“Fallen Drive” opens up with a silent scene of what looks like a human body wrapped up in garbage bags and duct tape. From there what unfolds is what can best be described as an episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” as directed by Neil Labute. Co-Directors and Writers Nick Cassidy and David Rice deliver what is a powder keg of a thriller that revolves around the concept that high school truly never does end. From the jumping point, “Fallen Drive” is teeming with so much tension that it’s literally seeping from every scene.
Five Great Minority Movie Heroes, Part VII
This Friday sees the release of “Blue Beetle” one of DC Comics’ most popular teen superheroes who’s garnered much acclaim and fandom over the years. The new vision of the classic DC Comics hero spotlights Jaime Reyes, a young latino teen given an alien technology which grants him a super powered body of armor that allows him to become a powerful superhero. With a great cast, and what looks like excellent action, I’m hoping “Blue Beetle” garners as much success as 2023’s “Spider-Verse” movie. In either case, in anticipation here is the seventh edition of our “Minority Movie Heroes” series.
These are five more minority movie heroes we loved.
Miguel Wants To Fight (2023)
Director Osmany Rodriguez’s “Miguel Wants to Fight” is a lot like a Gen Z version of “Max Keeble’s Big Move” mixed with “Three O’Clock High.” It’s a coming of age movie about a teen who makes a self realization in the midst of a big move to another town. Except the premise for the movie is what you see in the title. Our main character is teenage Miguel who is looking for a fight before he leaves; except it’s a tad more complicated than that.
Swamp Thing (1982): MVD Rewind LaserVision Collection [4K UHD/Blu-Ray]
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.”
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: The Old Grey Hare (1944)
2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.
Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.
The Old Grey Hare (1944)
Directed by Bob Clampett
Written by Michael Sasanoff
Music by Lou Lilly
Animation by Bob McKimson
I’m surprisingly not a fan of “The Old Grey Hare” as it always came off as so random and bizarre. I’m so used to the Looney Tunes shorts setting up everything so expertly with three act structures in spite of the short run time. So it’s disappointing to see “The Old Grey Hare” which garners a lackluster first act, and a pretty abrupt third act. Plus the whole idea behind the return of skinny Elmer Fudd is kind of depressing, all things considered. The whole back and forth between Elmer and Bugs was always so much fun and hilarious, that for the writers to paint this dynamic as something of a inescapable circle of insanity kind of defeats the purpose of being labeled a comedy.
Sharknado (2013): 10th Anniversary Edition
The Pop Culture Phenomenon That Took The World By Storm Comes Back to 500+ Cinemas Nationwide, fully Remastered, for Two Nights Only On August 15th & 16th. Tickets are available for purchase.
Back in 2013 a lot of people gave The Asylum guff, and could not predict the kind of pop culture sensation they would eventually produce. “Sharknado” is that classic bit of pop culture camp lightning in a bottle like “Snakes on a Plane” or “Birdemic” where the public is just infatuated with the sheer absurdity of it all. “Sharknado” took a lot of the media by storm back in 2013, leaning heavily in to its ridiculous premise to produce what is—well, still just an okay bit of cult cinema. The Asylum with Anthony C. Ferrante knew what they were giving us, and it shows in every scene of their movie.
BAD MOVIE MONDAY or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Cinematic Bomb
Today I want to do something a bit different than what I usually do, and instead write a personal essay about what bad movies mean to me and how they’ve reinvigorated my passion for cinema. I’ve been writing this column for Cinema Crazed for over a year now, and have been watching the movies that inspire it weekly for almost three and a half years. It’s been a hell of a journey to be honest, and I think it’s worth talking about.