Ranking the EVIL DEAD franchise (so far)
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Looking back at the history of the beloved horror franchise.
ENYS MEN is an audience endurance test
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
I like to see something that looks and feels organically-created by an artist, rather than a committee at a market research lab. Enys Men is nothing if not ambitious on that front.
Disc Dispatch: The Belle Starr Story Has Never Looked Better
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
The Belle Starr Story is, amazingly, the only spaghetti western ever directed by a woman. As such, it has a unique look at its characters, in a way films rarely did, or even do today, with an eye for commentary on sexuality and gender.
SUPER MARIO BROS. at 30: Feels like the gritty reboot of a beloved franchise
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
The Mushroom Kingdom is a dystopian, urban nightmare, akin to Blade Runner. Super Mario Bros. may have been better received if it wasn’t the first time out as a movie.
WILD THINGS at 25: Silly thriller hides a sly comedy within
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
It’s a shame that Wild Things so successfully disguised and marketed itself as a sleazy, exploitative thriller, because hardly anyone knows the truth, that Wild Things is a subversive, witty satire.
My Life at the Movies: 1999 and 2019
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
1999 and 2019, as two decades, and one millennium, closed. I spent them at the movies with the people that I love
DARK CITY at 25: A film packed with details that help tell the whole story
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
To this day, even though it has a pretty decent cult following, Dark City is a criminally-underseen movie.
Nostalgia on Top of Nostalgia in THAT 90S SHOW
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
That 90s Show is a reboot/nostalgia-fest of a show, lovingly crafted in the shadow of its predecessor, That 70s Show, which itself was nostalgic for a specific time and place.
The UNIVERSAL SOLDIER franchise turned its sequels into explorations of existential horror
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Junky action movies are like pizza: They’re all good, some are just better than others.
Sundance '93 Flashback: EL MARIACHI endures as a low budget masterpiece
by Billy Russell
This week, we thought we’d celebrate 30 years since the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, considered one of the defining moments in modern indie filmmaking.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: Looking back at Brendan Fraser
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
In honor of his buzzy new role in The Whale, we look back at one of Fraser’s most charming 90s roles.
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT stands alongside the original as a brutal and moving war film
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
It’s a brutal, honest film, like its predecessor, and the source material it’s based on. All Quiet on the Western Front is a must-see film, but it isn’t an easy one to sit through.
Even 10 years later, BURNING LOVE is still a pitch-perfect rendition of reality dating shows
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Burning Love was a dead-on parody of reality dating shows in the vein of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Rock of Love, for good measure.
Spielberg Week: DUEL, Dads, and Demonic Trucks
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
“What the hell is Duel?” I asked.
STARSHIP TROOPERS at 25: Growing up with giant bugs and social satire
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Starship Troopers knows the mechanisms of fascistic totalitarianism, and knows the power of propaganda.
HALLOWEEN ENDS proves a fascinating cap to David Gordon Green's trilogy
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
In an odd way, Halloween Ends felt like the closest in spirit to the original that we’ve gotten since the original film was released.
The Women of Full Moon Features: Barbara Crampton and Denice Duff
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Full Moon, particularly in the late 80s and early 90s, had a way with camp. They could delicately balance their cheese with just enough genuine skill that it had skill to admire, but wasn’t treated with so much dire seriousness that their movies were laughable.
Pre-Code Decode: KING KONG roars with imagination
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Welcome to Pre-Code Decode, a recurring column where we go back and look at pre-Hays Code Hollywood to see how they handled the issues of their day!
Pre-Code Decode: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is as magical as ever
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Welcome to Pre-Code Decode, a recurring column where we go back and look at pre-Hays Code Hollywood to see how they handled the issues of their day!
THIS FOOL is an instant classic in comedy TV
by Billy Russell, Staff Writer
Frankie Quinones as the ne’er-do-well-though-he-tries Luis in Hulu’s new series This Fool has that certain “it factor.”