[7] Director Jennifer Lynch (Boxing Helena) explores the relationship between a serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio) and a young boy he kidnaps and raises to follow in his footsteps. Lynch keeps the film anchored in a dual character study and, despite a modest amount of gore, the most disturbing moments are when the mentor and the protege seem to be connecting. The film hinges on whether …
[7] A mysterious carnival rolls into town, granting wishes at a sinister cost in Disney’s adaptation of the Ray Bradbury story. I wish the film were more strongly from the perspective of the two leading boys and that their parts were better written. But this is still a pretty entertaining fable that achieves some genuinely spooky moments. Jonathan Pryce steals the show as the carnival’s …
[8] Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film (because he’s counting) is a three-hour long claustrophobic western about eight characters holed up in a lodge during a snowstorm who all have reason to kill one another. Leading the ensemble cast are Kurt Russell as a bounty hunter, Jennifer Jason Leigh as his ruthless, almost feral captive, Samuel L. Jackson as a Union major delivering corpses for reward money, …
[7] Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien) and William Hurt star in this dark, disturbing drama about a troubled young Navy officer (Bernal) who comes to Corpus Christi to find the father he’s never met (Hurt). Unfortunately, Hurt’s character is a devout preacher with a new family and wants nothing to do with his illegitimate son. But that doesn’t stop Bernal from starting an …
[7] The skeleton crew of an isolated police precinct battle a vengeful street gang that lay siege to the building. John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) writes and directs this simple, straight-forward, solidly executed action/thriller, imbuing it with his love of westerns. Carpenter creates likable characters here, particularly in the stalwart police lieutenant (Austin Stoker) and the wise-cracking prisoner (Darwin Joston), the latter of which is …
[8] For a studio-enforced, obligatory sequel to a damn-near perfect film, you could do a lot worse than Jaws 2. (Try Jaws 3 or Jaws 4!) The first half of the movie embroils us in the affairs of the Brody family, with Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary reprising their roles from the original film. Murray Hamilton also returns as the Mayor. If you can get …
[6] Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie, The Usual Suspects director and screenwriter, reunite for this true story of German officers conspiring from behind Nazi lines to kill Hitler. Tom Cruise doesn’t quite disappear into the role of real-life renegade Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, but the stellar supporting cast includes Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, and Eddie Izzard. The true story is a …
[8] This film version of V.C. Andrews’ popular novel is considerably toned down, but it’s still a wonderfully creepy and sadistic melodrama. A widower takes her four children to live with their grandmother, who views them all as vile sinners. The wicked old woman (played by Nurse Ratched herself, Louise Fletcher) religiously brainwashes the mother and locks the children in a single room, where they …
[8] A surprisingly effective blend of romance, comedy, and supernatural horror, Ghost stars Patrick Swayze as a murdered man who works through a flim-flam psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to save the life of his endangered girlfriend (Demi Moore). Ghost became so popular, I think a lot of us take it for granted today. But in the summer of 1990, full of sequels and overproduced action pics, …
[7] Emma Bell (Final Destination 5), Shawn Ashmore (X2: X-Men United), and Kevin Zegers (Wrong Turn) star in this claustrophobic thriller about three friends stranded on a ski-lift. Writer/director Adam Green (Hatchet, Holliston) winds the tension nicely, introducing wolves, frostbite, and paranoia to up the ante at regular intervals. The three leads all do well in their fairly juicy roles, especially Emma Bell, whose character …
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