I love Hunter S. Thompson. And I know I shouldn’t. He was a dysfunctional drug addict, a man who destroyed both his body and his mind. He was cruel to many. He smoked, he drank, he cursed like a sailor…
Tag: Neglected Cinema
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Creator gave Peter O’Toole yet another chance to shine
“Words can be wonderful things.” The death of Peter O’Toole this month is still something I haven’t been able to fully process. Peter O’Toole was so ALIVE in his performances… The idea of such a vibrant presence being gone from…
Geek, Movies, Neglected Cinema
Outland is a western in space that surprises and entertains
One of the things I dislike about recent movies has been the rise of the “High Concept” film, movies that with a simple one-sentence premise that appeal to the lowest common denominator. You get generic movies that doesn’t surprise or…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
A look at some Neglected Directors
I’ve written about some underrated and/or neglected movie directors like John Carpenter, Bob Fosse and Orson Welles before, but when I put my latest Neglected Cinema column to bed, I realized that there were many other directors who haven’t gotten…
Movies, Neglected Cinema, Orson Welles
F For Fake is Orson Welles’ forgotten masterpiece
I love Orson Welles. He is one of the most amazing people of the 20th Century, a larger-than-life figure who’s had a dozen books written about him (I’ve read quite a few of them). His life could be accurately described…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Night of the Comet is full of cheesy goodness
“This is no time for an attitude problem.” So, I’m looking through my Neglected Cinema list on a Saturday night, wondering what movie I could check out for this week’s installment. What was I in the mood for? A drama?…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
My Favorite Year is one of My Favorite Movies
Imagine you are a young Mel Brooks, writer on one of the hottest shows on television: Your Show of Shows. Then imagine your job this week is to babysit guest star Errol Flynn, to make sure his womanizing and heavy…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Speed Racer brings a cartoon to vivid life in a surprisingly divisive way
One of the first movies I purchased on Blu-Ray was Speed Racer. Not because I was a fan – I hadn’t seen it before I bought it – but because it was on sale for less than $10. I was…
Geek, Movies, Neglected Cinema, TV, Twin Peaks
It’s not Twin Peaks, but Storyville is a remarkable underrated film
“The past isn’t dead.” Revisiting well-remembered films in this Neglected Cinema series is like a crapshoot. Sometimes movies I loved on first viewing I find merely likeable, and other times I discover old favorites are, with the passage of time,…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
1970’s Scrooge is a magical take on the classic Dickens tale
We all rewatch movies. Why? To relive that initial experience? To analyze the acting, directing, or screenplay? Or are we simply creatures of habit, replaying on a favorite film like one would slip on a pair of comfortable slippers? The…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Penn and Teller Get Killed is an odd look into the minds of the master magicians
“Don’t pout! I’ve got a goddamn knife in my stomach!” I love Penn and Teller. They are incredibly talented, witty and brilliant entertainers. That their socioeconomic and political views align almost 100% with mine makes me appreciate them all the…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Memoirs of an Invisble Man should disappear completely
Chevy Chase, what did you have against John Carpenter, anyway? I mean, he had to have done SOMETHING to tick you off. Why else would you, through your production company, hired him to direct the movie Memoirs of an Invisible…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
In the Mouth of Madness is Lovecraft, John Carpenter style
John Carpenter has read the works of H.P. Lovecraft. That point is abundantly clear when you watch his loving homage to the works of Lovecraft, In the Mouth of Madness. Starring Sam Neill as a private investigator, the movie opens…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is Bond at his most underrated
Tomorrow October 5th is “James Bond Day”, a new international holiday that also happens to occur just before the release of the new Bond film Skyfall (wow, what a coincidence). To celebrate Bond day I rewatched one of my favorite…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
The Ruling Class is a dark, overlooked classic
As I sat down to rewatch The Ruling Class, the 1972 British black comedy, I remembered the first time I watched it. It was at the suggestion of a good friend, who said to my 19-year-old self, “If you consider…
Movies, Neglected Cinema, Trek
Never give up, never surrender: Galaxy Quest is one of the best Star Trek movies ever made
Next week I will be flying to Las Vegas to join some friends for the official Star Trek convention. I plan on meeting some celebrities, having some great conversations, and generally having a good time (no, I won’t be in…