Reviews by Movie Maniac

Now cemented as a cult classic there was a time when hardly anyone saw this movie, critics shrugged it off as virtually meaningless, and it was considered a massive step down from the Coen Brothers previous film (Fargo). They sure have changed their tune since then.

I'm glad to say i was one of those chumps sitting in a near empty theater in my teen years ready and willing to drink in what else the lauded duo had to offer and, boy, I was smitten.

On it's surface, it does seem somewhat expendable at first as we follow an aging flower child with zero aspirations other than to bowl, listen to the Creedence, and smoke weed. But looks are deceiving. This is no stoner flick or lowbrow comedy. Instead we get an eccentric and wild ride through the lives of the laughably banal and the eccentrically privileged as our reluctant hero is thrown in the midst of a kidnap plot because of a simple case of mistaken identity (and a stolen rug, no less).

The more astute will note that the film's structure owes heavily to film noir films of old and even shows hints of influence from neo-westerns, musicals, and mistaken identity films. These conceits are made all the more enjoyable when packaged in the big ball of the utterly mundane that is our hero's life.

The cast of characters is massive and every single one is memorable and beloved by fans. The art of line delivery is on full display as almost every line is a quotable affair. The soundtrack is one of the absolute best (and unique). The direction purposely outdoes itself considering the material at hand to great effect.

Most importantly, the film is hilarious in the most satisfying way and I'm glad it's earned it's place (and then some). This has been a favorite of mine for two decades now. Not a year passes without me seeing it a handful of times and it never gets old. Love this movie.

Still considered one of the scariest films of all time, The Exorcist is the stuff of legend. So much so that people almost tend to forget what is really at its core.

Based on the novel of the same name, The Exorcist was adapted by its creator and thus ensured that the bulk of it's purpose remained intact. This is not some mere horror tale, no, this is the story three divergent paths: the disbeliever, the doubtful, and the faithful and how they each deal with the embodiment of evil.

Of these three character types I've always related the most to Damien Karras, the doubtful priest, who would resort to logic in the face of the inexplicable, who would be hobbled by the trials and tribulations of life instead of finding them a means to reaffirm his faith, and who would deep down seek to find a meaning to the remnants of his faith. Likewise, I've always found the great and resolute heart of Father Merrrin, the faithful priest, to be a source of great inspiration. He is unwavering when confronted with the darkness, he is steadfast in his beliefs, and he is at peace with dying at its hands for he knows it holds no sway over his fate.

Though some of the remarkable depth of these characters is trimmed by default of the demands of adapting a book to screen, I've always been astounded how much of them remains onscreen courtesy of subtext or the actor's ability to endow their actions and reactions with meaning. Merrin presence is that of a titan of unshakeable faith every second he's on screen, Karras' frailty drips off him in every scene, and the lost and wandering soul of Regan's mother is desperate and lost in a world she does not understand.

To top it all off the film is beautifully shot by the legendary William Friedkin. Some of my most beloved shots in movie history dwell within it (Merrin facing the statue of Pazuzu in Iraq, Merrin arriving at the McNeil home, etc). The score is exceptional, iconic, and haunting. The atmosphere creeps up on you and has you tense until the final moments. And that ending....that ending is as resonating as it always was. Love it.

Ever wondered what a post-apocalyptic, kung-fu, rock 'n' roll Wizard of Oz would look like? What if it was set in an alternative timeline where the Russians won the Cold War and Elvis rules the last bastion of freedom, Las Vegas? And what if The King died and people like a samurai sword wielding Buddy Holly had to travel across the wastelands to be the new king? No? Well, you should of.

Six-String Samurai is a love letter to music history as well as cinema. Quirky, unpredictable, impressive in scope, chock full of great set design and costumes, and packed to the brim with easter eggs and references, the movie is all the more surprising when you consider how small its budget was. It remains virtually unknown even to this day but beloved by those that were lucky enough to see it.

This is a favorite for all the reasons above and also for introducing me to The Red Elvises, the Russian psychobilly/rockabilly/surf group that provided the one of a kind soundtrack to accompany all the madness.

It takes something special to make you forget that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a great actor and this movie is the first one to teach me that. It is also the first movie that I became obsessed with. God knows I ran that VHS copy ragged back in the day.

Though it's supposed to be an adaptation of the Robert E. Howard character, the movie is more in line with director John Milius' particular style and thus it stands out as its own thing. Normally deviations or changes from the source material can hurt a film if not properly applied but Milius' almost survivalist mentality really adds a unique flavor to the Cimmerian brute we know and love as Conan.

Some would say that his casting choices were superficial (he cast bodybuilders, surfers, and football players among others) as he chose people for their looks rather than worrying about their varying acting prowess. I say he opted to make a truly visual sword and sandal epic. The dialogue is minimal and the story unfolds on the strength of epic visuals and a rousing musical score instead. The results are epic, to say the least.

James Earl Jones as Darth Vader's voice? No thanks, I'll take him as Conan arch-nemesis Thulsa Doom, an ancient demi-god leading a snake cult and the source of Conan's lifetime strife. Arnold as the Terminator? Cool, but I'll take him as a warrior born out of circumstance and destined to be a king. Give me the growth of a hero, give me a love interest that changes his perception, give me wizard's that guide him on his path, give me an array of villains to keep him busy, and give me hours of adventure.

I absolutely love this movie. Attempts to make something akin to it have failed, sequels disappointed, and we've yet to have an adaptation of Conan that is 100% true to the Howard stories but make no mistake this is no space filler. Even if we had a great adaptation of the original source material, Milius' version will always stand on its own as spectacular.

At first, Baskin seems cohesive and straightforward as it follows a group of beat cops called to answer a backup call in a part of their jurisdiction with a shadowy reputation. The police come across an inexplicable confluence of events that toy with the idea of fate, cosmic powers, and hell itself and what comes across the screen quickly ramps from the mundane to the utterly maddening.

The Turkish production is one of the few films from that region of the world that got a Stateside release and it certainly lives up to it's promise. It owes a lot to films like Fulci's The Beyond and City of the Living Dead and the work of Lovecraft and Machen, in terms of its mixture of the concepts of blurred lines between realms, nightmarish landscapes, cults, inexplicable powers, and unrelenting grue. Baskin deftly manages to drag the audience along with the protagonists into the frenzy. Never do you feel comfortable, never safe, and never sure that you are grasping all that is being communicated.

Make no mistake, this is not an easy film to watch and definitely not for everyone. Puzzling, gruesome, startling, and phantasmagoric, Baskin is, however, a must for fans of horror.

This show far exceeded my expectations. It didn't go the slavish remake/homage route, nor the adaptation route but combined both elements to create something wholly its own and, simultaneously, warmly familiar.

I'll admit i was a bit puzzled by the beginning structure but it all served a purpose. The first two seasons give us an insight into the world and mind or Norman and his mother that sets up an excellent psychological basis for the madness that comes. This results in a payoff that is well earned rather than cheaply copied.

Vera Farmiga as Norman's mother is absolutely wonderful. I'm glad they handled her with care and nuance. Instead of a cartoon character of smotherlove, we get a strong-willed, caring, and loving mother who's heavy handed approach is soundly based on her own experiences. She is flawed, despite this love. At times temperamental, manipulative, and overbearing but it's all done with a heart for her son. This enables us to view not only Norman at his darkest in a sympathetic light but also the looming specter of his mother.

In the end, the show was less a crime thriller like its source material but a tragic family drama. A spellbinding disaster waiting to happen

Surprisingly subdued but entertaining dramedy centered around the Afghan conflict. Tina Fey is Kim Baker, an ambitious reporter embedded in a land where cultures clash and new lives are forged as easily as they are lost.

The movie's strengths are multitude but it really does an excellent job of showing how ambition unrestrained can bear heavy costs if not kept in check while simultaneously showing us how our perceived control of the lives we lead is fleeting at best. Though this sounds nearly nihilistic, the film does a wonderful job of dissecting this theme with a tactful lightness that suggests that everything is part of the learning process of life.

In addition to this we get an engaging, charming, and talented cast of actors that, alongside Ms. Fey, make spending time in their midst almost celebratory despite their travails. Themes of the cultural chasm that exist between the western world and the fundamentalist middle east are deftly handled and never lower themselves to pandering to a PC crowd, shockingly.

Ever wonder what a horror film with zero exposition would be like? The answer is genuinely unsettling. Hereditary let's you know so little until it's climax that you'll be paranoid and suspicious of every single damn thing going on in a bid to try to figure things out and convince yourself that it's main character is not going insane or has her fingers in the pie. A dash of Rosemary's Baby, mixed with some Suspiria and the original Wicker Man and you might begin to see where it all ends up.

Hereditary is tense, disturbing, disorienting, deliberately paced, devoid of cheap scares but full of genuine spine chilling scenarios, and filled with clues and riddles that will have you wanting to go back to see it again to get a clearer view of the plot. Foremost, Hereditary is clever in the way it approaches familiar ground. As aforementioned, exposition is done away with. The viewer is literally in the shoes of the afflicted and as lost as they are. We grasp for knowledge that the movie itself informs us we don't possess and it leaves you genuinely stranded in the midst of madness.

Of course, resolving the dilemma only makes thing all the more horrifying! Therein lies the genius of the movie, it will have you wanting to go back for more if only to see things more clearly and fit the pieces in place. Already being called as a worthy successor to such greats as The Exorcist, Hereditary has definitely earned it's place. An Instant classic.

I've had a soft spot for Leigh Whannel since he broke onto the scene as the writer of the first three Saw films then went on to get creative with other fare as Dead Silence, Cooties, and, most notably, the damned great Insidious series. However, the trailer for Upgrade left me somewhere between interested and rolling my eyes. Coupled with his decent but comparatively lackluster first outing as a director for Insidious 3, I was ready to write this off as one I'd "catch later". Boy, am I glad I saw it on the big screen!

I should of known better, of course. So far, even at his weakest, Whannel has offered up extremely enjoyable and morbidly creative takes on horror. Thankfully, Upgrade is Whannell firing on all cylinders as he takes on a techno thriller that bridges the gaps between sci-fi, action, and body horror. The results are a freakin' blast.

Imagine Robocop put through a Cronenberg grinder if Cronenberg was more preoccupied with thrills and AI paranoia...then add a healthy dab of action. Throw in a dash of viscera, a spritz of cautionary tale, a slice of revenge story, and some moral dilemmas and you have Upgrade.

A man rendered disabled by an orchestrated accident is made subject of groundbreaking technology that allows him to regain his ability to move but also maximizes his potential. That is until he realizes that the tech is sentient and more than willing to help him solve the mystery behind his accident.

The movie brings so many influences together into a taut little package that moves at steady clip and keeps you on the edge of your seat while still managing to warn us about the potential dangers of embracing technology without proper precaution. The action is brutal, the score reminiscent of a great 80's synth score, and the creative twists and turns are what Whannell flourishes most at.

Highly recommended. One of the most fun flicks I've seen thus far this year at the theater.

The American remake of 2007's French home invasion suspense thriller À l'intérieur (Inside) is not only completely uncalled for but, worse, totally uninspired. Though it starts off fairly well it doesn't take long for logic and common sense to quickly be launched out the window. A few moments work despite the terrible execution but that's more a credit to the source than this tripe.

And, really, that's it. The source material is so vastly superior that the flaws in this mess are enragingly highlighted. To make it all worse, they neuter the source material too. Gone are the harrowing visceral moments and in there place are inanities that only make you scream at the screen with frustration at the protagonist's choices and the lackluster execution of her confrontations with the antagonist. Did this director know the meaning of a second take? Apparently not because all we get is Lifetime movie level garbage. AVOID and watch the shocking original French classic.