2020
The Death and Resurrection Show
A documentary about one of my favorite bands, Killing Joke. It’s an okay overview of the band’s history as... more
Death Occurred Last Night
An early 70s Italian police thriller that has one of the weirdest/dumbest plots ever. The main story here is... more
Puzzle
Also known as L’uomo Senza Memoria, this is a 1974 giallo about an man suffering from amnesia who reconnects... more
Johnny Cool
Johnny Cool is a black and white gangster movie from 1964 featuring a pre-Bewitched Elizabeth Montgomery and, in the... more
A Chinese Ghost Story
Admittedly, I didn’t really give this one my full attention while I watched. At one point when I came... more
The Ghost Galleon
The third film in the Blind Dead series features the return of the terrifying cheap skeleton hand prop. A couple of models... more
Nick the Sting
A small-time crook is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He then spends the rest of the movie... more
Nightmare Castle
Black and white Gothic horror with Barbara Steele in a dual role as blonde lady and brunette lady. I... more
Dr. Goldfoot & The Girl Bombs
Mario Bava at his absolute worst. There is so much lost in translation and editing that this is barely... more
La Mala Ordina (Manhunt)
Well, here I go down the Eurocrime rabbit hole. The plot in this one is odd. The film starts... more
The Boss
Another exciting Italian crime thriller directed by Fernando Di Leo, director of Caliber 9. All the characters are scum, even the... more
Baby Driver
The concept of this movie is that all the action and camera work is scripted to go along with... more
Escape from New York
Another gaping hole from my 80s cinema to-do list. The premise is extremely cheesy and the execution isn’t much... more
Train to Busan
Korean fast-zombie movie that is largely bloodless but manages to remain entertaining to the end. Dad takes his daughter on... more
Bastard Swordsman
Dueling clans seek to attain the highest level of kung-fu: silkworm style. The fighter literally shoots out webs of... more
The Million Eyes of Sumuru
This movie shouldn’t be as enjoyable as it was, but I found myself entertained throughout. It’s basically the type... more
Demon City Shinjuku
Why is so much anime so bad? The plot is as follows: demon destroys city in epic battle, loser’s... more
Shanghai Fortress
Alright, time to dig in to some CGI-heavy, big budget, us vs. the blue LASER summer blockbuster fare from... more
Machine Gun McCain
I have owned the soundtrack to Gli Intoccabili for years. The title song is one of the best themes Ennio Morricone ever wrote,... more
Midsommar
In the post Wicker Man world, I guess creepy European folk culture turned death-cult is now officially a horror sub-genre. I... more
Caliber 9
Caliber 9 is a highly regarded Eurocrime thriller about an ex-con who is released from prison and everyone suspects he’s... more
The Lighthouse
A weird, arty film about a pair of lighthouse keepers that is reminiscent of David Lynch. I’m sure there... more
L’assassino
Marcello Mastroianni is an antiques dealer who is taken in by the police, accused of murdering his lover. It’s... more
Furie
Vietnamese martial arts picture about a female kung-fu loan collector whose daughter is kidnapped and taken to Shanghai. There... more
Gangs of New York
I appreciated the 19th Century art direction, especially the hats, but it was way too long for such a... more
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
While I think it is a reasonably good wire-fu martial arts movie, Sword of Destiny isn’t really a worthy sequel to... more
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
As with all Tarantino movies, this is entertaining from beginning to end with tons of nostalgic details. I don’t... more
The Fog
Had not seen this one before. John Carpenter certainly knew his stuff. There’s barely a movie here but it... more
Super Inframan
If I was 9 years old this would be the greatest movie ever. It’s basically the Shaw Bros. version... more
Frozen II
This is an animated movie about an ice princess who occasionally sings Broadway numbers. The overall message here is... more
2019
The Rise of Skywalker
This was an entertaining mess. I thought The Force Awakens was great, but it is so sad that whatever... more
One Cut of the Dead
Excellent Japanese zombie movie that isn’t quite what it seems. Avoid spoilers and just watch this. The title refers... more
Mister America
If you haven’t followed “On Cinema” on Adult Swim, I can’t imagine appreciating this movie. If you’re a fan,... more
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock
This was directed by Riccardo Freda but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bava had some behind the scenes role.... more
Solo
Well, at least it wasn’t embarrassing. The movie exists as yet another way to try to give backstory to... more
Dolemite Is My Name
Entertaining but hollow biopic about the early days of Rudy Ray More as played by Eddie Murphy. It’s hard to... more
Millennium Actress
The follow-up to Perfect Blue is downright whimsical compared to its predecessor. There are still more grown-up themes than your typical... more
Bone Tomahawk
Western with a twist that shows its hand in the first frame of the movie but you very quickly... more
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
If you read this Web site with any regularity (in reality that means nobody), you know that I am... more
Voices from Beyond
Well, you can generally count on Lucio Fulci for at least one fun scene in any movie he creates.... more
Rosemary’s Baby
This is always getting cited as one of the best horror movies ever made. I was not impressed. Yes,... more
Ip Man
This is the “true story” of Bruce Lee’s teacher, Ip Man. The WWII setting gives it some gravitas as characters live under... more
C.H.U.D.
More 80s horror catch-up for me. I wasn’t sure if this movie was so well known merely for it’s... more
Q: The Winged Serpent
A piece of 80s shlock that’s much better than it should be mostly due to the excellent cast and... more
Boxer from Shantung
A small-time hood uses his fighting mastery to become the boss of his own gang. Features a fight with... more
John Carter
A standard, post-LOTR epic movie with clashing armies and English accents. This should be a fun fish out of... more
Twins of Evil
The late-stage Hammer vampire film tries to keep up with the times be amping up the gore and the... more
Mandy
I absolutely hated Beyond the Black Rainbow but felt I had to watch it before watching this. Mandy might be a tad over-hyped,... more
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Grudge Song
The final installment in the Scorpion series is much more straightforward than the previous movies. From what I can... more
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable
A huge drop in quality for this the third Scorpion movie. Much of the visual flair is gone and... more
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41
The second film in this series has the same visual flair of the first. This entry is a pretty... more
Kwaidan
Japanese horror anthology from the mid-sixties that features beautiful surreal sets and cinematography but is very light on the... more
8½
In the middle of the film I kind of forgot that it opens in with crazy dreamy imagery. It... more
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
I guess fantastical prison movies have been a thing in Japan since long before Story of Ricky. This one is... more
Under the Silver Lake
Apparently this is a highly divisive movie. Lots of one-star reviews and lots of five-star reviews. I liked it... more
The Incredibles 2
Picks up right where the first movie left off with the family battling Cliff Clavin. Every bit as fun... more
Liquid Sky
I can see why, in this time of everyone and their grandma being a cos-player, that this is a... more
One-armed Swordswoman
This has all the trappings of a boring, low-rent “guys doing kung-fu in an empty field because the producers... more
Daughters of Darkness
Daughters of Darkness rivals Argento’s best work from the 70s in terms of style and design. Every frame is a... more
The Shadow Boxing
A supposed sequel to The Spiritual Boxer which I’ve seen but never posted a review. Both movies are comedies but this... more
The Dragon Missile
Like The Flying Guillotine, the title here refers to a deadly decapitation weapon. The dragon missile is two boomerang swords that... more
House of Traps
An average and confusing Shaw Bros. film. I guess this is a continuation of the Deadly Venoms franchise? The titular House of... more
Savage Streets
Sleazy revenge movie with a heavy dose of mid-eighties fashion cheese. This could be a much higher rated movie... more
Beyond the Black Rainbow
I really did not like this movie at all. I was really excited to watch it. The still frames... more
The Wind Rises
This has to be the worst Studio Ghibli film I’ve seen. Of course it’s beautiful, but if it wasn’t... more
John Wick: Chapter 2
This is about on par with the first John Wick movie. Silly, fantastical world of assassins and gangsters with over-the-top gun... more
Night of the Comet
A corny, low-budget sci-fi movie that somehow I missed back in the 80s. This is the type of PG-rated... more
Villmark Asylum
Norwegian horror movie about a group of scientists who go to a soon-to-be demolished hospital in the woods only to... more
Cut-Throats Nine
This isn’t a spaghetti western. It’s a Spanish western. There has to be a name for that already: tapas... more
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Pretty much a direct continuation of he previous film in the series. Lots of stunts, yadda yadda. Good twists... more
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
In the first ten minutes of Rogue Nation we have Tom Cruise hanging from the fuselage on an airplane on takeoff.... more
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Okay, here we go to the un-numbered M:I sequels. This one was directed by The Iron Giant’s Brad Bird. The intro credits are... more
Mission: Impossible III
Everyone says that these Mission: Impossible movies are some of the best contemporary action movies around (besides Fury Road), so I decided... more
The Monster Project
Yet another found footage horror film with all the shaky camera clichés you’d expect. Despite this, I rather enjoyed... more
The Mighty Peking Man
Shaw Brothers attempt at a giant monster movie is pretty corny. Normally I enjoy garbage movie like this, but... more
Snake Eyes
The story is implausible and Nick Cage is as ridiculous as ever, but the stylish direction makes this an... more
La Dolce Vita
Wonderfully photographed and filled with memorable moments, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. A little too meandering... more
Suspiria [2018]
I’m not sure why filmmakers insist on remaking films that were already great. The original Suspiria is one of my favorite... more
Execution Squad
A roving band of vigilantes are killing criminals left and right while the police try to track down a... more
Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls
If you’ve seen my Planet Pimp Records site, then you know all about this movie. Planet Pimp regular Michael Lucas directed... more
Flower Drum Song
A musical with no memorable musical numbers. There are a couple of nice dreamy dance moments. I think the... more
2018
The Man Who Would Be King
I’ve never used this word ever in my life, but the best description of this Sean Connery/Michael Caine adventure... more
Esther and the King
Epic Biblical story which was partially directed by Mario Bava. Joan Collins is a bride to be who is... more
A Simple Plan
Sam Raimi directed this serviceable bit of 90s noir in which a trio of Minnesota lads discover a gym... more
Basket Case
Another cult movie which I’ve known about forever, but never bothered to watch. I didn’t expect this to be... more
The Invincible Fist
Lo Lieh plays the sword wielding bounty hunter in this Shaw Bros. film from 1969. The story is simple... more
Shoot First, Die Later
Italian police thriller in which the lead cop is as corrupt as they come and yet we are supposed... more
Shin Godzilla
Jeez, this one felt like sitting through a two hour school board meeting. 95% of the movie is just... more
The Sentimental Swordsman
The plot of this one is a bit all over the place. A swordsman with a cough returns home... more
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
This was a movie that we were told about in art history classes when talking about German expressionist painting.... more
Nosforatu
What can be said about this movie that hasn’t already been said in the “Under Pressure” video by Queen.... more
Deep Star Six
The only reason I watched Deep Star Six was because I remembered the excellent box art on the tape and was... more
Human Lanterns
Not quite a horror film, but this is probably as dark and weird as a kung-fu picture will get.... more
What Have You Done to Solange?
Don’t get me wrong. I love me some 70s Italian sleaze. But this movie could have really dialed it... more
Chinatown
I have finally seen this movie and I liked it. Does the Internet need another review of it? Many... more
The Oily Maniac
Many of the same faces from the Black Magic movies are here for another Shaw horror “classic”. Once again it’s filmed... more
Killer Constable
This was a surprisingly good martial arts film that’s heavy on dark tone and light on the karate. Films... more
The Cook, Cook The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
This movie is exactly what late 80s art movies are supposed to be. It’s the very definition of style... more
It Comes at Night
So, we know there’s been an worldwide pandemic and it involves a nasty rash and some inky vomit. Now... more
Man of Iron
Set in early 20th Century, so much of this movie’s tension could be solved with a gun. Instead it’s a... more