other early Baumbachs like HIGHBALL and MR. JEALOUSY) initiates you into a devoted cult where the members say things like "Ding!" and "Gotta have id" and "There's food in the beer" and then chuckle and remember how damned good this film really is. Alright– two last selling points: it features Dom DeLuise's son as a bouncer and the line "Is that copy of DR. GIGGLES letterboxed?" is uttered. Okay, I'll stop now.

43. SEVEN BEAUTIES (1975, Lina Wertmüller)

I don't know what happened to Lina Wertmüller. In the 1970s, she was a top dog in the art film world, she became the first woman ever nominated for the Oscar for Best Director, and her films were adored by critics. In 2011, when I try to have a discussion about her, invariably I have to mention that she did the original version of a terrible Guy Ritchie/Madonna movie (SWEPT AWAY) before I see a flicker of recognition. It's a goddamn shame, because SEVEN BEAUTIES (her masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned) is one of the finest films ever made about the Second World War. Giancarlo Giannini (who would be Wertmüller's De Niro if she were Scorsese) is Pasqualino "Seven Beauties," a pompous, struttin' two-bit hood with seven ugly sisters who becomes wrapped up in a picaresque plotline which ferries him from vicious murder to an insane asylum to a conscription in the Fascist army to the shivering, cold, hard realities of a concentration camp. Darkly comic throughout, it frequently meanders into the grotesque– a starving man must seduce an obese Nazi Shirley Stoler, whose character is based on the notorious "Bitch of Buchenwald;" Buñuel-crony Fernando Rey gives a partly hilarious, partly terrifying performance as a concentration camp prisoner who may have the greatest exit line in filmdom ("I go into the shit!"); and Tonini Delli Colli (who worked with Leone, Fellini, Malle, Polanski, et al.) films for us grand, operatic, colorful images (which are occasionally intruded upon by bodily fluids). Could make for a good double-feature with THE TIN DRUM if you're interested in hastening your own suicide. Regardless, it's a bold vision of passion and hate and war and survival, and it really deserves an exalted position in the canon of world cinema.

42. TENEBRE (1982, Dario Argento)

Oh, boy. TENEBRE. How is it possible that I haven't reviewed this? Where do I even begin?? The ludicrously long crane shot around a piece of modern architecture which has curled the toes and blown the minds of the likes of Brian De Palma and Quentin Tarantino? The skillfully crafted twists and turns which make it, alongside DEEP RED, the most exquisite and hilariously twisty giallo ever written? The stylized murders, which eschew the typical expressionist Argento colored lighting in favor of pure imagery– dilating pupils, the black glove, spurts of blood, and Antonioni-style locales of urban alienation? The tough cop who says he only drinks on duty? The mind-blowing, arcade-frequenting Italo-lesbians? Goblin's pulsating disco score, which, with a roll of synthesized timpani somehow nullifies and transcends all of their prog rock roots? The mind-blowing, transgendered flashbacks? Tony Franciosa's amateur detective work and gosh-darned likability? John Saxon's sleazitude? Daria Nicolodi's endless, endless, endless screams? The incredibly and outrageously self-reflexive plot, which begs the question: DOES DARIO ARGENTO ACTUALLY KILL PEOPLE? Yessir, TENEBRE is all this and more. A dark, bold statement from a master of horror who pulls no punches in his dogged pursuit of cinematic truth and, uh... artistic murders of beautiful women.

41. WILD AT HEART (1990, David Lynch)

As I have said before: Magnificent, beautiful, and disturbing, Lynch's Palm d'or-winning adaptation of Barry Gifford's novel, filtered through the emerald lens of THE WIZARD OF OZ, is certainly as fiery and unpredictable as the slow-motion flames that are wont to erupt intermittently from the screen.
A masterpiece of style, a frequent complaint is that the whole is less than the sum of the parts. I can concede that this film is not for everyone. It's not. But how can you say 'no' to a Nic Cage that's so intense, he karate chops the air when he dances and wears thong underwear; a Laura Dern so sultry, she's posing with her hand sweeping through her coiffure for most of the film; a Willem Dafoe so creepy his gums cover half of his teeth (and whose first appearance, a slow stroll amid Christmas lights and morbidly obese porno actresses- is one of the most comically terrifying entrances in film history); a Harry Dean Stanton so endearing he tugs at your heartstrings even as he yips and yaps at hyenas on TV; a crippled, lipstick-smeared Grace Zabriskie who is so goddamned freaky that she'll make your hair curl; or a Diane Ladd whose tremendous performance is punctuated by the real-life mother-daughter relationship? There's a cameo by Crispin Glover that packs more material and layers of performance and meaning in a mere two minutes than most actors can aspire to in a feature. There's John Lurie in a Confederate flag hat. There's Jack Nance with an invisible dog. There's Angelo Badalamenti making the most blood-curdling use of a brass section, ever. There's homage to Jacques Tati (involving a giant red pipe in Big Tuna) and Akira Kurosawa (the feed store dog with the severed hand like in YOJIMBO). It's 124 minutes of exhiliration, dread, and magical Americana. And there's as much oddness, terror, love, and joy as there really is in this world that's so "wild at heart and weird on top," and to give any more away would do the film a disservice. One of the greats.

Coming up next: Magic glasses, nosey noses, and my favorite ghost movie!

-Sean Gill

RIP, Ken Russell

2011-11-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

I'm depressed to report that the irrepressibly brilliant and brilliantly irrepressible British director Ken Russell died yesterday at the age of 84 after a series of strokes. Russell was and is one of the greatest filmmakers to ever work in the medium, and directed two of my all-time favorites, THE DEVILS and THE MUSIC LOVERS, among many, many others. Probably best known for his absurdist phallic/Catholic imagery and movies like TOMMY, ALTERED STATES, and the Oscar-nominated WOMEN IN LOVE, the Ken Russell catalogue is bursting with hidden treasures (like GOTHIC, THE BOY FRIEND, THE RAINBOW, SALOME'S LAST DANCE), nearly unavailable classics (SAVAGE MESSIAH, THE MUSIC LOVERS, THE DEVILS, MAHLER, DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS), and astounding trashterpieces (THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM, CRIMES OF PASSION, LISZTOMANIA).

I was lucky enough to see Mr. Russell several times last summer in the midst of a retrospective of his work at Lincoln Center, and he was a charming little old man with a quiet voice and a quick wit. At a screening of THE BOY FRIEND, a film starring the stick-thin fashion model Twiggy and the 6' 7'' beanpole dancer Tommy Tune, he was asked by an audience member, "Why did you cast Twiggy?" He pursed his lips and chirped in his inimitable British inflection, "...because I wanted someone to make Tommy Tune look... small." Later, someone shouted out, "Who's your favorite rock star?," to which he responded, plainly, "Beethoven." I was even able to meet the man himself after a screening of THE MUSIC LOVERS, and, still held rapt by the power of the images I'd just seen, was only able to mumble something brief and complimentary, but it was a powerful moment to come face to face with one of the great image makers of the Twentieth Century. His passing pains me, but his films are a gift– and they pulsate with a colorful imagination, a rich vitality, and a visceral hyper-realness that may never be matched. To encapsulate my love for the man and his films, let me finish with a perfect quote from the man himself: "This is not the age of manners. This is the age of kicking people in the crotch and telling them something and getting a reaction. I want to shock people into awareness. I don't believe there is any virtue in understatement."

So here's to the man who tamed Oliver Reed, who let loose the white worm, who sent Liszt on a spaceship and unmasked Wagner's vampiric tendencies. Here's to a man who could devastate and could entertain, and sometimes, when the light was just right and the wind was up, could do both at once. You will be missed.

Film Review: FRIGHT NIGHT (1985, Tom Holland)

2011-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Stars: 4.5 of 5.
Running Time: 106 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Chris Sarandon (CHILD'S PLAY, THE RESURRECTED, DOG DAY AFTERNOON), William Ragsdale (HERMAN'S HEAD, FRIGHT NIGHT 2), Amanda Bearse (MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, THE DOOM GENERATION), Roddy McDowall (PLANET OF THE APES, CLEOPATRA, "The Bookworm" on 60s TV BATMAN), Stephen Geoffreys (976-EVIL, AT CLOSE RANGE), Jonathan Stark (HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY, PROJECT X). Music by Brad Fiedel (THE TERMINATOR, TERMINATOR 2). Cinematography by Jan Kiesser (SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, V.I. WARSHAWSKI). Casting by Jackie Burch (DIE HARD, PREDATOR, THE BREAKFAST CLUB).
Tag-line: "If you love being scared, it'll be the night of your life."
Best one-liner: "Welcome to Fright Night! For real."

Good 'ole FRIGHT NIGHT. One of the seminal 80s classicks, it marked the directorial debut of fun-luvin' horror master Todd Holland (CHILD'S PLAY, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THINNER). Sort of a wonderful cross between 'SALEM'S LOT and REAR WINDOW, FRIGHT NIGHT is a loving paean to Late-Nite-TV monster movie programming and the kids who loved watching it, a proto-'BURBS which unmasks your local neighborhood as a hotbed of bloodshed and other terrifying happenings. Without further adieu, my favorite things about FRIGHT NIGHT:

#1. The Bradbury-esque, small-town-in-Autumn atmosphere.

I'm a sucker for this specific aesthetic every time it crops up, from HALLOWEEN (yes, I know it was actually filmed in the springtime) to SLEEPY HOLLOW to PHANTASM to THE STEPFATHER to THE MONSTER SQUAD to IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS. Hell, even ERNEST SCARED STUPID benefits from its presence. Autumn's always been my favorite time of year, and something about the stiff suburban breezes blowing fall leaves, the bedroom curtains billowing in the crisp, night air... a comforting, small-town milieu with just a whisper of menace. Basically, if a film can make me feel one tenth as immersed as I am while reading SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES then it's pretty damn successful.

#2. Jonathan Stark. We've seen him in HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY. We've seen him as a bartender who nearly steals Sam's job in the sixth season of CHEERS. But here, as a totally assholish Renfield-type, we have the finest performance of his career.

His dickery knows no bounds ("Well, what do we have here? Vampire-killers?"), and he plays the whole thing like a totally committed 80s high school villain, a perpetual, open-mouthed 'Oh yeaaaaaah?' snarfy grin etched across his face. He's the perfect sidekick for Chris Sarandon, whose legendary performance shall be discussed just a little bit later.

#3. The FX people had a helluva lot of fun.

It's pehaps only rivaled by EVIL DEAD in terms of the love, dedication, and sheer enjoyment that the FX guys clearly poured into every ladle of blood, outpouring of slime, and various creatures and makeup effects.

#4. The music. From the Tangerine Dream-RISKY BUSINESS-style seduction scene rhythms to the guitar and reverb-heavy drum riffs, Brad Fiedel's work firmly entrenches us in the here and now, those glorious, glorious 80s.

#5. Evil Ed.

Played by Stephen Geoffreys, Evil Ed is simultaneously hilarious, tragic, and covered occasionally in varying degrees of latex, fur, and fangs. He brings a great deal to a role which could have easily been a phoned-in "zany friend." Geoffreys has been nominated for a Tony award, starred in Robert Englund's directorial debut (976-EVIL), and inspired the title of a Swedish 90's horror comedy. Also, he apparently retired from traditional acting for nearly twenty-odd-years to star in gay porn, including such evocatively titled fare as LATIN CROTCH ROCKETS and LEATHER BUDDIES. I'll let that all sink in for a minute.

#6. The surprising, nuanced, incredible pathos of Roddy McDowell.

I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, per se, but in a horror flick with darkly comedic underpinnings, I guess you're not expecting Roddy to be swinging for the heart-wrenchin' fences. As a washed-up late-nite TV host and former horror legend, he plumbs the depths of being fired from his job (lamenting the new era of hockey-masked killers) and being desperate enough to humor and then take the money of teenagers. But it all somehow culminates in the scene pictured above, whereupon Roddy sees the humanity in a death throes of what ostensibly is a monster. Somehow an entire career of pretending to slay creatures of the night on screens both big and small tumbles down in the welling of tears, in the the harsh, visceral, cruel actuality of it all. Later, Chris Sarandon's vampire dickishly quips, "Welcome to Fright Night! For real," and it's hilarious, but here, we're subjected to the exact same sentiment but sprinkled with this unexpected air of despondency. It's great.

#7.

The little girl (pictured nearly all the way to the left) cutting a mean rug at the late-nite club. Were they not checking ID that night? I don't believe it's meant to be a gag because we only ever see her within the crowd in a long shot. Were they that low on extras? Was she the gaffer's niece or something? These are questions that I fear may never be answered.

#8. Through the window.... THREE TIMES!

At one point, Chris Sarandon leaps through a window. Yes, this is something that happens, and this is something that I applaud. I also applaud the fact that Holland shows it to us three times, and from different angles. I love this movie.

#9. And now for a tribute to Chris Sarandon in FRIGHT NIGHT, one of the most spectacularly douche-ified villains to ever grace the silver screen.

CHRIS SARANDON IS HITTING ON YOUR MOM

CHRIS SARANDON IS OWNING THE DANCE FLOOR IN THIS SWEATSHIRT

CHRIS SARANDON IS STEALING YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND PREVENTING YOU FROM HAVING A GOOD TIME

CHRIS SARANDON IS KILLING ALL THE BOUNCERS

CHRIS SARANDON IS WEARING A TURTLENECK NOW AND HE KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE

OH YES, HE DOES

The exquisite douchery of Chris Sarandon in this movie ought to be enshrined as a national treasure. If he's importing big-city hookers and cultivating an art collection and preying on the populace, why the hell did he move to the suburbs? More importantly, who cares?!

GOTCHA

Like Jonathan Stark, he too occasionally plays it like a high school bully. After a miniature showdown with his kiddie nemesis he seeks revenge by... destroying his automobile!

He chortles, he snickers, he exudes conceit. A raised eyebrow, a superior pursing of the lips, a disdainful leer. He's got a smoove 80s walk and a way with the ladies. He smugly whistles to himself and somehow makes even the act of eating an apple an exercise in self-congratulation. He makes dancefloor moves to a song which is apparently titled "I Fight the Chemistry," because that's what the singer keeps repeating. He seduces/nearly rapes an underage gal to the schwingin' tones of a sleazy saxophone.

Oh boy. He's droppin' a douchebomb on this town, and there may be no survivors. The effect is only amplified when he's alongside Jonathan Stark.

There shoulda been a prequel chronicling these two buddies' zany, condescending misadventures. I would pay good money for that.

Anyway, my point is– if you haven't seen FRIGHT NIGHT, don't be so sad that Halloween has passed. Autumn's still got a solid month left, and Thanksgiving be damned!

–Sean Gill

Mr. Long Spindly Fingers: Stories of Murder & Madness

2011-11-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

To any of our New York readers:
Tonight, at R Bar (218 Bowery between Prince and Spring in Manhattan), a friend, writer, and occasional collaborator– Kristen Lee Tabbutt– is presenting a piece of theater which hearkens back to an earlier era, one of flickering candlelight and the tellers of tales: MR. LONG SPINDLY FINGERS: STORIES OF MURDER & MADNESS.

It's described as "a wickedly perverse rock concert storytelling salon set in a mysterious mansion at the turn of the century. Journey with our storytellers into a web of devilry and death, murder and madness!" It features the talents of Eric Schmalenberger, Elizabeth Fonseca, Julia Hirsch, Michael Moss, Scooter Pie, and Max Kovins.

Doors are at 8:30, the show is at 9:00 p.m., and the cost is $10 at the door.

Sean Gill's "Kolmanskop" to be presented 11/11 at Sticky

2011-11-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

As part of Blue Box Productions' legendary Sticky series, a short play of mine called "Kolmanskop" (about the desert sand-engulfed Namibian town of the same name) will be performed on this Friday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery between Houston and Bleecker). Admission is $10, and my play will be appearing alongside several other plays, each devoted to this fall's Sticky theme of "Deserted Islands/Deserted Cities and the last people who people them."

Additional actors, writers, and directors include: Eric Alba, Brett Aresco, Ali Ayala, Ty Baumann, JuLondre Brown, Christopher Burris, Samantha Cooper, Libby Emmons, Madeline Fendrick, Barrie Gelles, Nicole Judd, Natalya Krimgold, Craig Lenti, Jesse Manocherian, David Marcus, Barbara Matovu, Derek Lee McPhatter, Eric John Meyer, Michael Neiderman, Lori Parquet, Paul Perroni, James Pravasilis, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Imran W. Sheikh, Jason Siegel, Elizabeth Stewart, Heather Velazquez, Perri Yaniv, and a special appearance by musical guest D.B. Rielly.

Theater Review: NEVERMORE, AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE (2011, Stuart Gordon)

2011-11-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Stars: 5 of 5.
Running Time: 90 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR, THE FRIGHTENERS, CASTLE FREAK, THE BLACK CAT). Written by Dennis Paoli (BLEACHER BUMS, GHOULIES II, THE DENTIST). Directed by Stuart Gordon (ROBOT JOX, DOLLS, FROM BEYOND).

I was lucky enough this year to spend a portion of my Halloween in the mad, increasingly inebriated company of the Nineteenth Century's greatest poet and weaver of macabre tales, Edgar Allan Poe. Upon a candlelight-flicker'd stage at Lincoln Center, Jeffrey Combs performed a special New York engagement of his one-man show, NEVERMORE.

I'm a longtime fan of Mr. Combs (one of the more committed, versatile actors of modern genre cinema) as well as the rest of the creative team: the director is the great Stuart Gordon (Mamet crony, Lovecraft-adapter extraordinaire, and the man who brought ROBOT JOX into the world) and the playwright is Dennis Paoli (rarely has an accomplished dramatist also penned the best GHOULIES movie, which was 2, by the way). It is difficult to describe the sheer power of this show– its resonance, its poetic value, its sense of history– but I shall try.

A candle journeys from its first lighting to its natural end as a whispery nub of extinguished wick. In between, Edgar Allan Poe exists. Even an intimate familiarity with Combs' body of work cannot prepare you for his transformation. Sure, a prosthetic nose, a wig, and a well-tailored costume are employed, but Combs becomes Poe. Even actively looking for it, you can only see glimpses of Combs beneath his performance, a glint in his eye here, an off-handed remark there. Combs is so profoundly in the moment that a patron's cough, the New York milieu, or Halloween night itself might bring forth an unexpected reaction, a measured improvisation.

Combs imbues Poe with a singsongy drawl and much humorous pomposity, then enshrouds him in madness and submerges him in the haze of drink. He reads aloud "The Tell-Tale Heart" ("The Tell-Tale Heart"....perhaps you've heard of it...?," he smartassedly inquires) with a manic energy which brings alive the story's humor and derangement as never before. He physically stomps upon the carpet in an approximation of the story's terrible, persistent heartbeat, injecting a sense of rhythm to the piece that one usually only associates with Poe's poetry. He reads a line like "ALL IN VAIN, because Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim" with a wet malevolence that drips morbidly from every syllable.

Claiming the birthright of his actor parents to 'perform,' Combs' Poe lays siege to the stage against the better judgment of unseen handlers, stagehands, and the poetess Sarah Helen Whitman in the audience, whom Poe was courting at the time (in the wake of his wife's death). He rants against Longfellow, pokes at the Transcendentalists, and razzes Washington Irving. He brags at length about his career at West Point and his achievement of swimming the James River. But a bottle of Rye (at first swigged surreptitiously, then guzzled out in the open) causes the evening's events to grow increasingly and exponentially unhinged. "WHOOOOOOOOPS," he blurts as he gulps down the sauce again and again and again, promenading about the stage like an irrepressible beast. His ever-roaming, drunken tongue practically becomes a character in and of itself. He stumbles and staggers and teeters and falls; he earns our applause through the Herculean act of "standing up." He straddles a music stand like a horse, amuses himself by playing with a length of his ruffly shirt caught in a gap through his unbuttoned vest, battles the forces of gravity with great slapstick physicality, and shrugs it all off with a mad, wheezy cackle. There's an insane, boozy recitation of "The Bells," whereupon Combs hurls his arms about and boogies across the stage, flinging himself and suspenders alike with reckless abandon, ultimately whimpering in the aisle, wounded and bitter, but not quite broken. And for all the humor, there is a tremendous emotive core, perhaps best exemplified by the air of melancholy that results when a dried flower falls out from between pressed pages, a sudden and unexpected reminder of his dead wife. And I can't even begin to chronicle the profundity of Combs' reading of "The Raven," a reading which transports you face-to-face with the sullen, saggy-eyed countenance from the famous daguerreotype by which most of us know Poe's face.

NEVERMORE is a masterful work. Stuart Gordon's sure, even-handed direction is capable of handling all of Poe's heights and depths and tonal shifts; Dennis Paoli's script (with much assistance from Poe's prose and poetry) is in turns hilarious and heart-wrenching; and Jeffrey Combs' performance is a staggering portrait of a majestic poet and a gutter philosopher, a man whose mind and body tested themselves against the maelstrom for only forty short years. I'm not sure when this show will be performed again, but if it's ever in your power to see it, you must.

-Sean Gill

Interview with Sean Gill at StageBuzz!

2011-11-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

A new interview between yours truly and Byrne Harrison of StageBuzz has been published. Give it a read- I discuss DREAMS OF THE CLOCKMAKER, my upcoming projects, and even work in a mention of Lance Henriksen!