Being Film #23 for Hooptober 2024 No one made horror like John Carpenter. It wasn't just the man himself (though lord knows he plays a HUGE part); it's the tight-knit group of collaborators. I can't imagine watching something like The Fog without the singular cinematography of Dean Cundey, or the editing of Tommy Lee Wallace,... Continue Reading →
Being Film #22 for Hooptober 2024 Sometimes a film is so generic, so typical of its genre trappings without standing out there's very little to write about. I'm actually kind of curious as what the two critics on the audio commentary for Riccardo Freda's The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire would talk about, because... Continue Reading →
Being Film #21 for Hooptober 2024 Announced in 2019, shot in 2021, originally set for theatrical release in 2022 only to dribble out onto the Max service this past Friday, the long-awaited 'Salem's Lot took a meandering road to reach our eyes. And in the end it was neither a massive misfire not a surefire... Continue Reading →
Being Film #20 for Hooptober 2024 It can be a startling thing when expectations are upended. You think you're familiar with something, say, a filmmaker based on a particular film. And you hear about their new film, and it looks like it treads similar ground. And it does, except it doesn't. And in that thin... Continue Reading →
Being Film #19 for Hooptober 2024 It's always interesting to see another culture's take on some tried and true storytelling. The haunted house (or apartment in this case) riff has been going on almost as long as film itself, and seeing the variations play out in Japan (The Grudge) and Indonesia (Satan's Slaves 2) have... Continue Reading →
Being Film #18 for Hooptober 2024 I usually save the Tobe Hooper entry for the end of the marathon, but I had a few hours to kill and a pal had Spontaneous Combustion on his Plex server, so off to the races with what looks to be his last original film in terms of story... Continue Reading →
Being Film #17 for Hooptober 2024 You're one of the biggest comedy stars in the world. You want to branch out, try something different. Horror looks good, so you get one of the masters of the genre who's also looking to break out of his narrow confines. Sometimes that push-pull relationship can yield gold; other... Continue Reading →
Being Film #16 for Hooptober 2024 Outside of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood... I don't think there's a more personal, more fanboy love letter to movies in Quentin Tarantino's filmography than Death Proof. With overt callouts and structural similarities to the films he loves, much of this is readily obvious. But in making his... Continue Reading →
Being Film #15 for Hooptober 2024 I wish Grindhouse didn't fail as bad as it did at the box office. I remember seeing the entire experience in theaters and it was incredible. For every pale imitation (Hobo With a Shotgun, Rodriguez's own Machete) it spawned, it also remains a singular experience, both taken as a... Continue Reading →
Being Film #14 for Hooptober 2024 Oof. There is the kernel of a great concept in Return To Horror High, taking a meta, tongue-in-cheek approach to horror and genre filmmaking cliches, but unfortunately Bill Froelich isn't the guy to make it. There are a few measly pleasures to be had here, but for the most... Continue Reading →
Cinema Dual 