Tag Archives: hollywood

Scream Greats, Vol. 1: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects (1986)

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For folks that want to learn everything and anything about Tom Savini, “Scream Greats” is the crème de la crème of horror documentaries. Savini-philes will love the anecdotes and insight pulled from “Scream Greats,” all the while savoring much of what the man and his company have produced for American horror cinema, from guts, gore, and basic prosthetics. “Scream Greats” is infamous for me, mainly because it’s one of those documentaries that revels in zombie cinema made famous by Savini. And anyone who knows me knows I was absolutely petrified of zombies for most of my childhood.

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Tom Savini: Horror Effects (1989)

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I would suggest “Horror Effects” only to the most ardent hardcore Tom Savini fans, as “Horror Effects” is mostly about, well, horror effects. Truly, “Horror Effects” focuses mainly on a small portion of Savini’s creative work, as he spends most of his time recollecting working on other films that don’t involve George Romero. Is it perhaps because John Russo is the host of this special? Aw, who knows, really? But there’s a surprising lack of talk about his zombie movies in favor of stuff that Savini has done with his company and what they’ve done on the outside of the US, including a slapstick comedy involving facial prosthetics.

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Entourage: The Movie (2015) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]

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entourage“Entourage” is probably the first movie I’ve ever wanted to punch. It’s also the only movie I’m sure that if I punched, my fist would probably smell like Axe body spray for a few weeks. “Entourage” is certainly a movie. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end, and had actors in it, and a script. I’m assuming. I’ll just lay it all on the floor right now: I have never seen a single episode of “Entourage” even though I am familiar with it. For folks that would argue that you have to be a fan to understand and or enjoy this film, I would argue that that excuse only highlights how terrible this movie is.

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The Death of Superman Lives – What Happened? (2015)

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It’s funny to think that in an alternate reality so many radical ideas were likely able to flourish. In some reality Jodorowsky made his version of “Dune,” and in an alternate reality perhaps we had “Superman Lives.” I wasn’t keen on exploring the story of the lost production of “Superman Lives,” the failed reboot of the Superman movie franchise initially. But the documentary proves that the enduring fascination with its potentially disastrous development is just, and very much a worthwhile exploration of too many cooks in the kitchen. There was a time where superhero movies weren’t a common place in cinema, and those that were in theaters were low tier barely marketable characters that almost always guaranteed to flop.

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Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

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“Birdman” is by no means a subtle dissection of the life that Michael Keaton has led after his role as the iconic Batman on film. Once a very respected and comedy actor, his role as the dark knight kind of stifled his developing film career, and he unleashes his obvious bitterness and resentment toward the art of acting and the rise of fame over talent with “Birdman.” Alejandro González Iñárritu’s experimental drama is brilliant and absolutely mind blowing In the way it both mocks the superhero movie craze, while also conveying a sense of resentment toward its success. Keaton’s character Riggan Thomson sits in his dressing room before a play he’s gone nearly broke to fund, hearing on the news about Robert Downey Jr garnering millions to play a superhero. There with his own thoughts, Riggan dwells on how ahead of his time he was and how he may never be able to reclaim the ears thanks to his age.

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Men in Suits (2012)

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Director Frank H. Woodward’s “Men in Suits” is one of the best film related documentaries ever made. It’s an insightful and entertaining look at a rarely covered corner of Hollywood that’s gone unnoticed and uncredited since the beginning of film. “Men in Suits” is a fantastic chronicle of the facet of Hollywood films revolving around men that dress up as monsters for horror, fantasy, and science fiction, and bring to life many of the most iconic and horrific monsters ever put to film. Woodward chronicles how the art form began in the golden age of filmmaking, and has become something of a rare form of performance art in the era where studios are dependent on CGI and polygons.

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Everything I Know about Filmmaking I Learned Watching Seven Samurai [Paperback]

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Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” is one of the most influential, if not the most influential movies ever made. It’s a masterpiece of epic cinema that not only helped usher in foreign cinema, but also displayed a talent for storytelling that went beyond the reaches of ninety minutes. Kurosawa inspired many American directors, as well as his own contemporaries to try for their own cinematic epics, and to this day, the template for “Seven Samurai” has given influence to the creation of many great films like “Galaxy Quest,” and “The Magnificent Seven.” You can feel author Richard D. Pepperman’s love for Kurosawa’s film pulsating in every page of his book.

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