2023 was the 85th anniversary of the first appearance of Superman in the comics, and Warner Bros has released two coveted box sets featuring the Donner and Salkind era of “Superman” movies. For folks that consider themselves strictly fans of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, this set is very much in your wheelhouse. Thankfully the movies still hold up very well, even though the box set leaves so much to be desired.
Tag Archives: Masterpiece
Superman is Still the Hero We Need
Superman has always been deemed as something of an antiquated superhero by many, but I’ve always turned to him in my need for a good superhero fix. Ever since I was seven, I devoured everything and anything that had Superman featured. That also included Richard Donner’s “Superman: The Movie.” It not only featured Superman, but it featured one of the Supermen that I grew up with. Along with the Max Fleischer Superman, and George Reeves Superman, Christopher Reeve was the big dog in the superhero universe. Reeve’s boyish charm and staunch determination made Superman a hero you could look up to and depend on.
Celebrating “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” Ten Years Later
In 2010, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” shocked me. Not because of Edgar Wright. If there’s any director out there that knows pop culture, it’s Edgar Wright. It’s more so how much Edgar Wright understood the idea of pop culture and how absolutely annoying the idea of nostalgia had become. It’d somewhat become a monstrosity of awareness, sarcastic catch phrases, and smug gate keeping. While “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is a wonderful film filled with laughs, and some excellent performances, it’s also a polemic about how much pop culture has replaced actual culture. While a lot of others saw it as a great action celebration, I saw it as immensely cynical. It’s also why I love it so much.
An American Werewolf in London (1981): Special Limited Edition [Blu-Ray]
John Landis’ werewolf thriller is a hard film to pigeon hole. It’s not exactly a horror movie, not exactly a comedy, and not entirely a drama. It is in fact a unique beast and amalgam of various genres that’s managed to remain absolutely timeless since its initial release. The fact that Landis breaks so many of the tropes of the werewolf film while also embracing the classic mythos of the monster is what makes “An American Werewolf in London” such a masterpiece.
Spirited Away (2001): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray/CD/Book]
With their partnership with GKids, Shout Factory has managed to obtain a remarkable chunk of Studio Ghibli’s library and have given choice titles some truly deluxe treatment. Among some of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces is the incredible “Spirited Away” a film that owes a lot to “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz,” that also evokes subtle social commentary on child trafficking. In either case, “Spirited Away” is still a remarkable and stellar piece of art, with some of Miyazaki’s most memorable creations including No Face, and the Soot Sprites.
How “The Crow” Changed My Life [Fantasia Festival 2019]
This year, Fantasia International Film Festival is screening a nice collection of vintage titles and anniversary screenings. One of these is The Crow coming up on the 30th of July at 7pm and it’s one screening I hate to miss.
The Crow turned 25 this year and it has been just about as long since it became my favorite film, hence why this is one of the hardest films for me to write about. There is no being objective, this film is entwined in my teen years and my adulthood. It’s one of those films that had such a big impact, it’s almost impossible to separate the emotional from the reality of the film. So, as it’s playing, I wanted to write a deeply personal piece, a piece that it nowhere near objective, a piece that is about my history with The Crow.
Suspiria (1977): Two Disc Special Edition [Blu-Ray]
Dario Argento’s horror film “Suspiria” is an immaculate production, one that almost commands you watch it with unbreaking attention. While many have argued it lacks a narrative and often times feels aimless, Argento vies more for a cinematic experience than something that relies heavily on narrative. “Suspiria” feels like one long fever dream, and Argento paints every scene like its being influenced by pure evil. While Suzy herself is being influenced by witches and witchcraft, the audience itself also seems to be pulled in to the same seat, watching every bit of setting being altered in to this realm.