1949’s Mighty Joe Young is a fascinating entry in the giant ape genre, often considered a spiritual successor to 1933’s King Kong and Son of Kong. The film brings together much of the same creative team, including producer Merian C. Cooper, screenwriter Ruth Rose, and director Ernest B. Schoedsack. SpecialContinue Reading
Lone Survivor, directed by Peter Berg and based on the true story of Operation Red Wings, is a gripping and intense war film that serves as a tribute to the bravery of Navy SEALs. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Taylor Kitsch, the film delivers strong performances thatContinue Reading
The Dark Crystal is a film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Based on a story by Jim Henson, with a screenplay by Dave Odell, this movie features conceptual design work by Brian Froud. It presents a simple fantasy story set on a planet referred to as “another world,”Continue Reading
Directed by former stuntman Hal Needham, 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit isn’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece in the traditional sense, but that’s part of its charm. It’s really more like a live-action cartoon for grown-ups—a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers plenty of entertainment. The plot isContinue Reading
When Jaws broke box office records in the summer of 1975, there were bound to be knock-offs. As fast as possible, filmmakers the world over marched out a cavalcade of similarly-themed killer animal movies. If it wasn’t a shark doing the dirty work, then it could be virtually any animal.Continue Reading
Two of my favorite genre actors are Tom Atkins (Night of the Creeps) and Bruce Campbell (Bubba Ho-Tep). Both are capable of livening up any film in which they’re cast. To see that they appeared in a movie together was like a dream come true. Unfortunately, in 1988’s Maniac Cop,Continue Reading
Nestled inside an eight Blu-ray collection of Hammer Horror movies I own is 1962’s Night Creatures. When I chose it for this year’s Halloween Fifteen, I assumed it was a horror film. Known as Captain Clegg outside the United States, Night Creatures is actually more of an action/adventure film withContinue Reading