DVD/FILM COLLECTION, A-M
The 4th Dimension (2006, Tom Mattera, David Mazzoni)
Really underrated and overlooked little sci-fi gem with great, poetic visuals.
8MM (1999, Joel Schumacher)
Very good, underrated little pitch-black thriller. Great performance by Cage (who I normally find abrasive).
9 (2009, Shane Acker)
Unique little animated film with its biggest strength being its "Post Apocalyptic Industrial Nightmare" look and feel.
$9.99 (2008, Tatia Rosenthal)
While the animation isn't quite as polished, fans of Anomalisa might want to check this out. I found the story here more introspective and involving, personally.
12 Monkeys (1995, Terry Gilliam)
One of Gilliam's best. Second only to Brazil.
12 Tiny Christmas Tales (2001, Bill Plympton)
Wonderfully strange Christmas shorts which could only come from the mind of
Plympton. Saw it on Cartoon Network years ago and have watched it every year
ever since. I love it.
13 Assassins ("Jusan-nin no shikaku") (2010, Takashi Miike)
Pretty straight-forward for Miike, but still exhilarating with great action.
28 Days Later (2002, Danny Boyle)
Pretty good revisionist take on the zombie genre.
28 Weeks Later (2007, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)
Very good sequel might be even better than the first.
47 Ronin (2013, Carl Rinsch)
Underrated. Saw this in theaters and found it perfectly entertaining. Not sure
why everyone raked it over the coals.
964 Pinocchio (1991, Shozin Fukui)
* Caterpillar ("Kyatapira") (1988)
Fans of the Tetsuo films might want to check this out. This is even
more insane, if you can even believe that.
1984 (1984, Michael Radford)
Pretty good, if imperfect, adaptation of the Orwell novel with a great
performance by the always-reliable John Hurt.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)
Perhaps the best science-fiction film ever made. At the very least tied with
Metropolis.
2010 (1984, Peter Hyams)
Underrated sequel.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, Richard Fleischer)
Dated (and a bit corny), but still the best screen adaptation of the Jules
Verne novel we've got.
About a Boy (2002, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz)
Never been a Hugh Grant fan, but thought he was fantastic in this. A very good
adaptation of the Nick Hornby book.
About Schmidt (2002, Alexander Payne)
Sad, touching, with an incredible performance by Nicholson.
The Abyss (1989, James Cameron)
Good, not great, underwater saga with great special effects...but the real
appeal is the amazing underwater atmosphere.
The Addams Family (1991, Barry Sonnenfeld)
Pretty successful adaptation of the Addams comic-strip with great humor, fun
direction, and absolutely impeccable casting.
Addams Family Values (1993, Barry Sonnenfeld)
A lot of people like this better than the first. I'm not one of those people.
Inferior sequel...but it has its moments here and there.
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985, Will Vinton)
As a fan of Twain and stop-motion animation, I always enjoyed this. The
Mysterious Stranger sequence, particularly, always stuck with me.
Aeon Flux - The Complete Animated Collection (1991-1995, Steve Chung)
Skip the lousy live-action movie and stick with this.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001, Steven Spielberg)
Severely underrated. Seriously one of the best science-fiction films in years.
A far better exploration of the themes of Issac Asimov than the actual,
horrible I, Robot movie.
Akira (1988, Katsuhiro Otomo)
Classic. Pretty much essential viewing for any fan of cyberpunk.
Alice ("Neco z Alenky") (1988, Jan Svankmajer)
Dark, twisted, disturbing version of Alice in Wonderland, the way only
Svankmajer could deliver it. Absolutely one-of-a-kind.
Alice in Wonderland (1933, Norman Z. Mcleod)
Good adaptation, well-directed, but the real eye-catcher here is some of the
creepy character make-ups and designs (worth seeing for them alone).
Alice in Wonderland (1999, Nick Willing)
One of the best live-action interpretations of the Carroll book.
Alec Empire/Atari Teenage Riot - Sixteen Years of Video Material (2008, Andrea Giacobbe, et al.)
ALIEN:
Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)
* The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' (2003, Charles de Lauzirika)
Classic. Masterful start to my all-time favorite film franchise.
Aliens (1986, James Cameron)
* Superior Firepower: The Making of 'Aliens' (2003, Charles de Laurzirika)
One of the few sequels that equals (perhaps, betters) the original. Really a perfect film. The crown jewel of the Alien franchise.
Alien 3 (1992, David Fincher)
* Wreckage and Rage: The Making of 'Alien 3' (2003, Charles de Laurzirika)
Didn't care for this at first, but it grew on me (especially the Workprint Version). Still the weakest of the initial trilogy.
Alien: Resurrection (1997, Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
* One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003, Charle de Laurzirika)
Apparently, I enjoyed this one more than most did.
Alien vs. Predator (2004, Paul W.S. Anderson)
Pretty bland for the "Clash of the Century."
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007, The Brothers Strause)
Crap, but...entertaining crap. Total guilty pleasure. You have to give it
props for killing a kid right at the start and the maternity ward
massacre...wow.
Prometheus (2012, Ridley Scott)
For decades Scott talked about going back and showing us the planet the
xenomorphs came from and when he finally gets the chance, what does he give
us? A bunch of nonsense about albinos and black goo. A silly mess posing as a
profound, "2001"-esque sci-fi epic...BUT it has its moments and is at least
nice to look at.
Alien: Covenant (2017, Ridley Scott)
Basically a very tepid remake of the 1979 original altered a bit to make it
into a sequel to Prometheus (which it's slightly better than...but
that's not saying a whole lot).
_
The Alienist (2018, Jakob Verbruggen, et al.)
Based on one of my favorite books, I had a lot of reservations about watching it. However, a few squabbles aside (I thought most of the cast was much younger than how I envisioned them in the book), I honestly thought they did an absolutely excellent job.
The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (2020, David Caffrey, et al.)
Surprisingly good, considering I wasn't that big a fan of the second book
(upon which this is based). I found this just as engrossing (if not
moreso) as the first. Fantastic. Would love to see another one.
Alive (2002, Ryuhei Kitamura)
Pretty good little cyberpunk film from the director of Versus. Not
great, but definitely worth seeing.
Altered States (1980, Ken Russell)
A one-of-a-kind, mind-blowing experience. There's really nothing else to say
about it.
Amazing Stories (1985, Steven Spielberg, et al)
Grew up watching this and, watching it now, I can admit many episodes are just sort of...eh. There are, however, some real winners. The Scorsese episode, Mirror, Mirror, still freaks me out.
American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes)
Excellent.
American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron)
Bale's best performance? Perhaps...and a damn good (if imperfect) adaptation of the Ellis book.
American Splendor (2003, Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini)
Funny, creative, and touching film about the life of comic-book artist Harvey Pekar, anchored by a fantastic performance by Paul Giamatti.
An American Werewolf In London (1981, John Landis)
Fun werewolf movie, not quite the classic it's made out to be, but still
entertaining. Starts out fun, gets a little slow and dodgy towards the middle,
but then gets good again towards the end. And has probably the best werewolf
transformation ever in a movie.
Amityville II: The Possession (1982, Damiano Damiani)
The only Amityville movie I like. Really feels like more of a sequel to The Exorcist than to Amityville Horror. Not a great movie, but...good-trashy fun.
Amores perros (2000, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
Still Iñárritu's best film, if you ask me.
Anamorph (2007, H.S. Miller)
Pretty good, Se7en-esque thriller, with its biggest creative element
being the scenes of the murders, which are like an art film unto themselves.
Angel Dust ("Enjeru dasuto") (1994, Gakuryu Ishii)
Intriguing and intense Japanese serial killer thriller. Stylish and innovative. Well worth seeking out.
Angel Heart (1987, Alan Parker)
Excellent Faustian psychological thriller with great performances all around (especially the villainous DeNiro). Well-directed and thought-provoking. Classic.
Anguish ("Angustia") (1987, Bigas Luna)
Saw this at a friend's house when I was 12 and it messed me up for weeks. Watching it again, I'm amazed at how well it holds up. Very clever, inventive little horror thriller.
Animal Farm (1999, John Stephenson)
Even though it botches the ending (again), still probably the best adaptation of the Orwell book we're going to get.
Anomalisa (2015, Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson)
Very good, bleak stop-motion animated drama deals with topics of loneliness and isolation and succeeds for the most part. Doesn't quite come together as well as it should, but is still poignant and touching in parts. Fantastic animation.
Antibodies ("Antikorper") (2005, Christian Alvart)
Serial killer thriller from Germany has a fantastic opening 10 minutes. The
rest is good, but can't measure up to that opening. Still, well worth a
watch.
Antichrist (2009, Lars von Trier)
One of von Trier's best. Stayed with me for weeks.
Antiviral (2012, Brandon Cronenberg)
Seems like his son is making better Cronenberg films these days than David Cronenberg himself is.
Supposed "cursed" film. Really just a gimmick. The film itself starts out decently enough and actually feels like some creepy relic of the 70's...but loses its way as it goes along. Ends up being just a rath ho-hum experience which, without said gimmick, probably wouldn't have made a splash at all. Still worth a look.
Apartment Zero (1988, Martin Donovan)
Involving, twisty thriller in the vein of Polanski's The Tenant.
Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)
Classic. One of the best war films ever made.
The Apostle ("O Apostolo") (2012, Fernando Cortizo)
Darkly horrific tale with wonderful animation and character design.
Appleseed ("Appurushido") (2004, Shinji Aramaki)
Appleseed: Ex Machina ("Appurushido: Ekusu makina") (2007, Shinji Aramaki)
Ascension (2002, Karim Hussain)
Bergman-esque art film is, in my opinion, Hussain's best film.
As Good As It Gets (1997, James L. Brooks)
Cute movie, corny in parts, but has many touching and poignant moments, anchored by another fantastic performance by Nicholson (as always). It's always insanely quotable ("You're a disgrace to depression").
Asylum (1972, Roy Ward Baker)
Fun little horror anthology. The first two segments are stronger than the last two, but overall a good experience.
Asylum (2005, David Mackenzie)
Excellent adaptation of the Patrick McGrath novel with pitch perfect performances all around and well directed by David Mackenzie.
At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul ("A Meia Noite Levarei Sua Alma") (1964, Jose Mojica Marins)
Very fun horror movie from Brazil. Saw it many years ago and never forgot it. Seems like the perfect film to watch on Halloween.
This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse ("Esta Noite Encarnarei no Teu Cadaver") (1967, Jose Mojica Marins)
OK, unnecessary sequel to At Midnight is nearly redeemed by its
amazing color "Hell" sequence. It's worth seeing for that alone.
Audition ("Odishon") (1999, Takashi Miike)
Audition ("Odishon") (1999, Takashi Miike)
Most likely Miike's best film. An absolutely outstanding thriller with an ending that'll stick with you for months...and one of the all-time great villainous performances by Eihi Shiina.
* Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997, Jay Roach)
* Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999, Jay Roach)
* Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002, Jay Roach)
Hilarious. Kind of a successor to the "Pink Panther" series, in a way.
Automata (2014, Gabe Ibanez)
Interesting little cyberpunk film dealing with issues of A.I. Not great, but well-directed and with some good performances.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016, Andre Ovredal)
Very good, claustrophobic little horror thriller with a definitely unique setting.
Avalon (2001, Mamoru Oshii)
Seriously one of the best cyberpunk films ever made. Top ten, easily.
The Avenging Conscience: or 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' (1914, D.W. Griffith)
An interesting silent adaptation of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart (with
elements of "Annabel Lee" thrown in) isn't perfect, but works quite well in
places (and contains that certain eerie feeling that only silent films
have).
The Awakening (2011, Nick Murphy)
Very good little period piece haunted house thriller. Fans of The Others and Crimson Peak should find something to appreciate here.
Azumi (2003, Ryuhei Kitamura)
Awesome.
Babe (1995, Chris Noonan)
Babes in Toyland (1934, Charley Rogers, Gus Meins)
Classic. A childhood favorite right here. Still try to watch it every year at Christmas.
Back To The Future Trilogy
* Back To The Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis)
* Back To The Future, Part II (1989, Robert Zemeckis)
* Back To The Future, Part III (1990, Robert Zemeckis)
Really just a perfect trilogy.
The Awakening (2011, Nick Murphy)
Very good little period piece haunted house thriller. Fans of The Others and Crimson Peak should find something to appreciate here.
Azumi (2003, Ryuhei Kitamura)
Awesome.
Babe (1995, Chris Noonan)
Babes in Toyland (1934, Charley Rogers, Gus Meins)
Classic. A childhood favorite right here. Still try to watch it every year at Christmas.
* Back To The Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis)
* Back To The Future, Part II (1989, Robert Zemeckis)
* Back To The Future, Part III (1990, Robert Zemeckis)
Really just a perfect trilogy.
Bad Lieutenant (1992, Abel Ferrara)
Along with King of New York, one of Ferrara's best.
The Bad News Bears (1976, Michael Ritchie)
Insane nostalgia right here. Watched it 100 times when I was a kid...and I
don't even like baseball. It's still hilarious and entertaining.
Bad Santa (2003, Terry Zwigoff)
Hilarious. Avoid the sequel, though.
Bajo la Sal (2008, Mario Munoz)
Very good Spanish murder mystery with fantasy elements.
Barton Fink (1991, Joel Coen)
My favorite Coen Bros. film and one of my favorite films, period.
Basket Case (1982, Frank Henenlotter)
Very fun, gory little body horror outing from the 80's. Gotta love Belial.
Basket Case 2 (1990, Frank Henenlotter)
In many ways, despite the change in tone, I enjoyed this sequel just
as much as the original. Hated the third one, though.
Baskin (2015, Can Evrenol)
One of the best horror films of the last few years. Intense, gory,
and disturbing.
BATMAN:
Batman - The Complete Television Series (1966-68, Robert Butler, et al)
This is my childhood right here. Watching re-runs of this on Channel 56. The start of my lifelong Bat-obsession right here.
Batman: The Movie (1966, Leslie H. Martinson)
Silly fun, just like the show.
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt (2003, Paul A. Kaufman)
More silly fun. The best parts are the "flashbacks" to the making of the original series.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016, Rick Morales)
Fun little animated revival of the classic series.
The Adventures of Batman (1968-69, Hal Sutherland)
Along with the live-action 60's series, this is the Batman I grew up with. Sue me, but they're still a lot of simple fun.
Batman (1989, Tim Burton)
Still my favorite superhero/Batman film of all-time. Amazing production design by Anton Furst, excellent gothic visuals, Nicholson's brilliant take on The Joker. Just an absolute home run.
Batman Returns (1992, Tim Burton)
Extremely dark, dazzling sequel. The Penguin character is a tad more grotesque than I would have liked, but...still one of the best Batman movies. Pfeiffer is still the best Catwoman.
Batman Forever (1995, Joel Schumacher)
Lighter and sillier than the first two...but not without entertainment value
(which is more than I can say for the horrendous Batman and Robin).
Carrey is fun as The Riddler, O'Donnell makes a fine Robin, but both Kilmer
and Jones disappoint as Batman/Two-Face.
Batman and Robin (1997, Joel Schumacher)
Hands down the worst Batman movie. Atrociously bad. Like a nonstop,
two-hour-long cringe.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95, Kevin Altieri, et al)
Vol. 1-3
The finest interpretation of The Dark Knight? Quite possibly.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993, Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm)
A close almost-tie with Under the Red Hood for best animated Batman film.
Batman: Subzero (1998, Boyd Kirkland)
This is the movie Batman and Robin should have been.
Batman Begins (2005, Christopher Nolan)
Overrated, but still decent. Mask of the Phantasm told this story better.
The Dark Knight (2008, Christopher Nolan)
The best of the trilogy, easily...mostly due to Ledger's fantastic performance. Somewhat overrated, but...what works works incredibly well.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan)
Decent (but not great) final entry in the Dark Knight trilogy. Some great moments, but not a patch on the previous entry.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2005, Yasuhiro Aoki, et al)
Not bad. Some good sequences, some not so good. Overall, uneven, but has its moments.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010, Brandon Vietti)
The best animated Batman film, with Mask of the Phantasm an extremely close second.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2012, Jay Oliva)
Surprisingly faithful adaptation of the infamous graphic novel (still, quite possibly, the finest piece of Batman fiction ever written).
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014, Jay Oliva, Ethan Spaulding)
Way better than Suicide Squad...but that isn't really saying much.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016, Zack Snyder)
Clunky film, but Affleck makes a surprisingly good Batman (and his suit is fan-tastic).
Son of Batman (2014, Ethan Spaulding)
Solid, entertaining Elseworlds story. Not the best animated Batman movie, but still quite good.
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016, Sam Liu)
The Batgirl scenes are totally pointless and unnecessary and the parts that actually adapt the book are mediocre at best. A big letdown.
Liked it...a lot...without particularly loving it. An interesting revisionist take on the origin of the greatest comic book villain of all-time, with shades of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy thrown in. Much better than I thought it would be...and approaching greatness without QUITE reaching it. But damn close.
Batman: Hush (2019, Justin Copeland)
Very good adaptation of the Hush storyline.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021, Chris Palmer)
Decent adaptation of one of the best Batman stories ever written. Starts out great, but peters out by the end...but it is only half the story, so...
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (2021, Chris Palmer)
Liked this better than the first one, personally. But, really, it's all one
story...and overall they did a great (if imperfect) job bringing it to the
screen.
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005, Michael Goguen)
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005, Michael Goguen)
Surprisingly good despite the ridiculous premise.
_
Battle Royale ("Batoru rowaiaru") (2000, Kinji Fukasaku)
Classic.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012, Benh Zeitlin)
Though the last third of the film isn't as strong as the first two - the first hour or so is absolutely fantastic. Great little film.
Beauty and the Beast ("La belle et al bete") (1946, Jean Cocteau)
Masterpiece. One of the greatest dark fantasies ever brought to the screen.
Beetlejuice (1988, Tim Burton)
One of Burton's best. Insane performance by Michael Keaton.
Begotten (1989, E. Elias Merhige)
One of my top five favorite films. Unforgettable.
Le belle bete (2006, Karim Hussain)
Haunting and dreamlike, this searing emotional drama from the director of the excellent Ascension is at times ugly, but definitely resonates.
The Bells (1926, James Young)
Very good, great looking silent film, claiming to be based on Poe, but only VERY loosely. Still, interesting to see such an early performance by Karloff.
The Best of Dark Dreamers (1995, Stanley Wiater)
Owned mostly for the great interview with the late, great Harlan Ellison
(R.I.P.), one of my all-time favorite writers, but there are some other
great ones on here - Clive Barker, Richard Matheson, Bernie Wrightson...
Better Off Dead (1985, Steve Holland)
"I want my two dollars!" Classic.
The Beyond ("E tu vivrai nel terrore L'aldila") (1981, Lucio Fulci)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010, Panos Cosmatos)
Kind of a more plot-driven, sci-fi version of Eraserhead, with a totally unique look and feel all its own.
The Bicycle Thief ("Ladri di biciclette") (1948, Vittorio De Sica)
Absolute masterpiece of cinema.
The Birds (1963, Alfred Hitchcock)
Excellent.
A Bittersweet Life ("Dalkomhan insaeng") (2005, Kim Jee-woon)
Asbolutely incredible crime thriller, extremely well-directed, with an outstanding performance by Byung-hun Lee in the lead.
The Black Cat (2007, Stuart Gordon)
I sincerely think this is Gordon's best work as a director. A wonderful adaptation of the Poe story with a phenomenal portrayal of the man himself by Jeffrey Combs in what I consider to be his best performance.
Black Christmas (1974, Bob Clark)
Seriously, not just one of the best Christmas horror films, but one of the best, creepiest horror films ever. "Agnes, it's me, Billy." Bone-chilling.
Black Christmas (2006, Glen Morgan)
Lousy remake...but it sure looks nice. And the "human Christmas cookies" scene is memorable.
Black Narcissus (1947, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
Masterpiece.
Better Off Dead (1985, Steve Holland)
"I want my two dollars!" Classic.
The Beyond ("E tu vivrai nel terrore L'aldila") (1981, Lucio Fulci)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010, Panos Cosmatos)
Kind of a more plot-driven, sci-fi version of Eraserhead, with a totally unique look and feel all its own.
The Bicycle Thief ("Ladri di biciclette") (1948, Vittorio De Sica)
Absolute masterpiece of cinema.
The Birds (1963, Alfred Hitchcock)
Excellent.
A Bittersweet Life ("Dalkomhan insaeng") (2005, Kim Jee-woon)
Asbolutely incredible crime thriller, extremely well-directed, with an outstanding performance by Byung-hun Lee in the lead.
The Black Cat (2007, Stuart Gordon)
I sincerely think this is Gordon's best work as a director. A wonderful adaptation of the Poe story with a phenomenal portrayal of the man himself by Jeffrey Combs in what I consider to be his best performance.
Black Christmas (1974, Bob Clark)
Seriously, not just one of the best Christmas horror films, but one of the best, creepiest horror films ever. "Agnes, it's me, Billy." Bone-chilling.
Black Christmas (2006, Glen Morgan)
Lousy remake...but it sure looks nice. And the "human Christmas cookies" scene is memorable.
Black Narcissus (1947, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
Masterpiece.
Black Night ("Nuit noire") (2005, Olivier Smolders)
Surrealism at its best. Would make a fine companion piece to Eraserhead. Amazing little film. Like if David Cronenberg or David Lynch directed a tribute to Franz Kafka.
Black Rain (1989, Ridley Scott)
Slick, great-looking yakuza thriller. One of Scott's more underrated films. Could have been better, but...is pretty entertaining for what it is (and has a few fantastic scenes). Makes a great double feature with (the superior) Year of the Dragon.
Black Sabbath ("I tre volti della paura") (1963, Mario Bava)
One of Bava's best. A must watch at Halloweentime.
Black Sunday ("La maschera del demonio") (1960, Mario Bava)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky)
Easily one of Aronofsky's best. An excellent psychological drama with an amazing performance by Natalie Portman
Blade (1998, Stephen Norrington)
Never understood why everyone liked this so much. Always thought it was kinda garbage-y myself. Still, it does offer some (very) mild entertainment value. The sequel was vastly superior.
Blade II (2002, Guillermo del Toro)
WAY better than the first. Great-looking, very entertaining. The perfect Blade movie, really. Trinity sucked. Avoid it.
Blade: Animated Series (2011, Mitsuyuki Masuhara, et al)
Blade of the Immortal ("Mugen no junin") (2017, Takashi Miike)
Awesome.
Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)
* Dangeous Days: The Making of Blade Runner (2007, Charles de Laurzirika)
One of my favorite films.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017, Denis Villeneuve)
Found this pretty middling, myself, but not without interest. Still, not a patch on the original.
The Blair Witch Project (1999, Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez)
* Curse of the Blair Witch (1999, Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez)
The best found footage horror film? Possibly. It certainly gets my vote (since Cannibal Holocaust is only partially found footage).
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000, Joe Berlinger)
Underrated meta-sequel. Much better than its reputation would have you believe. Not a masterpiece or anything, but certainly interesting and worth a watch.
Blair Witch ("Blair Witch III") (2016, Adam Wingard)
Decent third entry is more-or-less a bigger-budgeted re-do of the first film, but has some good moments...and a very intense finale.
Blood and Black Lace ("Sei donne per l'assassino") (1964, Mario Bava)
Excellent (and fantastic-looking) giallo from Bava.
The Blood of a Poet ("Le Sang d'un poete") (1930, Jean Cocteau)
Perhaps Cocteau's best film. Certainly my favorite.
Blood on Satan's Claw (1971, Piers Haggard)
Very good, sadly overlooked British folk horror. Well-directed, creepy
atmosphere - would make an excellent double feature with
Witchfinder General.
Blood Tea and Red String (2006, Christiane Cegavske)
Strange, unique stop-motion animated surrealist fantasy. Difficult to describe, but definitely interesting and worth a watch.
Blue Ruin (2013, Jeremy Saulnier)
Gripping thriller. Seems to get better each time I see it.
Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch)
One of Lynch's best. Bizarre, nightmarish, Kafka-esque fever dream.
Body Double (1984, Brian De Palma)
Absolutely bonkers Rear Window-style thriller from De Palma with many undeniably sleazy moments, but also with some excellent scenes of suspense. Crazy, but definitely entertaining.
Blood Tea and Red String (2006, Christiane Cegavske)
Strange, unique stop-motion animated surrealist fantasy. Difficult to describe, but definitely interesting and worth a watch.
Blue Ruin (2013, Jeremy Saulnier)
Gripping thriller. Seems to get better each time I see it.
Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch)
One of Lynch's best. Bizarre, nightmarish, Kafka-esque fever dream.
Body Double (1984, Brian De Palma)
Absolutely bonkers Rear Window-style thriller from De Palma with many undeniably sleazy moments, but also with some excellent scenes of suspense. Crazy, but definitely entertaining.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, Bryan Singer)
Yes, it skews the facts (all biopics do)...it's still fantastic and totally
worth it for the amazing recreation of Queen's LIVE AID performance (and Rami
Malek's spot-on interpretation of Freddie Mercury).
Book of Blood (2009, John Harrison)
All-in-all, a very good, very faithful adaptation of the bookend story to Barker's Books of Blood anthology...but it still seems like a strange thing to adapt to the screen, to me, with so many wonderful stories in between to choose from.
The Book of Stone ("El libro di piedra") (1969, Carlos Enrique Taboada)
Really one of the creepiest Mexican horror films I've ever seen. Nice, eerie atmosphere and involving story. Very well done.
The Book of the Dead ("Shisha no sho") (2005, Kihachiro Kawamoto)
Brilliant. It's a shame Kawamoto didn't do more feature-length films.
The Bothersome Man ("Den brysomme mannen") (2006, Jens Lien)
Strange, Kafkaesque dark comedy with a memorable premise and even more
memorable ending.
The Box (2009, Richard Kelly)
Interesting reworking of the Richard Matheson story Button, Button. Feels a bit overindulgent at times, but...all-in-all, a pretty satisfying, mindbending experience.
The Boxtrolls (2014, Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable)
The Box (2009, Richard Kelly)
Interesting reworking of the Richard Matheson story Button, Button. Feels a bit overindulgent at times, but...all-in-all, a pretty satisfying, mindbending experience.
The Boxtrolls (2014, Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable)
A lot of fun with wonderful animation.
Brain Damage (1988, Frank Henenlotter)
Henenlotter's best film. Just totally insane and gory and a complete blast.
Brain Dead (1990, Adam Simon)
Solid, clever twisty mindf*ck thriller. Shame Simon didn't go on to bigger
things other than the dreadful Carnosaur.
Brazil (1985, Terry Gilliam)
Gilliam's best and one of my favorite films.
The Breakfast Club (1985, John Hughes)
The best teen movie of all-time? Quite possibly.
Broken Flesh Ecstasy ("Exstase de chair brisee") (2005, Frederick Maheux, Pierre-Luc Vaillancourt)
Strangely fascinating and explicit little avant garde art short.
The Brood (1979, David Cronenberg)
Good early Cronenberg, full of his patented strange, creative, and grotesque
concepts which he later perfected in films like Videodrome and
The Fly.
Brotherhood of the Wolf ("Le Pacte des loups") (2001, Christophe Gans)
Fantastic-looking, gorgeously-shot, almost unclassifiable with its elements of action, adventure, period piece, and horror. A wonderful experience.
Bruiser (2000, George A. Romero)
Cool concept, mediocre presentation. Not a bad film, but you can feel a much better film lurking just under the surface. Still, definitely has its moments where it almost works.
A Bucket of Blood (1959, Roger Corman)
Fun, macabre, tongue-in-cheek little thriller from Corman.
Buddy Boy (1999, Mark Hanlon)
Hidden gem. Fans of Polanski's The Tenant and Repulsion and Lynch's Eraserhead will find plenty to appreciate here.
Bug (2006, William Friedkin)
Very good icky, claustrophobic little thriller from Friedkin.
Bug Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977, Chuck Jones, Fritz Freleng)
I absolutely love Halloween and Halloween specials...and this was one of my favorites when I was a kid (even though the cartoons are best viewed individually).
Bullet Ballet (1998, Shinya Tsukamoto)
One of Tsukamoto's best.
The Butcher Boy (1998, Neil Jordan)
One of my favorite films. Jordan's best.
The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes alone is worth the price of
admission for this one...but there are several others on here well worth
seeing (The Garden of Earthly Delights, Black Ice,
Crack Glass Eulogy, and Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse, for
instance).
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ("Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari") (1920, Robert Wiene)
German expressionist masterpiece. My #3 favorite film.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2005, David Lee Fisher)
Surprisingly good remake.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005, Andrew Leman)
Easily one of the best Lovecraft-based films.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005, Andrew Leman)
Easily one of the best Lovecraft-based films.
Candyman (1992, Bernard Rose)
Very good adaptation of the Clive Barker story, The Forbidden, with the setting changed to Chicago, U.S.A. Not perfect, but works beautifully in many areas. Great score by Philip Glass.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995, Bill Condon)
Surprisingly good sequel benefits greatly from its New Orleans locations, even though it doesn't have a whole lot of reason to exist. Still, not great, but pretty good. Skip the third one, though.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980, Ruggero Deodato)
Disturbing, upsetting, sickening...unforgettable.
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011, Joe Johnston)
Good, but kinda dull. Great period setting and well-directed, but the pace is just lethargic and by the time we finally see Cap in action, the movie's over.
The Avengers (2012, Joss Whedon)
Very fun team-up of all these characters (and, honestly, this is my favorite Captain America outfit in the entire MCU).
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo)
I didn't think this was quite as good as everyone else seemed to think...but it's still undeniably entertaining (moreso than the rather slow-paced first film).
Captain America: Civil War (2016, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo)
Probably the best Marvel movie there is. Pretty fantastic right up until the finale...then Spider-Man's appearance was just the cherry on top of the cake. The only thing missing, for me, was The Hulk. Still, my favorite MCU movie.
_
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974, Brian Clemens)
Fun little swashbuckling adventure with horror elements from Hammer. Not
perfect, but an entertaining good time.
Cargo (2009, Ivan Engler, Ralph Etter)
OK Alien/Solaris-type film with some good ideas, and
nice-looking, but not enough to really stand out from the crowd. Still worth
a look.
Carnivale (2003-05, Rodrigo Garcia, et al.)
Carnival of Souls (1962, Herk Harvey)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Carnosaur (1993, Adam Simon)
Wow, where to begin? Bonkers movie. Dinosaurs, viruses, poor puppetry, women
giving birth to baby dinos...oh man. Kind of a treat for bad movie
lovers...all others steer clear. Shame because the book this is supposedly
based on could have made a fun little movie.
The Case of Howard Phillips Lovecraft ("Toute marche mysterieusevers le destin - le cas Lovecraft") (1998, Patrick Mario Bernard, Pierre Trividic)
Casshern (2004, Kazuaki Kiriya)
Dazzling, wildly entertaining sci-fi action film is a feast for the eyes.
Cast a Deadly Spell (1991, Martin Campbell)
A lot of fun for H.P. Lovecraft fans (and fans of film noir). This direly NEEDS an official DVD release!
The Castle ("Das Schloss") (1997, Michael Haneke)
Very good adaptation of Kafka's famous unfinished work...if, perhaps, a little
too literal (the film ends as abruptly as the book). Still, it's very good
right up until then.
Castlevania (Season One) (2017, Sam Deats, et al.)
Good...but didn't feel a whole lot like the games to me. But I still enjoyed it.
Castlevania (Season Two) (2018, Sam Deats, et al.)
Was hoping this would move a little closer to the games. Instead, it moved even further away. Regardless, still a well-written, involving show. Still wish it felt more like the games, however.
Castlevania (Season Three) (2020, Sam Deats, et al.)
I just feel like I'm repeating myself at this point. It's good. Really
good...but every season feels less and less like the games. Makes me wonder
why they even tited it Castlevania. That said, still a good, quality
series.
Caterpillar ("Kyatapira") (2010, Koji Wakamatsu)
Excellent, disturbing drama with several scenes that really stuck with me. Unforgettable...but, strangely, not credited to writer Edogawa Ranpo upon whose story this was based.
The Cathedral ("Katedra") (2002, Tomek Baginski)
Excellent animated short with amazing CGI visuals.
The Cell (2000, Tarsem Singh)
Amazing "dream sequences" that nearly make the film. The rest of the film is a rather routine serial killer drama, but it still all adds up to a satisfying whole.
Caterpillar ("Kyatapira") (2010, Koji Wakamatsu)
Excellent, disturbing drama with several scenes that really stuck with me. Unforgettable...but, strangely, not credited to writer Edogawa Ranpo upon whose story this was based.
The Cathedral ("Katedra") (2002, Tomek Baginski)
Excellent animated short with amazing CGI visuals.
The Cell (2000, Tarsem Singh)
Amazing "dream sequences" that nearly make the film. The rest of the film is a rather routine serial killer drama, but it still all adds up to a satisfying whole.
Cemetery Man ("Dellamorte Dellamore") (1994, Michele Soavi)
Though there are some whimsical scenes, I don't really consider this a "comedy." In fact, this defies genre. It's part horror. Part psychological thriller. Part "mindfuck." All-in-all, an incredible film.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965, Bill Melendez)
A Christmastime classic.
Chasing Sleep (2000, Michael Waklker)
Hidden gem. Fans of Jacob's Ladder and Angel Heart need to check this out.
The Chemical Brothers: Singles 93-03 (2003, Dominic Hawley, et al.)
One of my favorite groups.
Un Chien Andalou (1928, Luis Bunuel)
Amazing, influential, surrealist short film is easily one of my favorite shorts of all-time.
Children's Holiday Collection (2011, Will Vinton, et al.)
Martin the Cobbler, to me, is the crown jewel of this collection...but there are a few other good ones, as well (The Chimes is also fantastic).
Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski)
Classic.
The Two Jakes (1990, Jack Nicholson)
Underrated Chinatown sequel.
Christmas at Home (2004, Seymour Kneitel, Dave Fleischer, et al.)
Some really great shorts on here, from the wonderful Christmas Comes But Once a Year to the original Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and many other classics worth owning.
Christmas Blood ("Juleblod") (2017, Reinert Kiil)
Decent Norwegian Christmas slasher with some good direction and gore...but
doesn't really bring much new to the table.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL:
A Christmas Carol (1938, Edwin L. Marin)
Not the best Christmas Carol, Owen is clearly wearing old man make-up which is distracting...but it has its moments...and its worth owning for the absolutely wonderful Peace on Earth animated short.
A Christmas Carol ("Scrooge") (1951, Brian Desmond Hurst)
Damn close to perfect. My #2 favorite Christmas Carol. Sim is still the best Scrooge.
Scrooge (1970, Ronald Neame)
Not the best adaptation of Dickens' novel, but still a classic. I try to watch it at least once every year at Christmastime.
An American Christmas Carol (1979, Eric Till)
Nice updating of the tale. Not perfect, but I have fond memories of watching it at my grandmother's house when I was little.
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983, Burny Mattinson)
So good, you'll wish it were longer.
A Christmas Carol (1984, Clive Donner)
Not as good as some other film versions, but still absolutely worthy of repeat
viewings.
Scrooged (1988, Richard Donner)
OK parody of the Dickens novel is not terribly good, but I still watch it
every year. Has its moments.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, Brian Henson)
Wonderful.
A Christmas Carol (1999, David Hugh Jones)
My favorite Christmas Carol film adaptation. Excellent.
A Christmas Carol (2004, Arthur Allan Seidelman)
One of the weaker versions. Many miscastings and most of the songs aren't
great (and way too much takes place in the broad daylight), but...still has
its moments here and there.
A Christmas Carol (2009, Robert Zemeckis)
Didn't expect much of this, but it's surprisingly good, dazzling to look at...though it does go a bit overboard at times with all the bells and whistles.
A Christmas Carol (2019, Nick Murphy)
Easily the darkest and grittiest version of the story...but I liked it. A
lot. Sure, there were several elements I didn't think were necessary,
but...all-in-all, it kept me watching the whole three hours. Not my favorite
Carol, but one definitely worth seeing, even for purists.
The Ghosts of Dickens' Past (1998, Bruce Neibaur)
Quite good. A more realistic companion piece to the later The Man Who Invented Christmas.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017, Bharat Nalluri)
Yes, it plays fast and loose with the facts (as biopics often do), but it's still very fun and very entertaining. A great film for Christmastime.
Christmas Evil (1980, Lewis Jackson)
My favorite Christmas film.
A Christmas Horror Story (2015, Brett Sullivan, et al.)
OK Christmas horror anthology. As always, some segments work better than others. All-in-all, decent, not great.
A Christmas Story (1983, Bob Clark)
Not sure why I own this when they show it on TV endlessly at Christmastime. Still - a classic.
A Christmas Tale ("Cuento de Navidad") (2005, Paco Plaza)
Fun little Christmas horror short. Not great, but worth a watch.
Chronopolis (1982, Piotr Kamler)
Fantastic, surreal animated masterpiece.
Cigarette Burns (2005, John Carpenter)
Interesting little horror thriller from Carpenter. Cool idea, though somewhat reminiscent of The Ring, but makes a nice companion piece to his own In the Mouth of Madness.
Circle (2015, Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione)
Not great, but if you liked Cube or Exam, you might find
something to appreciate here. I enjoyed it, but I have a soft spot for these
types of "confinement thrillers."
The City of Lost Children ("Le Cite des Enfants Perdus") (1995, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro)
One of my favorite films. Top five, easily. Brilliant dark fantasy with incredible visuals. One-of-a-kind.
The City of Lost Children ("Le Cite des Enfants Perdus") (1995, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro)
One of my favorite films. Top five, easily. Brilliant dark fantasy with incredible visuals. One-of-a-kind.
City of the Dead (1960, John Llewellyn Moxey)
Wonderfully atmospheric, creepy folk horror with Lee menacing as usual and
well directed by Moxey.
City of the Living Dead ("Paura nella citta dei morti viventi") (1980, Lucio Fulci)
Insane Italian gore film. Feels like a dry run for Fulci's superior
The Beyond, but is worth seeing for the grotesquely bonkers moment
where a woman vomits up her own intestines.
Claymation Christmas (1987, Will Vinton)
Vivid memories of watching this at my grandmother's house when I was a kid. It still brings back great memories. The O, Christmas Tree segment is my favorite.
Clean, Shaven (1993, Lodge Kerrigan)
One of my top 50 favorite films. The performance by Peter Greene alone is well worth witnessing. The fingernail scene will send most people running for the exits.
A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
Along with 2001, Kubrick's best.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, Steven Spielberg)
Hands down the best "Extraterrestrial Encounter" film ever made. Spielberg at his best.
Cloud Atlas (2012, Tom Tykwer, The Wachowskis)
A mixed bag, with some unintentionally silly stuff, but overall it's the absolute scope of the film that impresses in the end.
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018, Julius Onah)
This movie got a lot of crap...but I, personally, didn't find it nearly as bad as all the hyperbole would have you believe. Granted, it's not a GREAT movie, either, but... Keep in mind, I do have a huge soft spot for space-set horror movies, so...
Clownhouse (1988, Victor Salva)
Yes, the director is a fiend...but, putting that aside, this is still a very
effective, creepy little horror thriller.
Coco (2017, Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina)
I'm not even a Pixar fan (I think Toy Story is one of the most
overrated movies of the last few decades), but I thought this was
wonderful. Possibly the best movie about "Dia de los Muertos" ever
made.
Cold Skin (2017, Xavier Gens)
Fantastic Lovecraftian thriller with great suspense and excellent special
effects. A very well-told tale. Really enjoyed it (even moreso than
The Shape of Water, to which this is often compared).
The Collected Shorts of Jan Svankmajer (2005, Jan Svankmajer)
Excellent collection of shorts from the always amazing Svankmajer, with
Down to the Cellar, perhaps, being my favorite...but there are several
fantastic ones (including The Fall of the House of Usher,
Dimensions of Dialogue, and The Pendulum, The Pit and Hope).
Jan Svankmajer: The Ossuary and Other Tales (2006, Jan Svankmajer)
Another fantastic collection of Svankmajer shorts, with the amazing
Darkness/Light/Darkness, Historia Naturae, and
Don Juan (which almost acts as a precursor to Svankmajer's own version
of Faust).
The Collector (1965, William Wyler)
Very good Psycho-like thriller with an awesome performance (as always)
by the great Terence Stamp.
The Collector ("Le collectionneur") (2002, Jean Beaudin)
Decent, but not great, little French Canadian serial killer thriller.
Color Out of Space (2019, Richard Stanley)
Decent retelling of the infamous Lovecraft tale. Some good atmosphere, but
does stray from the story quite a bit. All-in-all, the German
Die Farbe is the infinitely better film version.
The Colour Out of Space ("Die Farbe") (2010, Huan Vu)
One of the best H.P. Lovecraft film adaptations.
Combat Shock (1986, Buddy Giovinazzo)
I won't defend this as a "good" movie. It's amateurishly made and, yes, it
borrows liberally from everything from Taxi Driver to
Eraserhead to even The Deer Hunter. But I'll say one thing...it
stuck with me (particularly the ending).
Come and See ("Idi i smotri") (1985, Elem Klimov)
The greatest, most harrowing vision of war ever captured on film.
Comforting Skin (2011, Derek Franson)
Interesting little body horror thriller with a convincing performance by
Victoria Bidewell in the lead (which really sells the film).
Coming to America (1988, John Landis)
One of the best comedies of the 80's.
Communion (1989, Phillipe Mora)
Bizarre alien abduction film with one scene that kept me up at night for
months, followed by a menagerie of perplexing scenes. All-in-all, a mixed
bag...but memorable.
The Company of Wolves (1984, Neil Jordan)
Fantastic "fairy tale for adults" (NOT horror, in my opinion). Spellbinding
direction by Neil Jordan - one of his best.
Conspirators of Pleasure ("Spiklenci slasti")1996, Jan Svankmajer)
Svankmajer's weakest feature-length film...though it's still very much
well-worth seeing, without a doubt.
Constantine (2014-15, Neil Marshall, et al.)
He doesn't smoke (which pisses me off), but this is still the definitive
adaptation of the Hellblazer comics. All-in-all, pretty great.
Constantine: City of Demons (2018, Doug Murphy)
Not perfect, but infinitely better than the live-action movie.
Justice League Dark (2017, Jay Oliva)
Fun team-up of these character (not sure Batman was essential to the story,
however).
Le Convoyeur (2004, Nicolas Boukhrief)
Excellent French thriller, a sort of armored car version of
Taxi Driver, is sorely overlooked and in DIRE need of a Region 1
DVD/Blu-Ray with English subtitles.
Coraline (2009, Henry Selick)
Absolutely wonderful. A near-perfect adaptation of the Neil Gaiman book, but a
great film in its own right.
Corpse Bride (2005, Tim Burton, Mike Johnson)
I wanted to like this more than I did. The animation is fantastic and the
story is cute, but I found a lot of the songs entirely lackluster. Still,
makes a fun film to watch at Halloweentime, even if it isn't perfect.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002, Kevin Reynolds)
Yes, it strays from the book. It's still undeniably entertaining,
well-directed, and very well acted.
The Countess (2009, Julie Delpy)
Not perfect, but still the best big screen version of the story of Erzsébet
Báthory to date with an excellent lead performance by director Julie Delpy.
The Craft (1996, Andrew Fleming)
Fun little teen witchcraft thriller.
Crash (1996, David Cronenberg)
Not Cronenberg's best, but still a very good adaptation of the J.G. Ballard book.
Creature (1985, William Malone)
Silly little low-budget Alien clone...but kind of charmingly bad.
Creepshow (1982, George A. Romero)
Very entertaining anthology...with The Crate being my favorite of
the segments. Something to Tide You Over is a lot of fun, too.
Creepshow - Season One (2019, Greg Nicotero, et al.)
Owned mostly for the House of the Head episode, which was just insanely
creepy. The rest of the series didn't impress me much (didn't feel a whole lot
like Creepshow to me, either).
The Cremaster Cycle (1995-2002, Matthew Barney)
Some of these are better than the others (3 most likely being the
best), but...they're all pretty unforgettable pieces of art.
The Order: From 'Cremaster 3' (2004, Matthew Barney)
Interesting variation on Cremaster 3.
The Cremator ("Spalovac mrtvol") (1969, Juraj Herz)
Surreal, gothic, chilling, Kafkaesque pitch black comedy...which is almost
unclassifiable.Fantastic.
Crimson Peak (2015, Guillermo del Toro)
Very good, great-looking Victorian ghost story. Would make a great triple feature along with The Others and The Woman in Black.
The Crimson Rivers ("Les Rivieres pourpres") (2000, Mathieu Kassovitz)
If you're a fan of The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en and you haven't seen this, what are you waiting for? Excellent direction by Mathieu (La Haine) Kassovitz.
Cronos (1993, Guillermo del Toro)
Still one of del Toro's best films. A fun, revisionist take on the vampire legends.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ("Wo hu cang long") (2000, Ang Lee)
One of the best Wuxia films ever made. Absolutely stunning.
The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas)
Strays from the book a bit, but it's still a classic. With a wonderfully gothic, baroque visual style that's just pure eye candy...not to mention a fantastic final performance by Lee.
The Crow: City of Angels (1996, Tim Pope)
Seek out the Resurrected cut. It's much better than this butchered version that went to theaters.
The Crow: Salvation (2000, Bharat Nalluri)
Not great, but better than City of Angels, in my opinion.
The Crucible (1996, Nicholas Hytner)
Not perfect, but a pretty vivid portrait of the Salem Witch Trials and the mass hysteria which can result from such an event. Terrifying without being "horror."
Crying Freeman (1995, Christophe Gans)
Pretty good adaptation of the manga works so beautifully in places that it just leaves you wishing it was a better film overall. Still, definitely worth a look for some very nice set pieces and some good performances.
Cube (1997, Vincenzo Natali)
Unique, great-looking little sci-fi horror (with Kafkaesque overtones) with an ingenious little premise. Suspenseful and involving, keeps you guessing right up until the very end.
Cube Zero (2004, Ernie Barbarash)
Half a decent prequel. The stuff inside the cube works surprisingly well. The stuff outside is a silly mess.
Cure ("Kyua") (1997, Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's best film, if you ask me. An amazing Japanese serial killer film with supernatural overtones...and an ending you'll never forget.
The Cure: Greatest Hits (2001, David Hillier, et al.)
One of my favorite bands.
A Cure for Wellness (2016, Gore Verbinksi)
Basically a horror remake of The Road to Wellville (with a similar title, to boot). Great to look at, but desperately needed a good 30 minutes shaved off its running time. Still, a kind of fun, old-fashioned, Poe-esque horror thriller.
The Curse of the Werewolf (1961, Terence Fisher)
Great werewolf movie from Hammer.
Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols (2009, Rodrigo Gudiño)
Unique, interesting little horror shorts. Not perfect, but with enough creative concepts to make them memorable.
Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols (2009, Rodrigo Gudiño)
Unique, interesting little horror shorts. Not perfect, but with enough creative concepts to make them memorable.
Dagon (2001, Stuart Gordon)
Pretty good adaptation of Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth is
greatly marred by an amazingly annoying lead in a hideous eyesore of a bright
orange sweatshirt. A quick recast (and wardrobe change) and this could have
been a classic.
Dante 01 (2008, Marc Caro)
Pretty good outer space saga from the co-director of Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children. Good, but could have been better.
Dante 01 (2008, Marc Caro)
Pretty good outer space saga from the co-director of Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children. Good, but could have been better.
Dante's Inferno ("L'Inferno") (1911, Giuseppe de Liguoro, Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan)
Amazing silent adaptation of Alghieri's The Divine Comedy, with effects and visuals which rival the ones in modern films.
Daredevil (2003, Mark Steven Johnson) (Director's Cut)
I'm a fan of this character, but the movie was just...eh. This director's cut
improves things slightly, but it's still not quite what I'd like to see (the
Netflix series was infinitely better).
Daredevil vs. Spider-Man (1994, Bob Richardson)
Daredevil vs. Spider-Man (1994, Bob Richardson)
Fun animated match-up of the two characters.
Dark City (1998, Alex Proyas) (Theatrical and Director's Cut)
The director's cut is superior to the theatrical cut (which was already pretty great) in nearly every way...mostly for not treating the audience like complete idiots.
Dark Mind ("Intellectual Property") (2006, Nicholas Peterson)
Pretty cool, Kafka-esque thriller. Not great, but definitely worth a look.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981, Frank De Felitta)
Still the best "Killer Scarecrow" movie and a great supernatural thriller. Perfect Halloweentime viewing.
Not at all the Dracula movie it was marketed as, but instead a story about the life of Vlad Tepes (who inspired the character of Dracula). As it is, not nearly as epic as it needed to be (with some obvious liberties taken with the facts), but...still probably the best film about Tepes we're likely to get for the time being.
Dark Skies (2013, Scott Stewart)
Surprisingly good, intense little alien abduction thriller. Repeats a lot of the same beats from Close Encounters and Signs, but does them so well, you hardly notice.
A Dark Song (2016, Liam Gavin)
Very good little folk horror/ritual thriller...but can't help but disappoint when the big letdown of an ending finally arrives.
Darkman Trilogy
Fun little homage to pulp heroes of yesteryear (i.e. The Shadow...this actually began life as a Shadow movie) with touches of Phantom of the Opera thrown in. Not perfect (with many scenes that just BEG to be filmed at night), but a lot of fun. II sucks, but III is moderately entertaining.
David Bowie: Best of Bowie (2002)
Easily one of my all-time favorite musicians. R.I.P.
David Cronenberg Shorts
Interesting pair of early shorts from Cronenberg.
The Day of the Beast ("El dia de la bestia") (1995, Alex de la Iglesia)
Unique, fun little "Devil on Earth" thriller, done with humor and thrills, making for a very distinctive experience.
Day of Wrath ("Vredens dag") (1943, Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Masterpiece.
Dead Alive (1992, Peter Jackson)
The best zombie comedy ever made, in my opinion. Disgustingly hilarious.
The Deadly Spawn (1983, Douglas McKeown)
Super low budget monster movie. Obviously not great filmmaking, but the effects are incredible all things considered. Definitely has its charms.
Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor ("The Deadly Spawn II: Metamorphosis") (1990, Glenn Takakjian)
Gory semi-sequel to The Deadly Spawn is silly and low on story, but
high on FX (which are really the only reason to watch).
Dead Man's Shoes (2004, Shane Meadows)
Effective little revenge thriller with some beautiful locales and emotionally involving story.
Dead Man's Shoes (2004, Shane Meadows)
Effective little revenge thriller with some beautiful locales and emotionally involving story.
Dead of Night (1945, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer, Alberto Cavalcanti)
Very good little horror anthology. Uneven (as anthologies often are) and I could have done without the comedic entry, but...all-in-all well worth seeing with some very creepy sequences.
Dead of Winter (1987, Arthur Penn)
Solid, effective twisty thriller with some excellent scenes of suspense.
Nice winter setting really adds to it.
Dead Ringers (1988, David Cronenberg)
One of my favorite films. Cronenberg at his best.
Dead Space: Downfall (2008, Chuck Patton)
Not bad animated prequel to the games. Not great, but...
Death and the Maiden (1994, Roman Polanski)
One of Polanski's best. Criminally overlooked.
Death Machine (1994, Stephen Norrington)
Pretty good little cyberpunk film. Won't change your life, but if you're
looking for a fun little killer robot flick in the Hardware vein, here
you go...
Death Note ("Desu noto") (2006, Shusuke Kaneko)
Excellent live-action adaptation of the manga (avoid the Americanized
abomination)
The Death of Poe (2006, Mark Redfield)
OK look into the final days of Poe's life, with some decent acting, but pretty
cheap-looking overall and leaves you longing for a more lush take on this
material.
Death Sentence (2007, James Wan)
Good little revenge film. Nothing more.
Death to Smoochy (2002, Danny DeVito)
Am I the only one who found this to be hysterical?
Death Wish (1974, Michael Winner)
This gets a bad rap, mostly for the increasingly trashy, silly sequels that
followed, but this original film is an intense, involving little revenge
drama. Not a masterpiece by a long shot, but what it does, it does very
well.
Deep Dark (2015, Michael Medaglia)
Hidden gem. Ignore the clunky first 20 minutes or so...the rest is fantastic.
Deep Red ("Profondo rosso") (1975, Dario Argento)
Good giallo. Has an eerie look and feel all its own. Not perfect,
but...contains of the creepiest shots in any movie ever.
Deepstar Six (1989, Sean. S. Cunningham)
One of 1989's spate of undersea movies. This was one of the weaker ones
(though it does have a surprisingly good score)...but is still kind of goofily
entertaining. Plus I have fond memories of going to see it with my dad.
The Deer Hunter (1978, Michael Cimino)
Best film of 1978.
Delicatessen (1991, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro)
Funny, touching, visually stunning...not Jeunet/Caro's best (that would be
The City of Lost Children), but still a marvelous film. Highly
recommended.
Deliverance (1972, John Boorman)
One of the best films of the 70's and Boorman's best.
Dementia (1955, John Parker)
Unique, bizarre little noir-ish art film (NOT a horror film, as it's been
called). Really one-of-a-kind.
Dementia 13 (1963, Francis Ford Coppola)
OK Psycho-like early thriller from Coppola. Obviously not up to the
heights of his later films, but...still has some good, suspenseful moments.
Depeche Mode: The Videos 86-98 (1998, Martyn Atkins, et al.)
One of my favorite bands.
Devil (2010, John Erick Dowdle)
A few silly moments (and a predictable ending aside), I thought this was
surprisingly good.
The Devils (1971, Ken Russell)
Ken Russell's masterpiece.
The Devil's Backbone ("El espinazo del diablo") (2001, Guillermo del Toro)
del Toro's best film.
Diabolique ("Les Diaboliques") (1955, Henri-Georges Clouzot)
One of the best thrillers ever made. Right up there with Psycho. In
fact, better in some ways. Watch along with the aforementioned
Psycho and Peeping Tom for an amazing triple feature.
Dick Tracy (1990, Warren Beatty)
Love these old pulp hero-style films, but...this could do with about 80% less
Madonna. Still, great sets, costumes, and art direction.
Die, Monster, Die! (1965, Daniel Haller)
This is more set in the world of Lovecraft rather than based explicitly on
anything he's written. There are elements from "The Colour Out of Space," but
it really tells its own story. Not great, but not bad, either.
The Directors: The Films of David Cronenberg (1999, Robert J. Emery)
My favorite director.
Director's Label, Vol. 2 - The Work of Director Chris Cunningham (2003)
Aphex Twin's Come to daddy. is, hands down, one of the coolest music
videos ever made. This is worth owning for that alone.
Director's Label, Vol. 4 - The Work of Director Mark Romanek (2005)
Owned mostly for the pair of NIN videos.
D is for Deloused (2014, Robert Morgan)
Yet another amazing, mind-bending short from the brilliant Mr. Morgan.
The Doctor and the Devils (1985, Freddie Francis)
Still probably the best film I've seen based on Burke and Hare (despite the
names being changed).
Doctor Strange (2016, Scott Derrickson)
I'm a fan of the character and the movie turned out all right. Could have been
better, though.
Doctor Syn (1937, Roy William Neill)
Decent adaptation of the character, but found much better life in the
remakes that followed.
Night Creatures (1962, Peter Graham Scott)
Fun adaptation of Doctor Syn with great atmosphere and the always
reliable Cushing.
Doctor Syn, alias The Scarecrow ("The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh") (1963, James Neilson)
Fun, rousing adventure, the best adaptation of Thorndike's character.
Dog (2002, Suzie Templeton)
Amazing, emotional animated short. Touching, memorable.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975, Sidney Lumet)
Classic.
Dogtooth ("Kynodontas") (2009, Yorgos Lanthimos)
Totally original. Otherworldy. Almost beyond describing. Absurd, bizarre,
bothersome...but kind of amazing, in a way.
Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly) (Theatrical and Director Cut)
Mind-bending and compelling. Equal parts Taxi Driver,
American Beauty, and The Time Machine. Totally unique and
hypnotic with a haunting and sad atmosphere. Excellent. The DC is
inferior (mostly for explaining too much, changing some of the FX and
music)...but still worth a look.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973, John Newland)
Thought this was the scariest movie I'd ever seen when I was a kid. While I
can't say the same now, it's still amazingly eerie and atmospheric. Love it.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010, Troy Nixey)
Mediocre remake of the very suspenseful 1973 original, but it looks
great.
Don't Look Now (1973, Nicolas Roeg)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Doom (2005, Andrzej Bartkowiak)
Still in denial about how they turned such an awesome game into such a bland,
forgettable movie.
Doomsday Book (2012, Kim Jee-woon, Yim Pil-sung)
The first and third segments I could take or leave. But the middle segment (The Heavenly Creature) is fantastic. It's worth seeing for that one alone.
Dorian Gray (2009, Oliver Parker)
Largely successful updating of the Oscar Wilde novel. Looks great, great
performances (perfectly cast lead role), fairly faithful to the original
story. Not perfect, but...enjoyable.
The Double (2013, Richard Ayoade)
Very good adaptation of the Dostoevsky novel. Quirky, funny, and visually
stunning...kind of feels like a combination of Lynch's Eraserhead and
Gilliam's Brazil.
DRACULA:
Nosferatu ("Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens") (1922, F.W. Murnau)
Nosferatu ("Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens") (1922, F.W. Murnau)
Masterwork of early/horror cinema. Still the best vampire/Dracula movie ever
made, in my opinion.
Dracula (1931, Tod Browning)
Dracula (1931, Tod Browning)
Classic...with Lugosi's iconic performance as The Count.
Mark of the Vampire (1935, Tod Browning)
Okay, I know it's not a real sequel to Dracula,
but when I was a kid, I would have swore that it was. And, in my heart, it
still kinda is.
The Return of the Vampire (1943, Lew Landers)
All right, I know this isn't a sequel to Dracula, either...but,
c'mon...by all rights, it is. It started out as one and, in my opinion, it
still is. Not a great film, but...fun. Like a long lost entry in the Universal
series.
Dracula (1931, Enrique Tovar Avalos, George Melford)
Damn good. Almost as good as the Lugosi version (and, in some parts, actually
better).
Dracula ("Horror of Dracula") (1958, Terence Fisher)
My favorite Dracula movie...and Lee (along with Palance) my favorite
Dracula.
The Brides of Dracula (1960, Terence Fisher)
Solid sequel to Dracula, even sans The Count. One of Hammer's best.
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966, Terence Fisher)
Welcome return of Lee in yet another atmospheric entry in this excellent
series.
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968, Freddie Francis)
Not the best this series has to offer, but still damn solid.
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970, Peter Sadsy)
Fond memories of watching this on TV when I was a kid. The last really good
installment of this Hammer series.
Scars of Dracula (1970, Roy Ward Baker)
One of the weaker efforts in the series...but it has its moments here and
there.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972, Alan Gibson)
Probably the weakest of series. The novelty of seeing Dracula and Val
Helsing fighting it out in "modern" 70's London wears out quickly. Honestly,
still worth a watch.
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973, Ala Gibson)
Lee's final outing as The Count (in this series, at least) is OK...but a bit
of a mess.
Dracula (1974, Dan Curtis)
Not the best Dracula movie. However, Palance is damn near the finest Dracula
to ever grace the screen. Shame the movie itself isn't better. I expected a
bit more from a script from the late, great Richard Matheson.
Count Dracula (1977, Philip Saville)
Maybe not the best screen Dracula, but certainly the most faithful.
Still, it definitely has its moments and it certainly worth seeing.
Pretty good, atmospheric re-do of the Dracula legend, overshadowed by
the greatness of the same year's Nosferatu remake by Werner Herzog, but
definitely has qualities of its own, with Langella pretty great as The Count
(though still no match for Christopher Lee). Shame all DVD prints drown out
the lush colors of the original theatrical release.
Nosferatu the Vampyre ("Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht") (1979, Werner Herzog)
One of the best remakes ever made. Absolutely holds its own when compared to
the original, plus it offers many new surprises as well. Just excellent.
Dracula ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") (1992, Francis Ford Coppola)
Overrated, with some horrible performances, but nice to look at with some
great visuals.
Dracula Untold (2014, Gary Shore)
Jokingly referred to this as Dracula Uninteresting at its time of
release. It's not bad, just not terribly good, either.
Oh my...where to begin with this one. Well, absolutely horrible
dialogue aside ("You are what you eat"? Give me a break!), what starts
out as a faithful adaptation of the Stoker novel quickly goes off the rails
and does its own thing. If you can accept that, it's moderately
entertaining...but there are much better, less ridiculous Dracula films
to watch than this.
_
Dread (2009, Anthony DiBlasi)
Decent (not great) adaptation of the Clive Barker story. Could have used a
little more finesse, but...it's good for what it is.
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (2003, Edward Martin III)
Pretty good adaptation of the comic-book based on the epic Lovecraft story.
The animation is, admittedly, pretty threadbare...and it acts more like a
motion comic rather than a full-fledged animated film. But it's still a
remarkable and fun experience.
Dreamchild (1985, Gavin Millar)
Pretty great look at the life of Lewis Carroll and his rather creepy
relationship with the girl who would become his "Alice." The highlight here
is the great puppet work by Jim Henson's Creature Shop in the dream
sequences. All-in-all, a VERY memorable experience.
Dreams (1990, Akira Kurosawa)
Masterpiece. One of Kurosawa's best. Hallucinatory and amazing.
Dreams in the Witch-House (2005, Stuart Gordon)
Great adaptation of the Lovecraft story (with a few tweaks to the story here
and there). Overall, great...a treat for Lovecraft fans.
Dreams with Sharp Teeth (2008, Erik Nelson)
Excellent documentary on one of my favorite writers - Harlan Ellison
(I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktock
Man).
Dressed to Kill (1980, Brian De Palma)
Another fun, suspenseful Hitchcockian psychological thriller from De Palma.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2003, Maurice Phillips)
No alteration in Jekyll's appearance when he turns into Hyde aside, I thought
this was a very good adaptation of the Stevenson tale. Not perfect, but...
Mary Reilly (1996, Stephen Frears)
Surprisingly decent updating of the Jekyll and Hyde story, with its
real appeal being its attention to detail when it comes to the time period.
Jekyll & Hyde (1990, David Wickes)
The Hyde make-up is very silly, but the production values are great and Caine
damn near saves this singlehandedly with his fantastic performance.
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (Season One) (1995)
Absolutely hysterical show. Love it.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, Stanley Kubrick)
One of the funniest films ever made.
Duel (1971, Steven Spielberg)
Excellent early suspense thriller from Spielberg.
Dummy (2002, Greg Pritikin)
Very entertaining little oddball comedy with great performances by Adrien
Brody and Milla Jovovich.
Dumplings ("Gau ji") (2004, Fruit Chan Goh)
At times beautiful, at times nauseating, but all unforgettable.
Dune (1984, David Lynch)
I know this gets a lot of crap (and there's no doubt the Jodorowsky version
would have been mind-blowing), but...I always enjoyed this. Granted, I've
never read the book, so I've nothing to compare it to, but...
Jodorowsky's Dune (2013, Frank Pavich)
Excellent documentary on one of the most amazing films never made.
The Dunwich Horror (1970, Daniel Haller)
Decent adaptation of the Lovecraft story (with many liberties taken). A more
faithful take on the story (with better effects and a less 70's vibe) would be
preferred, but for what this is - not bad.
The Dunwich Horror and Other Stories (2007, Ryo Shinagawa)
Wonderful, atmospheric collection of three claymation adaptations of Lovecraft
stories (The Picture in the House, The Festival, and the titular
story) - all brought to vivid, eerie life. Excellent!
Eden Log (2007, Franck Vestiel)
Unique, moody, great-looking science-fiction film, slow-moving, but definitely
memorable. Not for everyone, but I found it compelling.
Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive (2017, Eric Strange)
Excellent documentary on my favorite writer.
Edgar Allan Poe: The Cask of Amontillado and the Tell Tale Heart (2008, Stephen J. Conley, John J. Dur)
Wonderful animatic versions of two of Poe's best tales with great narration
and beautiful artwork.
The Edgar Allan Poe Collection, Volume 1 - Annabel Lee & Other Tales of Mystery and Imagination (2008, George Higham, et al.)
Owned mostly for the Annabel Lee short, which has a great look and
animation, despite rather horrid narration. The other two are rather
forgettable.
Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination (1995, James Ryan, et al.)
None of these are terribly good, but Christopher Lee elevates them with his
regal presence.
Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven (2009, Stephen J. Conley, John J. Dur)
Great adaptation of the poem, from the same makers of the above
Cask and Heart. Well worth a watch.
Edgar & Ellen: Trick or Twins (2007, Keith Ingham, Larry Hall)
Cute Halloween special featuring the Addams Family-esque characters.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014, Doug Liman)
This one totally surprised me. I went in expecting very little, walked out
thinking it was awesome. Looking forward to the sequel.
Edmond (2005, Stuart Gordon)
Gordon goes down the Taxi Driver/Falling Down path and is
surprisingly successful. A descent into personal Hell anchored by a
fascinating performance by William H. Macy.
Edward Scissorhands (1990, Tim Burton)
Not his best film (that would be Ed Wood), but it's certainly the
quintessential Tim Burton film when you get right down to it. A dark,
whimsical, beautiful little modern-day fairy tale. A classic.
Ed Wood (1994, Tim Burton)
Tim Burton's best film and, quite possibly, Johnny Depp's best performance
(certainly my favorite).
The Eighth Day of Creation ("El Octavio Dia, La Creacion") (2003, Rita Basulto, Juan Jose Medina)
Amazing animated short. Highly recommended for fans of the Quay
Brothers.
The Eldritch Influence: The Life, Vision, and Phenomenon of H.P. Lovecraft (2003, Shawn R. Owens)
Great documentary on Lovecraft (my second favorite writer), superior to
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown, in my opinion.
Election ("Hak se wooi") (2005, Johnnie To)
Very entertaining, above average triad saga with an ending that totally caught
me by surprise. Perhaps To's best film.
Election 2 ("Hak se wooi: Yi woo wai kwai") (2006, Johnnie To)
Slightly better sequel (to a film I already thought was pretty damn good).
Electroma (2006, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo)
Surprisingly good, strange little art film from the band Daft Punk. Not at all
the lengthy music video I expected it to be, but actually a bizarre,
fascinating, and somewhat profound little avant garde science fiction art
film. Definitely worth a look.
The Element of Crime ("Forbrydelsens element") (1984, Lar von Trier)
One of von Trier's best.
The Elephant Man (1980, David Lynch)
Best film of 1980 and one of my favorite films. Fantastic direction by Lynch
and an absolutely amazing performance by John Hurt. Incredible, incredible
film.
Elf (2003, Jon Favreau)
Though the last third falls flat, this is still a fun, cute little Christmas
movie and Ferrell is hilarious. I watch it at least once every year.
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977, Jim Henson)
Very fond memories of watching this on HBO when I was little. It's still
wonderful and I watch it at least once every year at Christmastime.
Empire of the Sun (1987, Steven Spielberg)
One of Spielberg's best. Certainly my favorite.
Empire of the Wolves ("L'empire des loups") (2005, Chris Nahon)
Not perfect (the finale is a let down), but a pretty damn good adaptation of
the Jean-Christophe Grangé suspense novel...with yet another fine performance
from Jean Reno.
Enemy (2013, Denis Villeneuve)
Intriguing and surreal, beautifully shot, exploring conflicting sides of the
subconscious, with an ending that'll stick with you for weeks. This is
Villeneuve's best film. Certainly my favorite.
Enter the Dragon (1973, Robert Clouse)
The best Bruce Lee movie ever made.
Enter the Void (2009, Gaspar Noe)
Noé's best film, in my opinion. An almost spiritual experience.
Equilibrium (2002, Kurt Wimmer)
1984 and Brave New World by way of The Matrix. Not great,
but better than it has any right to be.
Eraserhead (1977, David Lynch)
My all-time favorite film.
Strange, unique little psychological thriller with an original premise.
Doesn't entirely work and its low budget really shows in parts, but...it's one
of those films where you can tell what they were aiming for and, even if they
didn't quite nail it, it's still interesting to watch.
Europa (1991, Lars von Trier)
von Trier's best film.
Event Horizon (1997, Paul W.S. Anderson)
The second-best space horror movie after Alien, in my opinion. Easily
the best movie Paul W.S. Anderson put his name on (I almost wonder if someone
else ghost-directed it).
EVIL DEAD:
The Evil Dead (1981, Sam Raimi) ("Book of the Dead" Edition)
Classic.
Evil Dead II (1987, Sam Raimi) ("Book of the Dead 2" Edition)
Even better than the first. My favorite Evil Dead movie.
Hilarious third entry in the Evil Dead trilogy goes full-on comedy, but
is compulsively rewatchable (and quotable), thanks mostly to Bruce Campbell's
hysterical lead performance.
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Season One) (2015-2016, Sam Raimi, et al.)
Pretty good follow-up to the Evil Dead trilogy...even if it's not the
full-on Evil Dead 4 I'd been wanting for for decades.
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Season Two) (2016, Rick Jacobson, et al.)
Not as good as the first season, but has its moments.
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Season Three) (2018, Mark Beesley, et al.)
Grrr...this came so close to being the perfect ending to the entire
Evil Dead saga...and then it ends on another cliffhanger. Gah!
Evil Dead (2013, Fede Alvarez)
Decent remake (or "side-quel," depending on how you look at it). Not nearly as
great as the original trilogy (or as good as people made it out to be),
but...certainly better than most recent remakes. Definitely has its moments.
_
Exam (2009, Stuart Hazeldine)
Fans of movies like Cube and Fermat's Room take note.
eXistenZ (1999, David Cronenberg)
Maybe not Cronenberg's best film, but certainly the MOST Cronenberg-esque film
he's made.
Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland)
Excellent. One of the best science-fiction films in recent years.
The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)
I know it's cliché, but still my pick for the best horror film of all-time.
The Exorcist III ("Legion") (1990, William Peter Blatty)
This was never intended to be a sequel to The Exorcist. More of a
spin-off (it was originally titled Legion, like the excellent book it
was based on). So just ignore the title and watch. It's damn good.
The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto (2008)
Excellent collection of shorts from the amazing talent of Kawamoto. So hard to
pick a favorite, but I think Oni (Demon) would be my choice. But
there are many greats (Dojoji Temple, House of Flames,
The Breaking of Branches is Forbidden).
The Exterminating Angel (1962, Luis Bunuel)
Buñuel's best. One of my favorite films.
Extraordinary Tales (2013, Raul Garcia)
Excellent. The only segment that disappoints is The Tell-Tale Heart.
While it's great hearing Lugosi's narration, the animation style doesn't
really fit the story. Seek out Michael Swertfager's short for a much better
version of that story.
Eyes of Fire (1983, Avery Crounse)
Bonkers little folk horror thriller about a preacher and his followers
banished to a woods where something evil lurks (a precursor to
The VVitch?). Atmospheric and spooky at times, but also trippy and
psychedelic. Strange, but definitely worth a look.
The Eyes of My Mother (2016, Nicolas Pesce)
One of the best horror films in years. Creepy, haunting...unforgettable.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, Stanley Kubrick) (159 Minute Uncensored Version)
Not Kubrick's best, but certainly paints a vivid picture of an almost
Kafka-esque situation the main character keeps falling deeper and deeper into.
Not great, but...it stuck with me.
Eyes Without a Face ("Les Yeux sans visage") (1960, Georges Fanju)
One of the best horror films ever made.
f8 (2001, Jason Wen)
Amazing, poetic sci-fi short.
The Face of Another ("Tanin no kao") (1966, Hiroshi Teshigahara)
Masterpiece.
The Factory (2011, Morgan O'Neill)
Not great, but a kinda decent little popcorn thriller with a kind of creepy,
snowy atmosphere. Shut-your-brain off entertainment for fans of
Silence of the Lambs-style thrillers.
Fair-Haired Child (2006, William Malone)
Not great, but...the creature is pretty fantastic and the scenes where it
makes an appearance work quite well.
The Fall (2006, Tarsem Singh)
One of the most visually-stunning films I've ever seen.
Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher)
Not nearly as artistically done as, say, Taxi Driver, but this is
still a pretty potent story of a man on the edge who finally snaps. Perhaps
Michael Douglas' best performance.
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER:
Rich, atmospheric silent adaptation of the Poe story (which takes a few
liberties with the story). Well-directed and with an eerie horror atmosphere
which all fit the tale very well. Excellent.
The Fall of the House of Usher (1928, James Sibley Watson, Melville Webber)
Strange, experimental take on the Poe story. Not for anyone looking for a
faithful adaptation, but still well worth seeing.
The Fall of the House of Usher (1948, Ivan Barnett)
Not nearly as good as the Jean Epstein film (or even the Roger Corman
version), but still worth a look for Poe fans.
The Fall of the House of Usher (1960, Roger Corman)
As far as Roger Corman's Poe films went, this was easily one of the best. They
showed us this in Jr. High while we were studying Poe and it scared the Hell
out of me. I never forgot it.
_
Fantasia (1940, David Hand, et al.)
Owned mostly for the Night on Bald Mountain sequence, which I saw as a
child and never forgot. But I love the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence,
as well.
The Fantastic Four (1994, Oley Sassone)
Still the best live-action Fantastic Four movie. Sadly.
Fantastic Four/Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2005/2007, Tim Story)
Okay, neither one of these are great (or even good), but they do offer some
mild entertainment value (and they're both miles better than the horrid 2015
FF movie).
Loved the book growing up and I swear I love the movie even more. Anderson
works his own quirky style of humor in and it all works surprisingly well.
Just a lot of fun with great animation and voice work - my favorite part being
the "song break" in the middle ("You wrote a bad song, Petey!").
Fargo (1996, Joel Coen)
Classic. One of the Coens' best.
The Fat Albert Halloween Special (1977, Hal Sutherland)
Crazy fond memories of watching this when I was little (the graveyard scene
scared the crap out of me...haha). I still watch it at least once every
Halloween. It's still very nostalgic for me.
FAUST:
Faust ("Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage") (1926, F.W. Murnau)
Masterpiece.
Faust ("Lekce Faust") (1994, Jan Svankmajer)
One of my top ten favorite films.
Faust (2008, Hoku Uchiyama)
Decent Faust adaptation done all with puppetry...but, unfortunately, it
only covers half the story. Still, good puppet work.
Faust (2011, Aleksandr Sokurov)
Very good Russian updating of the Faust legend.
Faust: Love of the Damned (2000, Brian Yuzna)
Silly adaptation of the Tim Vigil comic book just doesn't have the budget to
pull off what it's setting out to do (and the lead actor isn't much of one).
Still, it's miles better than something like Batman and Robin.
Fausto 5.0 (2000, Isidro Ortiz, Alex Olle, Carlus Padrissa)
Very good modern, Jacob's Ladder-esque version of the
Faust legend.
_
Feardotcom (2002, William Malone)
Yet another Malone film that just looks fantastic, but lets you down in the
story department. Still...a bit of a guilty pleasure.
Fear(s) of the Dark (2008, Charles Burns, et al.)
Typical horror anthology where certain segments work better than others.
However, some really nice animation in some spots and definitely has some
spooky and atmospheric moments. Still, not perfect....but worth a watch.
Fear X (2003, Nicolas Winding Refn)
Refn's best film, in my opinion. A dark, moody, sometimes surreal, little
thriller.
Fermat's Room ("La Habitacion de Fermat") (2007, Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopena)
Intelligent, intense claustrophobic thriller in the Cube vein.
The Fifth Element (1997, Luc Besson)
Fun cyberpunk thriller, with perhaps a little too much emphasis on comedy.
Still, very entertaining, fast, and energetic...and fantastic to look at.
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)
Overrated, but still worth a watch. The movie's "philosophy" is pretty stupid
(it's not nearly as clever as it thinks it is), and I feel a lot of the
satirical elements from the book were lost, but the visuals alone make it
worth seeing.
Fire in the Sky (1993, Rob Lieberman)
Very effective alien abduction thriller. Plays fast and loose with the
facts of the real case, but is still an entertaining and very creepy film
nonetheless.
The Flash - The Complete Series (1990, Robert Iscove, et al.)
Excellent adaptation of the DC comics hero. The pilot alone is almost feature
film worthy.
Flight of the Innocent ("La corsa dell'innocente") (1992, Carlo Carlei)
Fantastic thriller. Beautiful and haunting.
The Flowers of War ("Jin ling shi san chai") (2011, Zhang Yimou)
I know this film glosses over history (as most films do), but I found it to be
a remarkable, touching, beautiful experience.
The Fly (1986, David Cronenberg)
One of my favorite films.
The Fly II (1989, Chirs Walas)
Lousy sequel, but with some great special effects. Works better as a
stand-alone monster movie.
Fool's Fire (1992, Julie Taymor)
Very good, innovative little short (based on the story Hop Frog by
Poe). Great visuals and endless creativity.
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008, Rob Minkoff)
Not the best wuxia film, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a total
blast watching it.
The Fountain (2006, Darren Aronofsky)
Wonderful film. One of Aronofsky's best.
Four Rooms (1995, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Trantino, et al.)
The first two segments are lousy, but worth it for the Rodriguez and Tarantino
segments.
Fragile ("Fragiles") (2005, Jaume Balaguero)
Pretty standard ghost story, but well-directed and surprisingly effective in
places.
Fragile Machine (2005, Ben Steele)
Very cool little cybperpunk short with wild visuals and a philosophical,
Ghost in the Shell-style approach.
FRANKENSTEIN:
Frankenstein (1910, J. Searle Dawley)
Interesting first adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel. The monster itself is
unique and frightening, and it has that eerie mood that only silents have.
Frankenstein (1931, James Whale)
Classic, with Karloff's iconic performance of The Monster.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, James Whale)
Superior sequel. One of the all-time best.
Son of Frankenstein (1939, Rowland V. Lee)
Fun third entry, but not nearly as strong as Bride.
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942, Erle C. Kenton)
Surprisingly decent fourth installment of the series.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943, Roy William Neill)
Thought this was the coolest movie in the world when I was a kid. Watching
it now, it's still fun, but...Lugosi is absolutely terrible as The Monster.
He doesn't look the part at all and that detracts from the movie greatly.
House of Frankenstein (1944, Erle C. Kenton)
Fun monster team-up, but I was always disappointed Lugosi didn't return to
play Dracula (but Glenn Strange is an excellent Monster).
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948, Charles Barton)
This was my favorite movie in the universe when I was, like, 10...and it's
still a lot of fun.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957, Terence Fisher)
Decent retelling of the Frankenstein tale, but not as strong as some
of the sequels.
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958, Terence Fisher)
Superior sequel to Curse. Gripping story with Cushing always fantastic
as Frankenstein.
The Evil of Frankenstein (1964, Freddie Francis)
One of the weaker entries in this series, but it was cool to see Jack
Pierce's Frankenstein's Monster design here.
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967, Terence Fisher)
I know people often speak highly of this one, but I always found it rather
dull.
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969, Terence Fisher)
Pretty damn good. Even moreso considering this is the fifth entry in
this series.
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974, Terence Fisher)
This was always one of my favorite entries when I was a kid. Watching it now,
it's not the best...but it's still a lot of fun
Frankenstein: The True Story (1973, Jack Smight)
Not at all faithful to the original text, but still captures the very essence
of Shelley's book and is one of the most unique and memorable film versions of
the Frankenstein legend. Absolutely adore it.
Young Frankenstein (1974, Mel Brooks)
My vote for the funniest film ever made.
Victor Frankenstein ("Terror of Frankenstein") (1977, Calvin Floyd)
My vote for the best film version of the Frankenstein story. Still the
version that comes closest to the book.
The Bride (1985, Franc Roddam)
Quite good revisionist take on The Bride of Frankenstein.
Frankenstein (1992, David Wickes)
OK retelling of the Frankenstein legend with some interesting changes...but it
doesn't really come together as a whole. The score is kinda terrible, too.
Looks great, mostly faithful to the book, and very well-acted...but I
take issue with De Niro as The Monster. He gives the best performance he can
(and is quite good in spots). However, you're all-too-aware it's De Niro the
whole time. They would have been better off casting a no-name. Still...it
works, for the most part.
Frankenstein (2004, Kevin Connor)
Pretty solid, faithful adaptation of the Shelley novel, though Luke Goss'
characterization of The Monster is a bit weak.
Victor Frankenstein (2015, Paul McGuigan)
Decent updating of the Frankenstein story, without being particularly
memorable (and it seems like it's mimicking the Guy Ritchie
Sherlock Holmes films). Moderately entertaining, though.
_
Frankenweenie (2012, Tim Burton)
The live-action short was better, but this definitely has its charms (and it's
one of Burton's better films in years).
Franklyn (2008, Gerald McMorrow)
Though this is a multi-level story, the section taking place in the dystopian
future is the one that really absorbed me. I really wish that had been the
whole movie.
Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor ("Kafuka: Inaka isha") (2007, Koji Yamamura)
Very good adaptation of the Kafka story, with unique animation and interesting
music. Definitely worth seeing.
Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (1993, Peter Capaldi)
Very fun, especially for Kafka fans.
Freaks (1932, Tod Browning)
One of the best horror films ever made.
Freeze Frame (2004, John Simpson)
Hidden gem. Underrated little thriller.
Fright Night (1985, Tom Holland)
Very entertaining vampire thriller from the 80's with great effects and fun
performances. A total blast.
From Beyond (1986, Stuart Gordon)
Fun, gory adaptation of the Lovecraft story with another great performance by
Jeffrey Combs.
From Beyond the Grave (1974, Kevin Connor)
Fun Amicus horror anthology with the first segment (The Gatecrasher)
being my favorite.
From Hell (2001, The Hughes Brothers)
Not as great as it could have been, but...probably the best Jack the Ripper
film we'll ever get. Still, looks fantastic with Depp always reliable in the
lead role.
From Inside (2008, John Bergin)
Extremely dark post-apocalyptic animated film. Bleak, nightmarish, memorable.
Frosty the Snowman (1969, Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr.)
Classic.
Fuera de control (2008, Sofia Carillo)
Amazing, wildly creative stop-motion short. Love it.
Full Metal Jacket (1987, Stanley Kubrick)
One of the best war films ever made.
The Funhouse (1981, Tobe Hooper)
Probably Hooper's most underrated movie. Not great, but a good example of a
well-directed 80's slasher movie with a cool setting that works really well.
Fury of the Demon (2016, Fabien Delage)
Very interesting documentary about a supposed "deadly" film. Makes some
fascinating (though not entirely convincing ) arguments in exploration of this
curious phenomenon.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985, Phil Roman)
As with so many Halloween specials, crazy fond memories of actually being
scared by this when I was little. I still try to watch it every year.
The Gate (1987, Tibor Takacs)
Saw this when I was a kid and remembering it being one of the scariest movies
I'd ever seen. Watching it now, it doesn't quite hold up to those standards,
but it's still a fun sort of Poltergeist for Kids.
Gemini ("Soseiji") (1999, Shinya Tsukamoto)
One of Tsukamoto's more interesting films. A very good adaptation of the Rampo
Edogawa story.
The Gene Generation (2007, Pearry Reginald Teo)
Not the greatest film, but...owned mostly because my name is in the credits.
George Carlin - All My Stuff (1977-2005, Rocco Urbisci, et al.)
Probably the funniest comedian who ever lived. I was lucky enough to see him
live just a few months before he died. R.I.P. George.
George Carlin - It's Bad for Ya! (2008, Rocco Urbisci)
His last televised concert and, while it may not be his best, he certainly
didn't go out on a low point, either.
George Méliès: First Wizard of Cinema
Absolutely amazing collection of short films from the master, Méliès. From
Le château hanté to Le voyage dans la lune to
Les quatre cents farces du diable. Just absolutely amazing pieces of
early cinema.
Ghostbusters II (1989, Ivan Reitman)
Am I the only person who prefers this to the first film? No? Only me. Okay,
then... I don't care what anyone says, "Everything you're doing is bad...I
just want you to know that" is one of the funniest lines ever.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1995, Jim Jarmusch)
Love it. One of the best, most unique crime films of the last 20 years.
Ghost in the Shell ("Kokaku Kidotai") (1995, Mamoru Oshii)
Classic. Absolutely essential cyberpunk viewing. Ghost 2.0 (which
I also own) is an interesting updating of the original film, with CGI
sequences inserted throughout. Kinda cool, but far from required viewing. More
of a curiosity piece. For hardcore fans only.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence ("Inosensu") (2004, Mamoru Oshii)
Excellent, beautiful sequel which almost matches the original in story and
creativity.
Ghost Rider (2007, Mark Steven Johnson)
Okay, clearly this isn't great...but I was always a big fan of the
character....and some scenes work quite well. But, overall, it's a bit of a
bust (and Cage is woefully miscast as Blaze).
A Ghost Story (2017, David Lowery)
Slow-paced, but touching and unforgettable. Started out a little iffy (and I
don't think it needed the pretentious existential speech near the middle),
but...I couldn't believe how moved I was by it in the end.
Ghost World (2001, Terry Zwigoff)
Excellent coming-of-age drama/comedy with a great performance by Steve
Buscemi.
The Gift (2010, Carl Rinsch)
Very cool, visually-stunning science fiction short.
Ginger Snaps (2000, John Fawcett)
Sharp, witty, well-acted werewolf thriller by way of a puberty parable. Nice
atmosphere and good effects. A gem.
The Girl (2012, Julian Jarrold)
A very interesting companion piece to Hitchcock. Kind of the darker
side of the coin to that film.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("Man som hatar kvinnor") (2009, Niels Arden Oplev)
Excellent adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel with Noomi Rapace perfectly
cast as Lisbeth Salander. Dark, absorbing, perfect.
The Girl Who Played with Fire ("Flickan som lekte med elden") (2009, Daniel Alfredson)
Very good sequel. Not as great as the first, but still solid, with Rapace
still excellent in the lead role.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest ("Luftslottet som sprangdes") (2009, Daniel Alfredson)
Great conclusion to the trilogy.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011, David Fincher)
Inferior to the original, but not entirely without value.
_
The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
Classic.
The Godfather: Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
Perhaps the best sequel ever made.
Gods and Monsters (1998, Bill Condon)
Fantastic biopic of director James Whale with yet another outstanding
performance by Ian McKellen (and very well-directed by Bill Condon).
Goemon (2009, Kazuaki Kiriya)
Great-looking, crazy, fun martial arts action thriller. Not perfect, but...a
blast.
Very fun movie in which Nikolai Gogol, the writer, encounters the
supernatural elements he writes about. Not great, but perfect for fans of
films like Sleepy Hollow and Vidocq (or, more accurately,
movies like Kafka and The Raven, where writers become parts of
their own fiction). Really enjoyable.
Gogol: Viy (2018, Egor Baranov)
Good sequel. Right on the quality of the first film. All-in-all, the 1967
Viy is better, but this is still very entertaining (and it's
miles better than 2014's hugely disappointing Forbidden Empire).
Gogol: A Terrible Vengeance ("Gogol. Strashnaya mest") (2019, Egor Baranov)
Haven't had a change to watch this one yet. Watch this spot for future review.
The Golem ("Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam") (1920, Carl Boese, Paul Wagener)
Classic piece of German Expressionism. A masterpiece.
Golem (1980, Piotr Szulkin)
Surreal, Kafkaesque, visually memorable.
Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
Quite possibly the best mafia/gangster film ever made. One of Scorsese's best.
Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask (1995, Timothy Bond)
The best episode of Goosebumps. Has a nice autumn/Halloween feel and a
fun, involving story. I watch it every year at least once at Halloweentime.
Gorillaz - Phase One: Celebrity Take Down (2002)
I'm a fan of their music and this is a pretty fun, almost interactive DVD.
Gothic (1980, Ken Russell)
Absolutely bonkers account of the infamous meeting between Mary Shelley, Lord
Byron, et al., where she conceived the story of Frankenstein...but
filtered through the insane eyes of Ken Russell. A one-of-a-kind experience.
Gozu ("Gokudo kyofu dai-gekijo") (2003, Takashi Miike)
Absolutely insane...and I love every minute of it. This is Miike at his most
Miike-ness.
Grave of the Fireflies ("Hotaru no haka") (1988, Isao Takahata)
One of the best, most heartbreaking animated films ever made. One of Studio
Ghibli's best.
The Green Hornet (2011, Michel Gondry)
Big fan of the character...but oh boy, is this ever a mess. Trying it make it
into a comedy was a huge misstep.
Gremlins (1984, Joe Dante)
Classic.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990, Joe Dante)
Very fun, even zanier sequel. Equally as good, if not
better than, the original.
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984, Hugh Hudson)
Half an excellent movie. The first half, dealing with the origins of the
character, are absolutely fantastic. Damn near the definitive take on the
character. Unfortunately, the second half, where the character is brought to
England, is not nearly as strong.
Grizzly Man (2005, Werner Herzog)
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen.
The Grotesque (1995, John-Paul Davidson)
Very successful adaptation of the Patrick McGrath novel (a personal favorite).
Not perfect, but...
Groundhog Day (1993, Harold Ramis)
One of the best comedies of the 90's, if not of all-time. Murray at his best.
"I would love to stand here and talk to you...but I'm not going to" is
probably my all-time favorite line of his.
Hagazussa (2017, Lukas Feigelfeld)
Gorgeous-looking, slow-paced, and haunting folk horror. Episodic and not for
the easily distractied...but very memorable.
HALLOWEEN:
Halloween (1978, John Carpenter) (104 Minute Extended Version)
Probably the finest example of the American slasher film.
Halloween II (1981, Rick Rosenthal)
Hated this the first few times I saw it, but now I see it as a pretty decent
sequel.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982, Tommy Lee Wallace)
Better than its initial reputation, but also not the "lost classic" many would
have you believe, either.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988, Dwight H. Little)
The best sequel in the series, if you ask me.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989, Dominique Othenin-Girard)
Definitely one of the weaker sequels in the series (shame they didn't follow
up on the Halloween 4 ending), but certainly not the worst (not as long
as Resurrection and those Rob Zombie abortions exist).
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995, Joe Chappelle)
The theatrical cut is all right, but the flashy editing and the cut off ending
really hurt it. The Producer's Cut (which I also own) is easily better
than the TC...except for that bonkers ending, that is. Shame...this could have
been the best sequel in the series.
Halloween: H20 (1998, Steve Miner)
I know a lot of people hate this one, but I think it's (while still not great)
one of the better sequels in the series...and a perfect ending to the story
(it should have ended here).
Halloween: Resurrection (2002, Rick Rosenthal)
The worst Halloween movie...until Mr. Zombie came along, of course, and
made this look like a masterwork.
Halloween (2018, David Gordon Green)
Pretty mediocre Elseworlds version of Halloween II...but
has some good moments. Far from being the "best sequel in the series," as some
have called it. There are a few that are better than this. (Stupid, lazy
title, too).
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006, Stefan Hutchinson)
Very good documenatry on the Halloween series. Not as good as, say,
Never Sleep Again, but still pretty good.
_
Halloweentown (1998, Duwayne Dunham)
Nothing great. Just good, fun Halloweentime viewing.
Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001, Mary Lambert)
Not as good as the first, but has its moments.
The Halloween Tree (1993, Mario Piluso)
Cute little adaptation of the Ray Bradbury story (which I loved as a child). A
little dodgy in parts, but...I watch it every Halloween.
Hana-bi (1997, Takeshi Kitano)
Kitano's best film. Easily in my Top 50 Favorite Films.
The Hands of Orlac ("Orlacs Hande") (1924, Robert Wiene)
Excellent, atmospheric, gothic German Expressionist horror film. Slow-paced,
but well worth seeing.
HANNIBAL LECTER:
Manhunter (1986, Michael Mann) (Director's Cut)
I know a lot of people prefer this to "Red Dragon," but I'm not one of them. A
lot of it works quite well, but the Tooth Fairy is nothing like he's described
in the book and the finale just gives up and turns into a generic shootout.
Still, it's not without merit. It has a few great scenes.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme)
Excellent adaptation of the Thomas Harris book with an iconic performance by
Anthony Hopkins.
Hannibal (2001, Ridley Scott)
Really didn't like this the first time I saw it (kind of like my reaction to
the book, as well), but...it's grown on me over the years. I still don't buy
Moore as Clarice, but...I now consider it superior to the book (they wisely
changed that bonkers ending).
Red Dragon (2002, Brett Ratner)
Surprisingly good "Silence of the Lambs" prequel and somewhat loose adaptation
of the Harris novel (still my favorite). Norton was slightly miscast as
Graham, however.
Hannibal Rising (2007, Peter Webber)
Middling prequel...but has a few effective scenes and it's well-directed.
Hannibal (Season One) (2013, David Slade, et al.)
Quite good series, well cast and acted, even if it's not quite the story I had
for these characters in my head as I read the books. Still, very involving and
well worth seeing.
_
Hansel and Gretel ("Henjel gwa Geuretel") (2007, Pil-sung Yim)
A bit too long, but still a very good fantasy horror from Korea with a
definitely unique feel and great performances. Shades of the
It's a Good Life episode from The Twilight Zone.
Gretel & Hansel (2020, Oz Perkins)
The Grimm Brother's story by way of The VVitch. Not great, but a
satisfyingly dark fairy tale.
The Happiness of the Katakuris ("Katakuri-ke no kofuku") (2001, Takashi Miike)
Absolutely insane film from the absolutely insane Miike. Part musical,
part dark comedy, part animated, part horror...and all charming and
delightfully weird. Love it.
Hard Boiled ("Lat sau san taam") (1992, John Woo)
Seriously one of the best action films ever made.
Hard Candy (2005, Davd Slade)
Excellent, intense, nerve-jangling thriller. Ice cold, but absorbing.
Hardware (1990, Richard Stanley)
Not terribly original, but nevertheless intense sci-fi thriller that just
oozes cyberpunk atmosphere.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004, Alfonso Cuaron)
Not even much a Harry Potter fan, but this is a damn good movie. Easily
the best of the series.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005, Mike Newell)
Damn solid follow-up to Azkaban, almost just as good.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009, David Yates)
After the rather dull Order of the Phoenix, the series picks up again
with this, one of the best entries.
The Haunted History of Halloween (1997, Jeff Swimmer)
Very good documentary on the history of All Hallow's Eve.
The Haunting (1963, Robert Wise)
Quite possibly the best haunted house movie ever made. Certainly one of the
best horror films ever made.
Haxan (1922, Benjamin Chistensen)
Masterpiece. Bizarre, atmospheric, viuslly-striking, fascinating.
Haze (2005, Shinya Tsukamoto)
Bizarre, memorable little confinement thriller, in the vein of Cube or
Saw, but filtered through the lens of the director of Tetsuo and
A Snake of June.
Head Trauma (2006, Lance Weiler)
Pretty good little low-budget psychological thriller (not really horror). Well
shot, if a little cheap looking at time, but solid storytelling with a
memorable look and feel.
Hellboy (2004, Guillermo del Toro)
Great-looking, successful adaptation of the Mignola comic. Spot-on performance
by Perlman.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, Guillermo del Toro)
Cool, unique little sequel, almost matches the original in quality, even if
it's a bit heavy on the fantasy side of things for my taste. Shame we never
got a third.
Hellboy (2019, Neil Marshall)
Definitely not as good as the del Toro films, but...I also didn't think it was
nearly as bad as everyone said it was, either. I found it moderately
entertaining, myself. In some ways, it felt like an ersatz prequel to the del
Toro movies.
Hellevator ("Gusha no bindume") (2004, Hiroki Yamaguchi)
Crazy, unique little entrapment cyberpunk thriller. At time comedic, at times
horrific. Not perfect, but a memorable experience.
HELLRAISER:
Hellraiser (1987, Clive Barker)
Damn good adaptation of the Clive Barker novel, The Hellbound Heart. A
bit dated now, but...for the most part, still holds up very well.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988, Tony Randel)
Decent sequel starts off as the perfect follow-up to the original...but goes
off the rails a bit once it gets to Hell. Still, nice to see a continuation
that expands on the themes of the previous film rather than just repeating all
the same beats.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992, Anthony Hickox)
Half a decent sequel starts out pretty damn good, actually...but once Pinhead
is unleashed, it goes downhill. Rapidly. And gets very silly. Too bad.
Could have completed the initial trilogy in fine fashion.
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996, Kevin Yagher, Joe Chappelle)
Scenes that work quite well and scenes that really fall flat. A mixed bag
overall. The workprint version (which I also own), though, is a vast
improvement.
Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002, Rick Bota)
The direct-to-video Hellraiser era. Where they were all
Jacob's Ladder knock-offs and Pinhead became the series' Jiminy
Cricket. This is basically a remake of Inferno, but slightly better
(which isn't saying much because Inferno blew). Not terribly good, but
worth it just to see the return of Kirsty to the series.
Hellraiser: Deader (2005, Rick Bota)
The "best" of the straight-to-video Hellraisers, in my opinion, out of
an admittedly poor crop. Worth it for the last few minutes, where Pinhead
shows up and tears things up. That's the only part that really feels like a
Hellraiser movie. No More Souls, the short bonus film, is pretty
awesome.
Hellraiser: Revelations (2011, Victor Garcia)
Yes, the new Pinhead sucks. Other than that, I honestly didn't think this was
nearly as bad as everyone said it was. I'd much rather watch this than sit
through Hellworld or Judgement again. (*Note: This isn't really
a sequel. More like a tepid remake of the original).
Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (2015, Kevin McDonagh)
A bit longer than it needed to be, but still a very good, VERY thorough
documentary on the making of the first two (and still best)
Hellraiser films.
_
Hero ("Ying Xiong") (2002, Yimou Zhang) (98 Minute and 109 Minute Director's Cut)
One of the best wuxia films ever made. An absolute masterpiece.
The Hidden Face ("La cara oculta") (2011, Andres Baiz)
Ingenious little thriller which really caught me off-guard with a mid-film
twist. Makes you think it's one type of film, but then pulls the rug out from
under you in a pretty clever way. Quite good.
High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears)
Nice film about the love of music and the complexities of human relationships.
At times funny, at times heartbreaking and touching.
High Rise (2015, Ben Wheatley)
Not perfect, but probably just about the best film adaptation of the Ballard
novel we're ever going to get.
Hitchcock (2012, Sacha Gervasi)
Plays fast and loose with the facts, but is still undeniably entertaining.
Hocus Pocus (1993, Kenny Ortega)
Silly, yes, but fun Halloweentime viewing.
Hollywoodland (2006, Allen Coulter)
Decent Hollywood biopic/neo-noir with the real treat here is Affleck's
excellent portrayal of Superman actor George Reeves.
The Holy Mountain ("La montana sagrada") (1973, Alejandro Jodorowsky)
Jodorowsky's best film.
Home Alone (1990, Chris Columbus)
Cute movie. Watch it every year at Christmastime. Don't judge me.
Home for the Holidays (1972, John Llewellyn Moxey)
Nice, suspenseful little Christmas-themed murder mystery (not really the
slasher it looks like).
Homicidal (1961, William Castle)
William Castle is often dismissed as a "schlock master," but I honestly feel
(mostly later in his career) he actually succeeded at making some very
effective thrillers, this being one of them. Sure, it's not in the same league
as Psycho (the film it's obviously trying to emulate), but it's still a
lot of fun and surprisingly creepy and tense in places.
Horsehead (2014, Romain Basset)
Strange, surreal fever dream of a movie. Not perfect, but I found it
memorable.
Horsemen (2009, Jonas Akerlund)
Not nearly as effective as the masterful Se7en (the movie it's
obviously trying to emulate), but...has its moments.
Hour of the Wolf ("Vargtimmen") (1968, Ingmar Bergman)
Masterpiece. One of Bergman's best.
House (1986, Steve Miner)
Silly, but kinda fun.
House of Flying Daggers ("Shi mian mai fu") (2004, Yimou Zhang)
Visually arresting wuxia, not up to the heights of Crouching Tiger or
Hero, but still very good.
House on Haunted Hill (1959, William Castle)
Personally, I love these schlocky old Castle films, which I often feel do not
get the credit they deserve. This is just a fun haunted house film with a
surprisingly absorbing plot. The "old woman" scare is still one of the best
ever put to film. The perfect film for a chilly October evening.
House on Haunted Hill (1999, William Malone)
Decent remake with Malone's patented visuals and a unique enough take on the
material to stand on its own. Not great, but...
The House That Dripped Blood (1971, Peter Duffell)
Another fun Amicus horror anthology with a great script by the legendary
Robert Bloch and a fantastic cast.
The House That Jack Built (2018, Lars von Trier)
Almost indescribable, extremely disturbing, unforgettable. A film only von
Trier could make.
Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (2016, Sean Patrick O'Reilly)
Yes, it's basically "Lovecraft For Kids"...considering that, it's not bad.
Anyone going into this expecting hardcore Lovecraft is a fool.
Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom (2017, Sean Patrick O'Reilly)
Decent, if a little less so than the first.
Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness (2018, Sean Patrick O'Reilly)
A little better than the second, but let's face it. These aren't high art.
They're kinda cute for Lovecraft fans (if you can turn off your snobbery for a
bit), but that's about it.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966, Chuck Jones, Ben Washam)
Avoid the live-action abomination (and the CGI Meh-fest)and watch this
absolute classic instead. The ONLY true Grinch is Boris Karloff.
H.P. LOVECRAFT COLLECTION
The H. P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 1: Cool Air
Cool Air is an excellent adaptation of one of Lovecraft's best stories.
Hands down the best adaptation of it I've seen.
The H. P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 3: Out of Mind
Out of Mind is my pick for the best Lovecraft-inspired film.
The H. P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 4: Pickman's Model
Good, not great, adaptation of Pickman's Model.
The H. P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 5: Strange Aeons
Very good adaptation of The Thing On the Doorstep.
_
H.R. GIGER:
Giger's Necronomicon (1974, H.R. Giger, J.J. Wittmer)
Pretty good documentary on artist H.R. Giger and his work. Wish it had been a
tad more in depth, however.
H.R. Giger's Sanctuary (2007, Nick Brandestini, Steve Ellington)
Very nice look into Giger's museum in Switzerland. Wonderful for people who
can't make the trip there.
H.R. Giger Revealed (2010, Davd N. Jahn)
This is the documentary I was hoping Necronomicon would be.
Excellent.
H.R. Giger's Art in Motion (2010, Peter Luksan)
Very cool exploration of Giger's work forming a loose story told through
digitally processed Giger painting come to life. An absolute must for
any Giger fan.
Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World (2014, Belinda Sallin)
Excellent documentary on Giger, though a bit depressing coming so close to the
end of his life and seeing him so frail and despondent-looking. Still,
definitely worth seeing for fans of his work.
_
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994, Joel Coen)
One of the Coens' best. Sadly overlooked. Smart, funny, visually dazzling.
Makes a great double feature with Gilliam's Brazil. "Y'know, for
kids..."
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923, Wallace Worsley)
Classic.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939, William Dieterle)
Great performance by Laughton and excellent direction almost makes up for the
fact that it deviates quite a bit from the Hugo text, which is disappointing.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982, Michael Tuchner)
Decent retelling of the story with a very committed performance by Hopkins and
a wonderfully villainous performance by Jacobi.
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964, Robert Aldrich)
Very good Southern gothic psycho thriller. A fitting companion piece to
Baby Jane and almost just as good.
I Bury the Living (1958, Albert Band)
Atmospheric, suspenseful thriller feels like a forgotten
Twilight Zone episode (and that is a compliment). Great concept and
fantastic execution
Ichi the Killer ("Koroshiya 1") (2001, Takashi Miike)
Amazing, insanely violent, gory, off-the-wall...totally bonkers.
Completely unique and one-of-a-kind. Excellent. Stil one of Miike's best.
I ♥ Huckabees (2004, David O. Russell)
One of the best comedies of the 2000's. Smart, subversive, hilarious.
The Illusionist ("L'illusionniste") (2010, Sylvain Chomet)
Charming, visually beautiful French animated fantasy. Absolutely wonderful.
I, Madman (1989, Tibor Takacs)
Clever, creative 80's slasher, with infinitely more imagination than much of
its ilk.
Imaginaerum (2012, Stobe Harju)
Visually dazzling dark fantasy. Somewhat short on story, but worth it for the
look alone. Not great, but...
Immortal ("Immortel (ad vitam)") (2004, Enki Bilal)
One of the most visually-dazzling films I've ever seen.
I'm Not Scared ("Io non ho paura") (2003, Gabriele Salvatores)
Powerful, moving tale of the loss of childhood innocence. Emotionally draining
in the end, but fantastic.
Imprint (2006, Takashi Miike)
Twisted little tale from Miike only loses its footing when there's an odd
reveal near the end (no spoilers) that doesn't quite work and makes things a
little silly. Still, up until then it's a disturbing, memorable little mood
piece.
In a Glass Cage ("Tras el cristal") (1986, Aggusti Villaronga)
Stark, unflinching, wildly disturbing assault on the senses that makes you
feel like you need a shower (or several) afterwards, but whatever your
reaction to it - you won't forget it anytime soon.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994, John Carpenter)
Carpenter's best film, in my opinion...and an absolute treat for fans of H.P.
Lovecraft.
Infini (2015, Shane Abbess)
Not bad little sci-fi horror film in the Alien/Event Horizon mold.
Doesn't add up to a completely satisfying whole, but is still pretty
entertaining while it lasts.
Infinity Chamber (2016, Travis Milloy)
Decent little sci-fi chamber piece with a cool concept. Not perfect, but well
done.
Not Tarantino's best - VERY cartoonish in parts - but worth it for Christophe
Waltz's performance alone. He makes the film, really. There are, however, at
least three fantastic scenes (the opening, the strudel scene, and the basement
confrontation)...but the film didn't come together as a whole, for me.
Inju: The Beast in Shadow ("Inju, la bête dans l'ombre") (2008, Barbet Schroeder)
Very good little thriller based on the Edogawa Ranpo story.
Inland Empire (2006, David Lynch)
Strange (it IS Lynch), undecipherable...unforgettable.
In My Skin ("Dans ma peau") (2002, Marina de Van)
One of my top 50 favorite films.
The Innocents (1961, Jack Clayton)
Masterpiece.
Inside ("A l'interieur") 2007, Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo)
My favorite film of 2007. An absolutely relentless horror thriller (and one
of the bloodiest films I've ever seen). Incredible.
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (1995, Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay)
Slow-moving, but poetic and hypnotic filmmaking.
Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994, Neil Jordan)
Very good adaptation of the first of Anne Rice's
Vampire Chronicles (with a surprisingly good performance by Tom
Cruise). Shame that we never got a decent follow-up. I was hoping this would
be the start of many.
Invaders From Mars (1986, Tobe Hooper)
Decent (not great) remake has a unique look and feel...and the
creature/spaceship designs are phenomenal. A little silly (but I think that
was the point)...and certainly memorable. It's worth seeing for that alone.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Classic.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Very good remake.
Body Snatchers (1993)
Aside from a few shoddy effects shots and a stunted ending, damn solid second
remake. Surprisingly good with a very eerie atmosphere.
The Irishman (2019, Martin Sorsese)
Dodgy de-aging CGI aside, I thought this was absolutely fantastic. A
triumphant return to form for Scorsese (infinitely better than Casino).
His best film in years.
Irréversible (2002)
This is one of those films that will damage you a little. Like a car crash
that's gruesome and disturbing, but you cannot look away from.
I Saw the Devil ("Ang ma reulbo at da") (2010, Jee-woon Kim)
Brutal, pitch black revenge thriller with a twist. Beautifully directed and
well worth seeing even though the story doesn't entirely add up (you can't
really root for the main character since his actions are hurting innocent
lives).
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Not nearly as bad as it's been made out to be. In fact, a pretty decent little
adaptation of the H.G. Wells story. Fascinating to watch along with the
documentary Lost Soul, about the making of the film.
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)
Fascinating look into the making of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).
Infinitely more interesting than the film that ultimately got made (though
that movie isn't nearly as bad as it's made out to be, either).
Isle of Dogs (2018, Wes Anderson)
Not as entertaining as Fantastic Mr. Fox, but still a cute little story
with some charming moments.
I Stand Alone ("Seul contre tous") (1998, Gaspar Noe)
Sadistic, disturbing film. Almost painful to watch...but you won't forgot it
any time soon. Shame Carne, the film's short prequel, isn't included on
the DVD.
It (1990, Tommy Lee Wallace)
This didn't age well at all and a lot of the "horror" scenes are more silly
than scary...but Tim Curry's Pennywise is still a lot of fun to watch.
It (2017, Andy Muschietti)
Preferred this to the 1990 mini-series (which comes across pretty silly now),
but it falls a little short of being a classic. Still, pretty damn good...and
the cast is fantastic.
It's Alive (1974, Larry Cohen)
Despite the schlocky "killer baby" premise, this is surprisingly intelligent
and, dare I say, poignant in parts. When all is said and done, it's
just a silly monster movie...but one that has more to offer than you might
imagine.
It's a Spongebob Christmas! (2012, Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh)
Not the biggest Spongebob fan in the world...but I love stop-motion and I
thought this was cute.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
A perfect film. One of the best films ever made.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966, Bill Melendez)
It wouldn't be Halloween without at least one viewing of this classic.
Jack the Ripper (1988, David Wickes)
Very good, though not great, dramatization of the investigations into the
Ripper murders...with a much too simplistic explanation in the end, but still
well worth seeing.
Jacob's Ladder (1990, Adrian Lyne)
In my opinion, one of the best psychological thrillers ever made. Easily one
of my favorite films. The "Antidote" deleted scene is absolutely amazing. Why
they deleted it is beyond me. Bumps the film up a half a star.
James and the Giant Peach (1996, Henry Selick)
Dire Randy Newman songs aside, this is a wonderful little, faithful adaptation
of the Roald Dahl book (a favorite of mine in childhood).
JAWS:
Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg)
Classic. One of Spielberg's best.
Jaws 2 (1978, Jeannot Szwarc)
Passable, but unremarkable sequel. Has its moments, but doesn't come within a
stone's throw of the masterful original.
Jaws 3 (1983, Joe Alves)
So goofy, it's enjoyable. This is where the series became a parody of itself.
From here on out, it's for bad movie lovers only.
Jaws: The Revenge (1987, Joseph Sargent)
What can be said about a movie where a shark actually seeks revenge and
also roars?? It's a silly mess...but an entertainingly silly mess.
So bad, it's good.
-
Jeepers Creepers (2001, Victor Salva)
Yes, the director is a fiend, but this is still an atmospheric little horror
thriller with a memorable creature.
Jenifer (2005, Dario Argento)
OK adaptation of the Bruce Jones/Bernie Wrighton comic (which I remember being
seriously creeped out by when I was a kid...and it's still pretty eerie).
Doesn't come close to capturing the mood and atmosphere of the comic, but it's
still a fairly decent telling of the story.
The Jerk (1979, Carl Reiner)
One of the funniest movies ever made.
Jigoku (1960, Nobuo Nakagawa)
One of the best horror films ever made, with one of the most potent visions of
Hell ever captured on film.
Jiřà Barta: Labyrinth of Darkness (2006, Jiřà Barta)
Amazing collection of animated shorts from the genius Barta. My favorites
being The Club of the Laid Off, The Pied Piper of Hamelin,
The Last Theft, and The Vanished World of Gloves.
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990, John Patrick Shanley)
Not at all what I was expecting. The first half of the film is just awesome.
Dark, dystopian, morose, touching, highly relatable. The second half gets a
little silly, but not enough to damper that first. This needs to be
rediscovered.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995, Robert Longo) (107 Minute Japanese Extended Version)
Imperfect, but overall a good adaptation of the story by William Gibson. The
extended Japanese cut is better than the American theatrical cut (though still
not great).
Joyeux Noel (2005, Christian Carion)
Beautiful film. Not as strong as the similarly-themed "A Midnight Clear,"
but still a wonderful film for Christmastime.
Judge Dredd (1995, Danny Cannon)
After a pretty decent opening, it's all downhill. Pretty lousy overall.
Stallone is miscast and the script is garbage. A huge missed opportunity.
Watch the infinitely better Dredd instead.
Dredd (2012, Pete Travis)
Now this is more like it. Actually faithful to the character and tells
a thrilling and involving story. Superior in every way to the Stallone film.
Awesome.
The Juniper Tree (1990, Nietzchka Keene)
Moody, meditative folk horror with great scenery and visuals. A bit
slow-moving, but thoughtful and beautiful.
The Junky's Christmas (1993, Nick Donkin, Melodie McDaniel)
Watch this every year around Christmastime. A wonderful stop-motion animated
adaptation of the Burroughs story. Dark, yes, but also surprisingly touching.
JURASSIC PARK:
Jurassic Park (1993, Steven Spielberg)
Classic. Seeing this opening day in theaters in 1993 with my father and a
packed house (who actually gave it a standing ovation at the end) is one of
the most memorable movie-going experiences of my life.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997, Steven Spielberg)
OK, at best. The script is just a mess of jumbled ideas and certain characters
are just plain annoying. The weakest "Jurassic" movie, in my opinion...but
still has some entertainment value.
Jurassic Park III (2001, Joe Johnston)
A little more entertaining than the second movie, but still not great.
Definitely has its moments, though. (*Also, couldn't they have come up with a
more imaginative title?)
Jurassic World (2015, Colin Trevorrow)
This gets a lot of flack, but I found it perfectly entertaining. It's still
not great, but I still consider it to be the best of the "Jurassic" sequels.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018, J.A. Bayona)
Not the best of the series, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained.
_
Kafka (1991, Steven Soderbergh)
Soderbergh's best film, in my opinion...a real treat for Kafka fans. In DIRE
need of an official DVD/Blu-Ray release.
THE KARATE KID:
The Karate Kid (1984, John G. Avildsen)
Classic.
The Karate Kid, Part II (1986, John G. Avildsen)
A little over-the-top in places, but does what a good sequel does and builds
on the original and expands the characters. In many ways, I love it just as
much as the original, just in different ways.
The Karate Kid, Part III (1989, John G. Avildsen)
Really bad...but kind of entertainingly bad.
Cobra Kai (Seasons One and Two) (2018-19, Jon Hurwitz, et al.)
Very fun follow-up to the original "Karate Kid" trilogy. A little jokier
overall and the second season gets a bit over-the-top and comic-book-ish,
but...still a really solid series. This is how you do a belated sequel
series.
_
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present ("Kyofu gekijo: Purezento") (2005, Yudai Yamaguchi)
Decent little gory Christmas horror short.
KIDS IN THE HALL:
Kids in the Hall (Season One) (1989-90, John Blanchard, et al.)
Probably my favorite television show of all-time.
Kids in the Hall (Season Two) (1990-91, John Blanchard, et al.)
Kids in the Hall (Season Three) (1991-92, John Blanchard, et al.)
Kids in the Hall (Season Four) (1993-94, John Blanchard, et al.)
Kids in the Hall (Season Five) (1994-95, John Blanchard, et al.)
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996, Kelly Makin)
"This is a drug...for the world...that gives worms to ex-girlfriends!"
Hilarious.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes To Town (2010, Kelly Makin)
Disappointing return of the "Kids," but not without its moments of hilarity.
_
Kiki’s Delivery Service ("Majo no TakkyÅ«bin") (1989, Hayao Miyazaki)
Absolutely adore Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki. Bought this for my daughter when she
was little and she loved it. Beautiful artwork and animation, cute story, all
staples of Ghibli films.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003, Quentin Tarantino) (Full Color Japanese Version)
Good. Very good, actually, but...I also kinda feel like this is where
Tarantino went into "comic-book mode" and never recovered. Still...damn
entertaining film.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004, Quentin Tarantino)
Less action this time, but more character development results in possibly an
even better film. But it's really all one epic story. Both are really good,
but I stop just short of calling them "great."
Kill List (20011, Ben Wheatley)
Begins like "Reservoir Dogs" then keeps getting more disturbing before ending
like "The Wicker Man." Incredible, head-spinning thriller defies genre
classification in all the best ways.
The Killer ("Dip huet seung hung") (1989, John Woo)
Along with "Hard Boiled," one of Woo's best.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988, Stephen Chiodo)
How can a movie with a title like that not just be a total blast to watch?
Love this film. Creative, silly, hilarious, and even creepy in parts. Love it.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017, Yorgos Lanthimos)
Blew me away. The best film of 2017.
Killing Words ("Palabras encadenadas") (2003, Laura Mana)
Very good Spanish imprisonment thriller with effective suspense and plot
twists.
Killing Zoe (1993, Roger Avary)
Very good crime thriller begins as just a bank heist movie, but slowly shifts
into a descent into Hell.
The King of Masks (1996, Tian-Ming Wu)
Love this movie, even though it gets a little convoluted near the end. Still,
sweet, touching little drama.
King of New York (1990, Abel Ferrara)
Along with "Bad Lieutenant," one of Ferrara's best.
King of the Ants (2003 Stuart Gordon)
Visceral, brutal, disturbing...one of Stuart Gordon's best films.
King of the Hill (1993, Steven Soderbergh)
One of Soderbergh's best, most overlooked films.
The Kingdom ("Riget") (1994, Lars von Trier)
Atmospheric, disturbing, visually impressive ghost story (with darkly comedic
undertones). Really quite an experience.
The Kingdom II ("Riget II") (1997, Lars von Trier)
King Kong vs. Godzilla ("Kingu Kongu tai Gojira") (1962, Ishiro Honda)
This was one of my favorite movies ever when I was 10. It's still a lot of
silly fun (and I still prefer it over 2021's slicker "Godzilla vs. Kong").
Kiss the Girls (1997, Gary Fleder)
Not great, but a good little thriller in the "Silence of the Lambs"/"Se7en"
mold.
Krampus (2015, Michael Dougherty)
Not perfect, but a lot of fun. And the scene where Krampus makes his first
appearance, leaping along the rooftops, is pretty creepy and effective.
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016, Travis Knight)
Outstanding. Beautifully done, wonderful animation, great imagination,
involving storyline...loved it.
Kuroneko ("Yabu no naka no kuroneko") (1968, Kaneto Shindo)
One of the best horror films ever made. Absolutely eerie with amazing visuals.
A fine companion piece to Onibaba.
Kwaidan (1964, Masaki Kobayashi)
One of the best horror films ever made. Atmospheric, creepy, beautiful. A
masterpiece.
Lady in White (1988, Frank LaLoggia)
Love this film. Watch it every year around Halloweentime. Why LaLoggia didn't
become the next Spielberg from this is beyond me.
The Last Broadcast (1998, Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler)
Eerie, original precursor to "Blair Witch" (creepy end credits music, too).
The Last Circus ("Balada triste de trompeta") (2010, Alex de la Iglesia)
Absolute insanity. There's no other film quite like it.
The Last Laugh ("Der letzte Mann") (1924, Fritz Lang)
Lesser known silent classic.
The Last Man on Earth (1964, Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow)
Probably the closest we'll get to a faithful film adaptation of Richard
Matheson's "I Am Legend." Infinitely better than the lousy adaptations which
followed.
The Last Samurai (2003, Edward Zwick)
I know this gets a lot of crap, but...I thought it was excellent.
The Last Wave (1977, Peter Weir)
Surreal, eerie...totally unique...with an ending you'll never forget.
The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh (2012, Rodrigo Gudino)
Unique, atmospheric ghost story which thankfully forgoes many of the overdone
clichés of the genre.
The Last Winter (2006, Larry Fessenden)
Interesting Lovecraftian horror thriller with many memorable elements.
Doesn't quite come together as a whole, but is still well worth seeing.
Late Bloomer ("Osoi hito") (2004, Go Shibata)
Wild, kinetic Japanese psycho drama, somewhat in the Tetsuo vein. At
times disturbing, at times touching. Well worth seeing.
The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (2003, Stephen Norrington)
Totally underrated. Sure, it's not great cinema (and, yes, the book it's based
on is vastly superior), but it's just a good, fun time at the movies.
The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981, William A. Fraker)
Cheesy Merle Haggard ballad narration aside, I always thought this was a fine
origin story for the masked man and his companion. It's certainly infinitely
better than the Johnny Depp debacle.
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW:
The Headless Horseman (1922, Edward D. Venturini)
Silent version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," quite enjoyable, even though
it messes with the ending (and the nighttime scenes are obviously shot in the
daytime).
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney)
Regretfully short, but excellent. I watch it every year at least once
at Halloweentime.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999 Pierre Gang)
Surprisingly good adaptation of the book. Brent Carver is the
perfect live-action interpretation of Ichabod Crane.
The Night of the Headless Horseman (1999, Shane Williams)
Poor animation hurts what could otherwise have been a good, unique little take
on the Washington Irving tale. Still, worth a look.
Sleepy Hollow (1999, Tim Burton)
Excellent revisionist take on the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" story with amazing
visuals and great performances all around. One of Burton's best. A must-watch
at Halloweentime. Makes a great triple feature along with "From Hell" and "The
Raven."
_
Léon (1994, Luc Besson) (133 Minute International Version)
On my top ten list of best crime dramas ever.
Leviathan (1989, George P. Cosmatos)
Probably the best Alien rip-off there is (with a dash of
The Thing thrown in for good measure). No masterpiece. Just good
underwater monster fun. Total guily pleasure.
Life (2017, Daniel Espinosa)
Yeah, it repeats a lot of the same beats as Alien, but it does it very
well. Not a great movie, but a nice, good-looking dose of space horror..and
worth it for the deliciously dark ending.
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004, Stephen Hopkins)
Fascinating look into the career and mindset of one of the finest comedic
talents of our time. Unfortunately, it ends with less insight than we'd like,
but it's still a journey well worth taking.
Lifeforce (1985, Tobe Hooper)
One of the craziest films I've ever seen...and also one of the most
entertaining. How can you hate an apocalyptic movie about nude space vampires
who turn people into zombies?
The Lighthouse (2016, Chris Crow)
Saw this before seeing the 2019 film and I honestly thought this told a
better, more involving story, though done in a less "artistic" fashion.
The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers)
Pretty fantastic first hour, but after that I felt like it was just spinning
its wheels. And the bizarre ending felt like it was just slapped on because
they didn't know how to end it. Still, great visuals and performances and is
well worth seeing.
The Limehouse Golem (2016, Juan Carlos Medina)
Nice Victorian murder mystery. Won't change your life or anything, but if
you're a fan of movies like From Hell and the recent
Sherlock Holmes and are looking for something quality in a similar vein
- here you go.
Little Odessa (1994, James Gray)
Dark, somber, haunting, criminally underrated. Possibly Tim Roth's best
performance. It's a shame Gray didn't go on to better things.
Little Otik ("Otesanek") (2000, Jan Svankmajer)
Strange, disgusting, but also kinda cute...and horrific. A sort of dark,
twisted fairy tale. The kind of film only Svankmajer could have made.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986, Frank Oz) (The Director's Cut)
Very successful adaptation of the stage musical with Moranis the perfect
Seymour.
The Little Stranger (2018, Lenny Abrahamson)
More of a drama than the ghost story it was marketed as, but it still tells an
involving story and is beautifully directed.
Lizzie (2018, Craig Macneill)
An odd turn in the story near the end, which is pure speculation (but then
again - so is the whole movie), this is a very good exploration of the story
of Lizzie Borden. Not perfect, but infinitely superior to
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe.
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927, Alfred Hitchcock)
Atmospheric, eerie, and visually impressive silent film shows many of
Hitchcock's later traits.
The Lodgers (2017, Brian O'Malley)
Great-looking Victorian-era ghost story with a really cool concept. Not
perfect, but tells its story very well and I was involved all the way through.
Looper (2012, Rian Johnson)
A little overrated, but still one of the better time travel films in recent
memory.
Lord of Illusions (1993, Clive Barker) (Director's Cut)
Damn good film adaptation of Barker's story The Last Illusion. The
director's cut is better than the theatrical cut, though.
Lord of the Flies (1963, Peter Brook)
Masterpiece. Damn near perfect adaptation of one of my favorite books.
Lord of the Flies (1990, Harry Hook)
Underrated remake.
The Lords of Salem (2012, Rob Zombie)
Mr. Cummings' only watchable film, in my opinion. Not great, but
definitely worth a look. Has a good mood and atmosphere alien to all his other
movies. He should stick with this style (but I doubt it).
Lost Highway (1997, David Lynch)
One of Lynch's best.
Love (2011, William Eubank)
Nice little space drama. Perfect for fans of films like Solaris.
M (1931, Fritz Lang)
An absolute masterwork of cinema. One of the finest films of the last century.
The Machinist (2004, Brad Anderson)
Excellent psychological thriller in the vein of Jacob's Ladder and
Angel Heart. Bale's performance is incredible. Love it (not crazy about
the score, though).
Mad Love (1935, Karl Freund)
Creepy gothic horror story with a wonderfully unhinged performance by Peter
Lorre (his best since M). Excellent atmospheric direction by Freund. An
unsung classic.
Madame Tutli-Putli (2007, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski)
Wonderful, sometimes creepy, little stop-motion animated short. Well worth a
look.
Mad Monster Party (1967, Jules Bass)
Classic. A Halloweentime favorite.
Magic (1978, Richard Attenborough)
Great, creepy thriller plays like a worthy companion piece to
Psycho with a fantastic, pre-Lecter performance by Anthony Hopkins.
Very well-directed by Attenborough.
The Magic Toyshop (1987, David Wheatley)
A faithful adaptation of the book by Angela Carter, has a unique atmosphere
all its own. Creepy and uncomfortable, but also magical in its way.
Malefique (2002, Eric Valette)
One of the most severely overlooked and underrated horror films of the last
decade. Lovecraft fans will most likely love this. I sure did.
The Man From Nowhere (2010, Lee Jeong-beom)
Excellent. Violent, absorbing, and touching. Extremely well-directed.
All-around amazing film. Makes a nice companion piece to
A Bittersweet Life.
The Man Who Laughs (1928, Paul Leni)
An absolute masterpiece. Grotesque, macabre, and influential. Fantastic
adaptation of the Victor Hugo book.
Intense, sadistic, at times unpleasant, but without a doubt effective. Would
make a interesting quadruple feature along with
Blood on Satan's Claw, Witchfinder General, and Russell's
The Devils.
Marquis (1989, Henri Xhonneux)
One of the most unusual films I've ever seen. Not quite animated. Not quite
live-action. A talking penis (??). Trust me - you've never seen anything like
this (and, most likely, never will again).
Marrowbone (2017, Sergio G. Sanchez)
Good, not great, period piece ghost story/family drama. Beautifully directed,
well acted, and well worth seeing, but something's missing in the end. Still
recommended.
Mars Attacks! (1996, Tim Burton)
Fun little homage to 50's sci-fi movies. Not Tim Burton's best, but...some
really fun scenes. And the Martians themselves are a lot of fun ("Ack! Ack!
Ack!").
Martin (1977, George A. Romero)
Romero's best film after Dawn of the Dead. More of a
Taxi Driver-style tale of alienation and loneliness than a pure
"horror" film, but...excellent.
Martyrs (2008, Pascal Laugier)
Excellent first half followed by a less-than excellent second, which jumps
tracks into a torture porn-style film with delusions of grandeur. Still,
definitely worth a look.
Mary Shelley (2017, Haifaa al-Mansour)
Solid biopic of the Frankenstein author, which only loses points by
messing a little too much with the facts (a drawback to a lot of biopics).
Still, comes close to excellence.
Mask (1985, Peter Bogdanovich)
Wonderful film with an amazing performance by Eric Stoltz.
The Mask (1994, Chuck Russell)
Fun little adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book, omitting the graphic
violence to go for a lighter, "Roger Rabbit" tone and a PG-13 rating...but it
works, for the most part. Not perfect, but...entertaining (and a great
showcase for Carrey's talents).
The Mask of Zorro (1998, Martin Campbell)
Very fun updating of the character with great action and a hateable villain.
Banderas is perfectly cast. Fantastic!
The Masque of the Red Death (1964, Roger Corman)
The best of the Corman era Poe films, with Price deliciously evil in the main
role.
The Masque of the Red Death (1989, Larry Brand)
Expected this to be complete crap, but was shocked when it turned out
surprisingly decent.
Matilda (1996, Danny DeVito)
Wonderful, almost Tim Burton-esque adaptation of the Roald Dahl book.
Matinee (1993, Joe Dante)
Very fun little nostalgia piece by Dante, loosely based on the works of
William (House on Haunted Hill) Castle.
THE MATRIX:
The Matrix (1999, The Wachowskis)
One of the best cyberpunk movies ever made.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003, The Wachowskis)
Underwhelming mess of a sequel...but has its moments.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003, The Wachowskis)
Tired third entry. Dull in some parts, silly and laughable in others.
The Animatrix (2003, Koji Morimoto, et al.)
Better than both sequels. Not all segments are great, but...still a worthwhile
collection of animated shorts exploring the Matrix world.
_
The Maxx (The Complete Series) (1995, Gregg Vanzo)
Excellent animated adaptation of the Sam Kieth Image comic. I sincerely feel
the HBO Spawn animated series (also excellent) has a lot to owe to this
creative little mid-90's gem which originally aired on MTV.
Maya Deren: Experimental Flms
Amazing avant garde shorts from the master Deren.
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) is incredible, but there are many
gems on here - At Land (1944),
Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946), and
The Very Eye of Night (1958).
M. Butterfly (1993, David Cronenberg)
This is Cronenberg at his best. Excellent.
Mecanix (2003, Remy M. Larochelle)
Interesting little experimental mindf*ck doesn't quite gel on the whole, but
has some memorably bizarre scenes.
Melancholia (2011, Lars von Trier)
von Trier's interesting take on the end of the world. Not his best film, but
still worth a look.
Memories ("Memorîzu") (1995, Kôji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura, Katsuhiro Ôtomo)
Three fascinating and imaginative tales very well told with beautiful,
visonary animation. An engaging and memorable classic.
Memories of Murder ("Salinui chueok") (2003, Bong Joon-ho)
Disturbing, haunting, gritty Korean murder mystery/detective thriller.
Unforgettable.
The Merry Gentleman (2008, Michael Keaton)
Nice little low-key Christmas Noir. Not a great film, but a film with great
moments. Really nice performance by Kelly Macdonald in the lead.
Metamorphosis (2012, Chris Swanson)
Excellent live-action adaptation of the Kafka story. The best adaptation I've
seen, in fact.
Metropia (2009, Tarik Saleh)
Grim animated dystopian tale with a unique style.
Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)
One of the greatest (if not the greatest) science-fiction
films ever made.
Metropolis ("Metoroporisu") (2001, Rintaro)
Fantastic. Powerful. Incredible art design resulting in a visual feast. A
welcome companion piece to the Lang classic. Absolutely love it.
A Midnight Clear (1992, Keith Gordon)
I actually found this superior to the simiarly-themed Joyeaux Noel.
Absolutely wonderful film. Great acting and excellent direction - this is a
must to watch at Christmastime.
The Midnight Meat Train (2008 Ryuhei Kitamura)
Excellent adaptation of the Clive Barker story. I'd say it's the best
Barker-to-film adaptation I've seen (yes, even better than Hellraiser).
Miller's Crossing (1990, Joel Coen)
One of the Coens' best...and one of the best gangster/crime films ever made.
Mimic (1997, Guillermo del Toro)
Not del Toro's best, but...pretty good little monster movie. Won't change your
life or anything, but fun for what it is.
Mimic 2 (2001, Jean de Segonzac)
Not bad for a straight-to-video sequel. Actually a pretty fun follow-up to the
original...but its low budget shows at times.
Minority Report (2002, Steven Spielberg)
Good, if overlong and a tad too flashy, adaptation of the Philip K. Dick
story.
MirrorMask (2005, Dave McKean)
Like this without particularly loving it, but...the "Close to You" sequence
always stuck with me. Worth seeing for the visuals alone.
Misery (1990, Rob Reiner)
Not a huge King fan (to put it mildly), but I always loved this book...and
this is a damn good film adaptation of it. Bates' performance is creepy in the
extreme.
The Mist (2007, Frank Darabont)
Excellent adaptation of the King story and a must-watch for fans of
H.P. Lovecraft. Great concept almost perfectly brought to life. Probably the
best horror film of 2007.
Moby Dick (1998, Franc Roddam)
Excellent adaptation of the Melville book. The effects are rather shoddy in
parts, but overall an involving, sweeping film.
Mongol (2007, Sergei Bodrov)
Fantastic look into the early life of Genghis Khan. Shame, however, that we
never got the second half of this story, as the ending seems rather rushed and
incomplete.
Monster House (2006, Gil Kenan)
Watch this every year around Halloweentime.
The Monster Squad (1987, Fred Dekker)
Just pure fun. Nothing more. Perfect Halloweentime viewing.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones)
Along with Young Frankenstein and Dr. Strangelove, one of the
top three funniest movies ever made.
Moon (2009, Duncan Jones)
Excellent science-fiction in the Solaris mold, but tells an involving
story all its own. Love it. Too bad Jones hasn't lived up to the potential he
showed with nthis.
Moontrap (1989, Robert Dyke)
Silly, but fun little high concept sci-fi/horror with the always reliable
Bruce Campbell and some good effects considering its low budget.
More (1998, Mark Osborne)
Amazing stop-motion animated short. Touching and poignant.
MORTAL KOMBAT:
Mortal Kombat (1995, Paul W.S. Anderson)
Seems asinine that a source material that just begged for an R-Rated
adaptation would be toned way down to a PG-13, but... The end result is
pretty cheesy, but has its moments.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011, Kevin Tancharoen)
Pretty good collection of shorts exploring the origin of the characters. Some
are rather convoluted, but all-in-all a very satisfying experience for fans.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy II (2013, Kevin Tancharoen)
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020, Ethan Spaulding)
The best Mortal Kombat film, hands down.
Mortal Kombat (2021, Simon McQuoid)
Major disappointment. About the only thing it does better than the 1995 film
is the gore. Everything else is a letdown. The story is a mess...and we don't
even get to see a tournament (!).
_
mother! (2017, Darren Aronofsky)
Saw this in theaters in its initial run. Walked out unsure as to whether I
loved it or hated it. I watched it again on video...and, though I warmed up to
it a bit the second time, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. One
thing's for certain, however...it's unforgettable. It's one of those films
that's an experience rather than a "movie."
Mr. Nobody (2009, Jaco Van Dormael)
Excellent time-bender. Touching, poignant, sweeping. Really an amazing film.
Mulholland Dr. (2001, David Lynch)
One of Lynch's best.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1986, Jeannot Szwarc)
All-in-all a pretty successful adaptation of the Poe story (with a great
performance by Scott). However, the big end reveal comes across as pretty
silly in live-action.
The Music of Erich Zann ("Die Musik des Erich Zann") (2005, Anna Gawrilow)
Very good little short stop-motion animated adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft
story (though not sure why they changed the violin of the story into a piano).
Mystery Men (1999, Kinka Usher)
"We struck down evil with the mighty sword of teamwork and the hammer of
not-bickering." Hilarious movie.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012, Diarmuid Lawrence)
Good adaptation of the infamously unfinished Dickens novel. Well-directed and
acted, but falters a bit towards the end...but that's to be expected.
The Mystery of Rampo (1995, Kazuyoshi Okuyama)
Could have been great, but as it is just a very good exploration of the life
and fiction of author Edogawa Ranpo. At the very least, it's very beautiful to
look at it.
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933, Michael Curtiz)
Worth watching, but I always preferred the 1953 remake instead.
House of Wax (1953, Andre de Toth)
Scared the crap out of me when I was a kid...and it's still very effective.
Love it.
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 / RIFFTRAX:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Essentials (2004)
One of the funniest shows ever. Their
Manos: The Hands of Fate episode (included in this collection) is
beyond hysterical. The hilarious Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
is also included.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Volume V (2004)
Boggy Creek II was always one of my favorite episodes of this show.
Other episodes: The Touch of Satan, Time Chasers (another one of
the best episodes), and Merlin's Shop and Mystical Wonders.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teenagers from Outer Space (2004)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Laserblast (2008)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (2008)
I always thought This Island Earth was a pretty damn good movie..but
the riffing it gets here is still hilarious.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Night of the Blood Beast (2009)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus (2009)
A Christmastime favorite.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Zombie Nightmare (2009)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Bride of the Monster (2010)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - XVIII (2010)
Episodes: Lost Continent, Crash of the Moons,
The Beast of Yucca Flats, and Jack Frost (Really the reason I
own this collection).
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Screaming Skull (2014)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - XXIX (2014)
Episodes: Untamed Youth, Hercules and the Captive Women,
The Thing That Couldn't Die, and The Pumaman (which is, hand
down, one of the funniest episodes of this show).
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Season 11 (2017)
I know a lot of people hated this new iteration of the show, but I really
enjoyed it. It's got a charm all its own and is just as funny as the earlier
seasons. Not perfect, but...lot of great episodes - Reptilicus,
Cry Wilderness, Avalanche, Starcrash, Yongary, and
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (probably my favorite).
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Track of the Moon Beast (2017)
Another one of my favorite episodes. The "recreation of the opening scene from
the movie" skit is probably my all-time favorite MST3K moment.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Season 12: The Gauntlet (2018)
Not nearly as good as Season 11, but it has its moments. The
Day Time Ended episode is fantastic.
Rifftrax Live! - Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! (2010)
This show is almost as good as MST3K. Not quite a charming, but just as
hilarious. And this collection of Christmas short is hysterical. Worth
seeing just for the Weird Al Yakovic segment alone.
RiffTrax Live! - Birdemic (2014)
This is really the only way to watch Birdemic. It's a chore to sit through
otherwise. Seriously one of the great bad movies of recent memory...and this
riffing of it is side-splitting.
Rifftrax Live! - Samurai Cop (2017)
Absolutely hilarious. One of the best Rifftrax episodes ever (and one of the
worst movies).
_
Comments
Post a Comment