THE FANTASY FILM WORLDS OF GEORGE PAL (1985) movie review

Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal, The (1985) d. Leibovit, Arnold (USA)

The tragedy is that despite being name-checked in Rocky Horror’s “Science Fiction/Double Feature”, most folks on the street today are sadly ignorant of who George Pal is or of his notable contributions to cinema. Thankfully, this affectionate tribute to the Hungarian-born filmmaker by Arnold Leibovit puts the spotlight on a Tinseltown figure whose list of influential and beloved films include such fantasy and sci-fi classics as 1950’s Destination Moon (the first true Hollywood sci-fi epic), War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, Tom Thumb, The Naked Jungle, and The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, not to mention his groundbreaking work in animation with "George Pal’s Puppetoons" (7 Oscar nominations).

THE LAST LAUGH (1924) movie review

Last Laugh, The (1924) d. Murnau, F. W. (Germany)

F. W. Murnau’s extraordinary silent film manages to tell its entire narrative – with one equally extraordinary exception – from a purely cinematic standpoint, without the use of intertitles. A heartbreaking melodrama about a posh hotel’s aging doorman (Emil Jannings) whose position means everything. When he is removed from his post and sent to work as a washroom attendant, his shame and devastation is profoundly felt by the viewer, touching us in a way that words could only hint at.

WAITRESS (2007) movie review

Waitress (2007) d. Shelly, Adrienne (USA)

Gone-too-soon actor/writer/director Shelly’s final feature is as sweet, satisfying and deceptively simple as the myriad of mouth-watering desserts created by its title character (luminously played by Keri Russell). Trapped in a small Oklahoma town, diner waitress Russell finds herself knocked up by her abusive and smothering man-child of a husband (Jeremy Sisto),

SAME TIME EVERY YEAR (1981) movie review

Same Time Every Year (1981) d. Lincoln, Fred J. (USA)

CAST: (in order of appearance)

Loni Sanders – Nicole (as Loni 'Haiku' Sanders)
Mike Ranger – Michael
Lynx Canon – Alice (as Jean Damage)
Paul Thomas – Robert
Tiffany Clark – Melissa
Michael Morrison – Jason
Ron Jeremy – Ed the Chauffeur
Herschel Savage – Tony (as Joel Caine)
Holly McCall – Jogger
China Leigh – Lisi
Lee Carroll – Blonde with Robert
Starr Wood – Liz (as Star Would)
Boo the Wonder Horse – Alice's Horse
Blake Palmer – Blond Car Mechanic
Jerry Wad – Brunette Car Mechanic
Phaery Burd – Girl with Jason (as Isolde)
Coral Cie – Anne
Kathy Harcourt – Anne's Friend

PLOT:
Ranger, Thomas and Morrison head off on a trip to their annual “lawyer’s convention,” leaving

TREKKIES (1997) / TREKKIES 2 (2004) movie review

Trekkies (1997) d. Nygard, Roger (USA)

We all know one. We might even be one ourselves. But director Roger Nygard’s hilarious and affectionate examination of the universe’s most ardent Star Trek fans allows them the opportunity to prove themselves as ultimately human as the rest of us, even when they’re speaking Klingon.

WHAT IS IT? (2005) movie review

What Is It? (2005) d. Glover, Crispin Hellion(USA)

Actor and professional oddball Crispin Glover weaves a hallucinatory spell in his directing debut, utilizing a cast composed primarily of performers with Downs Syndrome, with support by performance artist/writer Adam Parfrey, cerebral palsy sufferer Steven C. Stewart, Glover himself and…snails. Lots and lots of snails, many of which meet their untimely demises via salt shakers or clenched fist in extreme close-up, providing some of the most unexpectedly troubling images I’ve seen (and considering my film genre of choice

IT IS FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE. (2007) movie review

It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007) d. Glover, Crispin Hellion / Brothers, David (USA)

In the second installment of the “It” trilogy, producer/editor/director Crispin "Hellion" Glover returns to the world of the weird with equally frustrating and groundbreaking results. Working this time with a co-director (David Brothers) and from a script by cerebral palsy-afflicted writer Steven C. Stewart, Glover tells the head-shaking story of a handicapped serial killer (Stewart) who seduces his female victims with his disabilities, then

BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2006) movie review

Black Snake Moan (2006) d. Brewer, Craig (USA)

What the marketing department was thinking on this one? While the subject matter, “Black man chains up white woman,” certainly makes for sassy poster art, the themes and heart of the movie are miles away from its exploitation material appearances. After being brutally beaten, sex-addict Christina Ricci (looking smoking hot and wearing very little in the way of clothing) is taken in by blues guitarist-turned-farmer Samuel L. Jackson, who chains her to his radiator to help her shed her “evil” ways.

SERENA: AN ADULT FAIRY TALE (1980) movie review

Serena: An Adult Fairy Tale (1980) d. Lincoln, Fred J. (USA)

CAST: (in order of appearance)

China Leigh – Fairy Godmother
Serena – Cindy
Natasha Raphael – Brunette Prostitute #1
Gary Baron – Restrained Lover
Dorothy LeMay (as Norma Gene) – Blonde Prostitute
Lee LeMay – Blonde Prostitute’s Lover
Valerie Darlyn (as Lotta Leggs)  – Diane the Madame
Jamie Gillis – Mr. Thomas
Blair Harris – Godmother’s Lover
Paul Thomas – Prince Charles
Marlene Munroe – Brunette Prostitute #2

PLOT:
Screenwriter Daniel Webster’s modern and very threadbare retelling of the Cinderella myth with the attractive

KISS ME DEADLY (1955) movie review

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) d. Aldrich, Robert (USA)

Wow. Mix Mickey Spillane with a little atomic paranoia and you’ve got a recipe for fast-paced, two-fisted, tough-talking thrills, with a climactic sock to the jaw that rivals anything I’ve seen in a long, long time. Ralph Meeker, who would wind up his career fighting aliens and giant rats in Without Warning and Food Of The Gods, is outstanding as taciturn private eye Mike Hammer. One catches glimpses of Jack Nicholson and Kevin Costner in his performance – the nice looking guy who’s revealed to be a hardened heel through and