I’ve heard of this certain technique Hollywood usually uses as a means of pulling a fast sequel; it’s by taking a script with a similar concept to an already established IP and turning it in to a sequel. “The Crow” feels a lot like that. It feels like a simultaneous cash grab, exploitation of the art of James O’Barr, and downright lazy attempt to maintain the license for “The Crow.” At thirty minutes in, I wondered if at any point anyone on this movie were even trying. At all. This is a non-move. It’s a movie without a presence, or any kind of a soul, or any kind of self awareness. “The Crow’s” only purpose is to gentrify what should have and could have been a touching, eerie, and heartbreaking movie.
Tag Archives: Supernatural
Oddity (2024) [Fantasia Film Festival 2024]
Following the death of her twin sister, a psychic spends the night where her sister died to get to the bottom of her death.
Phantoms (1998) [4K UHD]
Now Available from Shout! Factory. The Novel is Also Available.
Believe it or not, in 1998 Ben Affleck wasn’t the biggest star in the world. He was still coming down from being pigeonholed as the “villain” actor, and was working to transition from supporting actor to leading man status. With “Phantoms” he is basically paying his dues for what is a pretty standard horror thriller. Affleck is very good in the role as a local sheriff whose ill fitted cowboy hat is almost a character in and of itself. Like the hat, “Phantoms” is a silly vehicle for a collective of pretty great up and comers including Nicky Katt, Liev Schreiber and Rose McGowan to name a few. There’s also the wildcard veteran a la Peter O’Toole for good measure.
The Watchers (2024)
The Original novel from A.M. Shine is now available.
Now Exclusively in Theaters.
With the debut of Ishina Night Shyamalan I was hopeful that we would get a bold new voice for the genre film. Instead, she offers up a lukewarm, barely edible movie that fails as cinema, and failed as a movie you cam just use it as a means of killing time on a boring Sunday. You won’t kill time, but you might just doze off every now and then, thanks to its almost pride in tedium and dullness. For almost a ninety minutes movie, Shyamalan’s movie is painfully uneven in tone and pacing slowing down big time in various moments as a means to stage her clunky symbolism.
Bad Movie Monday: THE MCPHERSON TAPE (1989)
Most found footage films are pretty review-proof. Seriously, how could anyone dare criticize a movie like The McPherson Tape? It is the perfect example of a no-budget film made by people working with what they had and trying to make something interesting. Criticism in cases like this feels like a venial sin, worthy of the pillory. So obviously I am totally going to review it, but by now I like to consider myself an expert at this sort of thing. Don’t try this at home kids.
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Carrie (2013): Collector’s Edition [4K UHD/Blu-Ray]
Now Available from Scream Factory.
Was Kimberly Peirce’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie” entirely necessary? Not really. But while Brian DePalma did set the bar high with his adaptation of the novel in 1976, Kimberly Peirce’s modern interpretation of the titular novel holds up surprisingly well. It’s not by any means what I’d call a masterpiece, but in a world where we have the 2002 TV remake, Peirce’s version is not without its charms. It doesn’t garner exactly the big emotional punch of DePalma’s but there’s a very charming and interesting sincerity to this interpretation.
Stephen King’s The Shining (1997) [Blu-Ray]
Now Available on Physical Media from Scream Factory while the Original Novel is Also Available.
It’s no surprise that Stephen King did not like Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 version of “The Shining.” He’s gone on about it. And on. And on. And on. I’m sure he even brings it up whenever someone uses the word hotel, or Jack Nicholson, or axe, or twins. In either case, in 1997 Stephen King teamed up with long time collaborator Mick Garris to deliver a faithful, more epic version of “The Shining” and well—it’s fine. It’s an okay movie. It’s not a gem like Kubrick’s version but it’s not boring. And it has its supporters, if anything. And it’s aged pretty well, all things considered.