"Bring out the perverts."
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was the directorial debut of Dario Argento, and it is widely credited for catapulting the Giallo movement of the 70s into popularity. And it's easy to see why. But what I find most compelling about the film is how it showcases the filmmaker's burgeoning style. More straightforward than Argento-directed films that followed, it's easy to see the little touches that would become the director's trademark -- the use of brilliant…
Nicole Kidman's performance in Destroyer is an acting masterclass. Her nuanced yet multifaceted take on her character is mesmerizing, hypnotic, and so well executed that the film doesn't really need anything else. But then comes the climax of the film, where you must reassess everything that's been shown before it in a totally different light, and that's when you realize that the film is not only finely acted, but also finely written. I was left speechless as the credits rolled. It was exhilarating to see an amazing actress at the top of her game, and a well written move that deserved her performance.
"I'm not special, I'm a monster!"
The film isn't special either.
Firestarter is not as bad as most people would lead you to believe. Sure, it's nothing special -- and it's boring, the special effects are subpar, and it has absolutely no emotional resonance -- but it's not terrible.
It's just...well...flat.
"Something's happened to Rose."
It's really exciting to see David Cronenberg's early works. As an avid fan of Cronenberg's, it's fun to see the genesis of themes that he would continue to explore as his work progressed -- sexuality, body modification, the juxtaposition between the human body and machines, etc. It's amazing how different his films can be from one another but how often they carry similar thematic elements.
Rabid is not a masterpiece. It's certainly fun (and sometimes quite…
"Solely based on the definition, I don't know a teenager that doesn't profile as a sociopath."
I expected Excision to be a film focused purely on body horror, but I found it to be much more complex than that. A little bit drama, a little bit (very) dark comedy, a little bit horror, the film navigates its varying tone without losing its way, which is a feat unto itself.
The lead performance by AnnaLynne McCord is next level. It's clear…
"She put on that mask and scratched herself, get it? Because of that scratch, she became a demon. An instrument of evil..."
If you're a fan of 80s Italian horror, and cheesy and over-the-top gore, you will not be disappointed by Demons. Co-scripted by Dario Argento, with a simple yet effective premise, Demons is pure joy for genre aficionados.
