For a Few Dollars More (1965)
[7] I prefer the more crude and raw qualities of the first film over this sequel, which may be a little more polished but is also a bit less mysterious. Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name is upstaged in the…
The Pit (1981)
[6] A sexually infatuated twelve-year-old boy does what his teddy bear tells him to, which includes feeding the locals to a pack of monsters who dwell in a pit in the woods. I don't know what the teddy bear and…
From Beyond (1986)
[6] The 'alternate universe' aspect of Lovecraftian horror is something I don't think I'll ever appreciate, but if that's your bag, Stuart Gordon's From Beyond might float your fancy. I like the psycho-sexual stuff going on, especially when everyone's pineal…
True Grit (1969)
[7] John Wayne took home the Oscar for his performance as crotchety Rooster Cogburn, an alcoholic US Marshall recruited by a young girl (Kim Darby) to capture her father's killer and bring him to justice. Wayne is low key as…
Dodge City (1939)
[7] Errol Flynn tries a Western on for size (his first of eight), seizing the sheriff's badge and cleaning up the lawless town of Dodge City. He's with his usual leading lady, Olivia de Havilland, and his usual sidekick, Alan…
Break of Hearts (1935)
[3] Katharine Hepburn plays an aspiring composer who falls in love with a successful conductor. He cheats on her, they split up, they miss each other, they get back together. Snore. Supporting player John Beal is five times more appealing…
Kaboom (2010)
[4] Queer cinema pioneer Gregg Araki (The Living End, Mysterious Skin) serves up a brightly colored teen sex comedy by way of Twin Peaks with a Dr. Strangelove finale. Like most of Araki's films, there are nice scenes here and…
Wolf (1994)
[5] An odd and perhaps ill-fitting choice of material for director Mike Nichols (The Graduate). Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer give decent performances, but James Spader leaves a greater impression as a backstabbing protege. Wolf focuses more on the psychological…
Dressed to Kill (1980)
[8] Brian DePalma serves up a twisty Hitchcockian thriller about a female slasher hunting a prostitute who witnessed her last murder. Michael Caine stars as the shrink who tries to help the call girl, who's played by Nancy Allen (Mrs…
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
[5] I'm at a loss for this one. I saw the movie, but I'm still not sure what it's about. There's a town that sabotages drivers, all so the community can trade auto parts among themselves and hand the drivers…