Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Imprint Films, Fun City Editions, and the Criterion Collection. Back after a hiatus to get the blog rebranded and re-URL’d, and to give your usually vibrant and passionate reviewer some much needed time off, I am once again here to bring the hottest and most interesting titles… Read more »
Tag: horror films
Beyond Gender Tropes: The Final Girl & the Madman in 1980s Camp Slashers
In 1996’s Scream (Wes Craven), we learned the rules of the slasher genre. Depraved male killers stalk teenagers who get out of line. Only the virginal woman — the Final Girl — survives. All other sins will be punished, especially and particularly women who show their breasts and have sex. The term “Final Girl” originates… Read more »
How Dementia 13 (1963) Anticipated The Conversation (1974)
One of my favorite things to do as a cinema enthusiast is to watch how a director grows over time. I love seeing a director take situations they had mentioned or tentatively explored in earlier films and expand upon them in their later work. If you look closely, you can see them learning and taking… Read more »
The Brilliant Tonal Shifts of The Host
New Korean Cinema has many trademarks which I enjoy. Its films are full of great actors including but not limited to Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik. They are as entertaining as they are insightful about the world in which we live. But more than anything, what I love about New Korean Cinema (as well as… Read more »
The Enduring Mysteries of Possession (1981)
The first time I saw Possession (1981), I didn’t understand it. Part of that was due to the circumstances of my viewing. I had wanted to see this film for years due to its reputation as an unforgettable and strange film. I knew that Plan 9 Film Emporium, Bloomington’s wonderful video store, had a copy…. Read more »
Exploring Friendship, Sexuality, and High School Popularity in Jennifer’s Body
Several factors contributed to the box office underperformance of the Karyn Kusama-directed film Jennifer’s Body in 2009 — chief among them was the marketing, which relied heavily on selling the movie as a slasher with Megan Fox as the eye candy for a primarily male audience. Although the focal point of the film is the… Read more »