After almost twenty years not making horror movies, fans were excited to see Sam Raimi getting back in to the genre that introduced him to us originally. While we might have wanted another “Evil Dead” rather than a PG-13 horror film, with Raimi you never get just a PG-13 horror film, after all. After many years of working on the big budget spectacles of the “Spider-Man” movies, Raimi blasts in to the horror world once again to deliver what has been a very thoroughly analyzed and appreciated little gem. Leave it to Raimi to throw in a smaller film that packs a punch over time.
Monthly Archives: May 2018
Fags in the Fast Lane (2017)
I remember a time where it was nearly impossible to get a film like “Fags” made, but now we’re in a glorious time where the LGBT community is allowed to be fun and unleash their creative visions. “Fags in the Fast Lane” is Andy Warhol, John Waters, Russ Meyers, and a dash of Frank Henenlotter thrown in to a blender and given some pretty fun tweaks here and there allowing Josh Collins and writer Steven G. Michael to go as far out there as he wants. Thankfully he never loses track of the narrative or the film’s genuinely weird sense of humor once. “Fags” is a very LGBT aimed action comedy but it also has an admirable sense of self-awareness always looking for any reason to poke fun at itself.
The Last Days of the Silent Films, Part 1
In the first of a two-part episode, Lon Davis, author of the critically acclaimed “Silent Lives,” offers a fascinating insight on the tumult and career disruptions brought about when the microphone entered the movie studio and the silent film stars were expected to talk on the screen.
The episode can be heard here.
“The Online Movie Show” is produced at the Platinum Wolfe Studios.
Solutions (2017)
Derek is a man who can do big things for big people, and one night he meets with a politician who wants to become the next president. With a lot of money at hand, Derek begins fixing operations for Derek and investigating his rivals. The only catch this time is that Derek has his son Damon alongside him and is showing him the business of getting to know people, and not trusting anyone. Zachary Halfter’s “Solutions” is a fine movie that mixes “Roger Dodger” with “The Sting” in that it’s about a teacher imparting some tough lessons on an apprentice.
Margherita D’Anjou (2017)
Giacomo Meyerbeer’s 1820 opera inspired by England’s 15th century Queen Margaret receives a bold and startling modern-day adaptation via director Alessandro Talevi’s 2017 Festival della Valle d’Itria production, now available on DVD.
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Shadow (2018)
Nicholas Goodwin’s “Shadow” is a masterfully done drama about exploitation and an all too common look at how society perceives sexual standards among men and women. I wish “Shadow” had a longer time to dwell on the ideas it presents, as well as the event that goes unnoticed more times than not. Revell Carpenter is excellent as a young girl named Jane who is struggling with her feelings while in college.
Dead by Midnight (11p.m. Central) (2018)
In this anthology, a television station plays films hosted by a charming goth lady. As the films unfold, people go missing and meet their horrible fates.