It’s too bad that in Wes Craven’s long and storied filmmaking career that “Swamp Thing” is the movie that’s aged the worst. It seemed like a slam dunk for the director, but his approach toward “Swamp Thing” never quite rises above niche horror camp. Even when adapting the source material as straight faced as possible, “Swamp Thing” is really never great as, say, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and that’s probably because the movie itself jumps back and forth in tone and aesthetic. It goes from cheesy monster movie to an attempt at a Beauty and the Beast tale. It garners clear moments of pure camp and then tries to offer allegories on God complex drawing obvious influence from “The Island of Dr. Moreau.”
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983): 40th Anniversary Edition [4K UHD/Digital]
I think one of the reasons why Clark Griswold is so famous is that he’s basically the every man. He’s the man who is tasked with giving his family a good vacation even though he’d rather be home. He’s obligated, and the further he goes forward the harder it becomes to give up and go back. “Vacation” is the prime National Lampoon’s road trip movie where it’s anything but the norm from this sub-genre. Harold Ramis depicts not just a middle lower class family’s attempts to go on vacation, but for Clark Griswold to use it as a moment to savor his family.
Director Spotlight: Your Friends & Neighbors/Possession/The Shape of Things/Nurse Betty (DVD)
Neil Labute is one of my favorite directors, he’s a man who specializes in making movies about the ugliness of humanity, and he never really aspires to pull punches. Before being sadly well known for his god awful “The Wicker Man” remake, Labute delivered on some unique arthouse cinema, all of which garnered some big star power. They acted as the cushioning for the inevitable upsetting story that Labute would unfold for us. I guarantee you at least one of these movies in this “Director Spotlight” DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment will make you want to punch something out of sheer anger.
Evil Dead Rise (2023) [4K/Blu-Ray/Digital]
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a decade since we’ve seen a proper “Evil Dead” movie. After the fantastic remake—boot (?), Warner brought in newcomer Lee Cronin to lend a new flavor to the universe. What was originally intended as an exclusively streaming release on their subscription service, Warner chanced it by bringing their movie to theaters exclusively. Thankfully their risk pulled off beautifully as their low budget return to the horror universe that Sam Raimi built ended up being a box office and crucial powerhouse. For good reason, too.
Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian [Blu-ray/DVD]
During the mid-1920s, Raymond Griffith was among the most popular stars of feature-length comedy films. With his silk top hat and crispy tailored tuxedo, the self-confidence and urbane Griffith was a suave alternative to the beleaguered characters played on screen by Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd.
Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani – 3 Disc Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]
From Radiance Films, fans of the Italian crime cinema sub-genre will adore what this three disc box set has for fans, as “Cosa Nostra” features three key films from director Damiano Damiani and film icon Franco Nero. Included is “The Day of the Owl” with Franco Nero as a police chief who, while investigating the death of a construction worker, goes up against corrupt officials and a ruthless mafia boss (Lee J. Cobb). “The Day of the Owl” is adapted from the novel by Leonardo Sciascia; The Day of the Owl was the first book to openly deal with organized crime in Sicily.
Creepshow (1982): Collector’s Edition [4K UHD/Blu-Ray]
“Just tell him to call you Billy!”
The one, two, three punch of George A. Romero, Stephen King, and Tom Savini is one of best, if not the best example of the horror anthology to date. While many have come before it, “Creepshow” really set the bar high in 1982. “Creepshow” (and its sequel) were basically the Boomer generation snapping back at the censors and government that helped bring down EC Comics and destroy what was a pretty excellent institution that was almost obliterated by puritans and the like. Thankfully “Creepshow” celebrates the whole spirit of EC Comics with a series of stories that practice in the formula of EC with themes about karma, revenge, poetic justice, and crime.