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Cherry Falls (2000) [Blu-Ray]

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If anything, “Cherry Falls” is a valiant attempt to deliver a game changing slasher film that tries to challenge the conventions of the sub-genre left and right. It has all the right ingredients for one excellent horror film, but in the end is just a fine and serviceable genre entry. I wouldn’t be so quick to say it’s mediocre, but compared to a lot of other “Scream” clones released at the time, “Cherry Falls” is a fine companion piece. It’s not often we get a slasher film about a knife wielding killer hacking virgins to death. This time rather than slut shaming as we saw in “Scream,” the victims are punished for not having sex, and that’s a formula that almost works. Almost.

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Five Great Films Set Over The Course of a Night

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One of my current favorite directors Richard Linklater has currently released his spiritual sequel to his hit 1993 film “Dazed and Confused” entitled “Everybody Wants Some!!”, another drama comedy about a group of young people trying to survive the seventies. After his heavy and meaningful “Boyhood,” it’s nice to see Linklater coming back to a breezier departure that promises to be just as raucous and funny as its predecessor “Dazed and Confused.” Since I’m excited for “Everybody Wants Some!!” and consider “Dazed and Confused” a favorite of mine, I thought I’d list five great films that unfold over the course of a single night much like “Dazed and Confused” does. What are some of your favorites?

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Dazed and Confused (1993)

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Richard Linklater is a master at handling multiple storylines as well as various characters, allowing them to gel in to one very cohesive cinematic experience. Other directors would have a hard tie balancing out so many storylines, but “Dazed and Confused” manages to not only unfold in to a fun narrative, but also builds a myriad fascinating characters you’ll either love or hate by the time “Dazed and Confused” is over. A virtual successor to “American Graffiti,” this time Linklater follows a slew of characters over the course of one hectic night in the late seventies, as summer begins and school finally lets out. Director Linklater doesn’t have a singular thread bonding his characters, save for his ensemble’s core desire to find one last adventure before the summer comes around demanding some new form of responsibility outside of school.

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The Top Ten Most Shocking Moments of “The Walking Dead” Season Six

twd-s6Despite the fact that the season finale was nothing but build up and hype leading in to a basic goose egg of a final scene, season six of “The Walking Dead” was pretty damn great. What with Rick and co. earning their place at Alexandria, they finally cemented their spots as important pieces of the town and made it their business to help the towns folks master surviving the world of the walking dead. Despite some of Rick’s harsh methods, he aims high to bring Alexandria to new areas of development, which include a humongous plot to derail a massive onslaught of the dead from leaking out of a local quarry. Though the plan fails thanks to an attack by the vicious clan of the wolves, Rick and co. do their best to bounce back from the botched mission, and everyone pretty much evolve, learning something new and defining about themselves.

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Selective Listening (2015)

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It’s so very rare to see a film like Tim Prescott’s, and one that is so genuine and original. Prescott’s film reminded me a lot of something from Charlie Kaufman of Spike Jonze in where our protagonist is a victim of their mental disability and it somehow unfolds in to an interesting tale of whimsy and tragedy. I can’t believe what I was watching when I sat down to view “Selective Listening.” At times I was baffled, other times I was confused, but throughout the entirety I was completely compelled. “Selective Listening” is a unique take on mental illness, as we center on nice guy Harrison. Harrison is a normal guy who lives alone in his flat, except he’s a victim to his obsessive compulsive disorder. It also doesn’t help matters that he’s a victim of schizophrenia and he can often hear various voices in his head.

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Antigang (2015) (aka The Squad aka The Sweeney: Paris)

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Paris, the anti-gang squad does things their own way, causing much in collateral damage and related costs. A group of highly organized robbers is hitting banks and jewelry stores around the city. The squad goes after them but is stop when a change in management benches them in favor of a more by the book squad. As things are escalating, the original squad decides to go after the robbers even though they are banned from doing so. All kinds of action film goodness ensue.

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The Demolisher (2015)

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After Samantha is brutally attacked by a gang on the job, she becomes handicapped and her husband Bruce does all he can to help her live her life and get better.  While being the dotting husband she needs, he also has a need to exact revenge on the gang who did this.  He embarks on a vigilante journey to avenge her and to try to put his mind at ease.  This however leads him down a path of violence and paranoia.  His mind begins to slip and he begins taking his issues out on a young woman who they previously crossed paths with.

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