Crimson Peak is a gothic romance, complete with ghosts and a haunted house, although was sold (misleadingly) as a horror movie. Guillermo Del Toro's film begins in 1887, as Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), the daughter of a wealthy businessman, is visited by her mother’s ghost. The apparition tells her to beware of Crimson Peak. Now a … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Crimson Peak
Panique is a French noir made during the height of Stateside noir. The seeds of film noir came out of three specific sources: poetic realist cinema in France, German expressionism and the pulp crime fiction films of the 20s and '30s, which lasted well into the early '60s. The term, of course, was coined by … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Panique
Alpha is basically an origin story about dogs. What were dogs before they were dogs? Wolves, of course. It’s set in the last ice age. And you have to wonder who signed off it, and then there’s the cover copy that claims it’s “based on a true story.” Hilarious—who would know, as it’s from a … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Alpha
The Cooler is director Wayne Kramer’s first film. And one that would be almost impossible to make now for a variety of reasons. It stars William H. Macy as Bernie Lootz, in the fictional role of ‘cooler’: a casino operative who pretends to be a player and shows up to bring down a player who’s … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – The Cooler
Final Score was pitched as ‘Die Hard in a football stadium,’ and that’s as good a description as any. It’s one of a long line of Die Hard rip-offs, the most notable being Speed (a.k.a. Die Hard on a bus), with this year‘s entry being Skyscraper, with The Rock. This one had a smaller budget, and takes place in West Ham United’s former … Continue reading DVD Review – Final Score
