In Defense of Ewoks

 

The Rise of Skywalker, a film I have little interest in seeing is hitting theaters this week. As I won't be reviewing it any time soon I figured I'd tried to put up some different Star Wars content.

To start off, here's a video I made about the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Enjoy!

Midway (2019) Video Review

I went to see Roland Emmerich's Midway a few weeks ago despite my skepticism and it managed to surprise me!

     Apparently Roland Emmerich had trouble getting the film financed and went to some of his Hollywood buddies for funds. Midway's budget came completely from this and equity making it the most expensive independent film ever produced. This makes me want to recommend the film even more, as the director was clearly passionate about it.

     To elaborate on some of what I said in the video, the whole sequence portraying the Doolittle raid feels a bit tacked on as none of the films central characters were directly involved in it. It is a well done and pretty historically accurate tangent nonetheless. Incidentally, the famous airmen is portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, one of two actors in this film to take on a role previously portrayed by Spencer Tracy, the other being Dennis Quaid, who plays Admiral Halsey. Tracy played Doolittle in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Halsey in Tora! Tora! Tora! The latter film is certainly a model for this one and is also, along with The Longest Day, the benchmark for for big battle movies. While this film certainly doesn't live up to either of those it's still quite good in it's own right and I would definitely recommend it, especially for fans of old-school Hollywood war films.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Kansas Raiders (1950)

     Kansas Raiders was released on November 15th, 1950. Directed by Ray Enright, it stars Audie Murphy as Jesse James, who joins up with William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy) and his band of Confederate raiders during the American Civil War.

     Kansas Raiders is not a good western. Though the story shows promise, the quality of the writing simply isn't there. When Jesse and his friends (Frank James (Richard Long), Cole and Jim Younger (James Best and Dewey Martin), and Kit Dalton (Tony Curtis)) first meet Quantrill they are idealistic. Jesse lost his family during a raid by a band of Missouri Jayhawkers and wants revenge. He believes that Quantrill is a brave and honorable man but is in for a rude awakening when he goes on his first raid and witnesses the raiders murdering innocent farmers. He is initially appalled by this and decides to leave but Quantrill convinces him to stay, assuring Jesse that that kind of behavior won't occur again. Why Jesse chooses to believe this is unclear. Perhaps he just has no place else to go.

     In any case he remains with Quantrill, despite the fact that the same kind of atrocities are committed again and again. In the end, when the Union army finally catches up with Quantrill, only Jesse and his friends remain with him. Quantrill, in a final act of redemption (I guess) sacrifices himself so they can escape. After this we are told (through a narration) that Jesse and his friends went on to pursue a life of crime.

     Again, this could be an interesting story, as Jesse slowly descends from an justifiable desire for revenge into becoming a cold-blooded killer. But this doesn't really happen. Instead he continues to follow Quantrill, despite objecting to his methods, for no apparent reason. There is a romantic subplot between Jesse and Kate Clarke (Marguerite Chapman) who is a sort of adopted daughter for Quantrill. At one point they consider running away together but they choose not to out of some misplaced loyalty for Quantrill (I guess).

     The acting in this film is pretty bland but I can't blame the actors for failing to breath life into such badly written characters. This is really too bad as some fine actors (Audie Murphy, Scott Brady, Tony Curtis) are wasted in boring roles. Ray Enright's direction too, is strictly by-the-numbers though Irving Glassberg's technicolor cinematography is nice to look at.

     In the end Kansas Raiders is a dull, frustrating western film. Sadly I can't recommend this one folks.

Score: 4/10

The Complete Westember (2019)

     I decided to edit together all the episodes of Westember into one, long, 2-hour documentary. I've added in a couple bits and pieces I cut for time originally along with a short bibliography. 

     I apologize that my output of content has been lacking of late. I've been work on some bigger projects (including this video) so stay tuned!

Western Wednesdays: Cemetery Without Crosses (1969)

     Cemetery Without Crosses was released in February 1969. Directed by Robert Hossein and written by Hossein and Claude DeSailly, it tells the story of Maria (played by Michèle Mercier), who seeks revenge against the powerful Roger's cattle ranchers for lynching her husband (played by the Dollars trilogy stuntman Benito Stefanelli).

     One of the things that separates the Spaghetti western from its American counterpart is its Catholic milieu. Cemetery Without Crosses is a good example of this. During the dinner scene (guest directed by Sergio Leone himself!) the Roger's family all cross themselves before eating and a Catholic priest oversees the funeral of Maria's husband where he quotes generously from scripture. Most of the prominent directors of Spaghetti westerns were Italian (or French in the case of Hossein) and therefore were raised as Catholics at a time when the traditional Mass was still the norm (this means intricate vestments, chanting, stain-glass windows and incense) so it's no surprise that they would draw on this imagery for their films.

     Nonetheless, the plot of Cemetery Without Crosses is a pretty stock western one, as Maria hires Hossein's Manuel to carry out her revenge against the Rogers. The film subverts the this tried and true plot by turning it into a parable against revenge. When Manuel kidnaps Johanna (Anne-Marie Balin), Will Roger's daughter, she is raped by Maria's brothers, Thomas (Guido Lollobrigida) and Eli (Michel Lemoine). This disturbs Maria, who did not intend for Johanna to be harmed. Her plan, in fact, was simply to humiliate the Rogers and put them in a powerless position. But the situation continues to spiral out of control when Thomas and Eli are captured by the Rogers and tell them where Maria and Manual have hidden Johanna. In the end the Rogers kill Maria, Manuel kills them in retaliation and he, in turn, is killed by Johanna.

     The whole film is quite subtle and highly minimalistic, featuring very little dialogue and a simple, straightforward plot. There is also a fatalism to the proceedings that makes the film really sad. The cycle of violence somehow seems inevitable. Manuel, at first, wants nothing to do with it but Maria eventually convinces him to help her. It is made clear by the end of the film that there is an unconsummated romance between Manuel and Mari. Whether this is the motivation for Manuel to help her, or rather he is just doing it for the money remains ambiguous.

     The stark cinematography by Henri Persin amplifies this sense as do the empty, decaying sets of the ghost town where much of the film takes place. The score, by Hossein's father Andre, can be overbearing at times but it does add to the films sense of melancholy. The upbeat opening ballad "The Rope and the Colt" (which is also the original French title for the film) is used throughout the film and feels a little out of place, though it does work to some extent as an ironic contrast to the film's somber proceedings. There are also a few scenes of unexpected comedy throughout, which help to keep the film from becoming too morose.

     Cemetery Without Crosses, despite its flaws, remains one of the best movies the Spaghetti western genre has to offer. Highly recommended.

Score: 9/10

Saturday Evening Cartoon: Toy Story 4 (2019) (SPOILERS)

     Toy Story 4 was released on June 21st, 2019. It is directed by Josh Cooley and written by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom. It continues the story of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of Andy's toys who now belong to Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw).Woody, no longer the leader of the toys or the favorite of his owner, struggles to accept his place in this new home.

     Though I did not grow up with them (Disney movies, with a few notable exceptions, were not allowed in my house growing up) I have long been a fan of the Toy Story movies. The first one remains one of my all time favorites and though I don't think either of the sequels ever reached the same level of perfection, they are both worthy follow-ups which develop the characters and expand the world. The third film, I thought, brought the story to a satisfying conclusion so I was trepidatious about a fourth installment. Does this series have anything left to say? The answer is complicated.

WARNING:SPOILERS FROM HERE ON

     Throughout the series, Woody has been the central character, going through a unique arc in each film. It did not seem to me that his character had anywhere left to go going into Toy Story 4. The series has always contained something of a metaphor for parenthood. In Toy Story 3 Woody has to let Andy go once he comes of age and in this film Woody, like an aging grandparent, continually tries to help Bonnie even though she is no longer interested in playing with him. When he reunites with Bo Peep (voiced Annie Potts), who was given away by Andy's family prior to the events of Toy Story 3, on a camping trip with Bonnie's family, his ideas about what it means to be a toy are challenged.

     Despite the prominence of Forky (Tony Hale), a new character introduced in this film, in the advertising, it's Bo who is the real co-star of this installment. Bo has made a life for herself helping other "lost" toys to their owners or find new ones. Through his adventures with her, Woody is finally able to let go of his need to be with a kid and goes off to start a new life with her in the film's final moments. As has become standard in contemporary Hollywood blockbusters, there is no similar self-discovery or even self-examination for Bo. In any case, this feels a little out of character to me. It's not that I can't see Woody coming around to Bo's way of thinking but more that it's hard to believe he would leave all of his friends behind so easily, especially in light of their moment of solidarity during the climax of Toy Story 3.

     As for Forky, he goes through an arc not unlike that of Buzz Lightyear in the first film. A home-made toy (Bonnie creates him using a spork on her first day of Kindergarten and forms an emotional attachment as it helps her to cope with this scary new experience) Forky believes that he is "trash" and continually tries to escape Bonnie and throw himself away. Woody is able to convince Forky that Bonnie feels the same way about him as he does about trash ("It's warm," "cozy" "and safe", he says). This is the film's best idea but it's pretty much been explored by the end of the first act.

     Buzz Lightyear, who has always served as the series mascot along with Woody, has gotten shunted to the side more and more with each film. In Toy Story 2 he becomes the de facto leader of the Toys in Woody's absence and, ultimately, reminds Woody what being a toy is all about. In 3 he continues in this role but is reduced, essentially, to a plot device (and a running gag) through a good portion of the picture. In this film he barely makes an impression at all. When Woody goes off to bring back the wayward Forky, Buzz initially stays behind with the other toys. When he finally decides to go after Woody, his efforts to help him retrieve Forky are almost completely superfluous. As for the rest of the toys, they barely get any screen time or anything of interest to do.

     The ostensible villain of this film, Gabby Gabby, continues the series tradition (eschewed in Toy Story 2) of eerie toys that our protagonists must escape. Gabby is aided by a group of ventriloquist dummies named Vincent (who resembles Slappy, the living dummy from R. L. Stine's Goosebumps) and runs an old antique store like a cartel. Gabby has a defective voice box and wants to take Woody's so that she can be bought by a kid. She ends up taking it from him after kidnapping Forky and her last minute redemption is not earned at all. Beyond this, the narrative feels a little fragmented, shifting the focus away from Forky after the first act to focus instead on Gabby and Bo.

     The animation is really eye popping and it has never been as fluid or expressive. The way each toy moves around is really unique, especially Forky, a character who has no joints. On the other hand the backgrounds (if they can be described that way) are perhaps a little too photo-realistic this time around. Watching a Toy Story movie that looks like a cut scene from the latest Call of Duty is a bit distracting. The human characters all look somewhat cartoonish, so I'm not sure why the animators decided to make the world look so real. Randy Newman's score is strong in it's motific sense but a little derivative overall, recycling material from previous entries rather liberally. The new songs are mostly forgettable. The voice-work is solid all around, both from the returning cast members and the new voice actors.

     At this point the series really feels played out. The central metaphor certainly has no where to go, when parents get old in the real world, it's their children's turn to take care of them but, for obvious reasons, it can't work that way with the toys in this universe. In any case, though Toy Story 4 never quite succeeds in justifying it's existence it is, at least, a fairly entertaining romp with characters we've come to love. For a Pixar sequel in 2019, that's more or less par for the course.

Score: 7/10

My Favorite Films: The Longest Day (1962)

“Believe me, Lang, the first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive … for the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the longest day.”  

-Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

     The Longest Day has been with me almost as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of going to my local library and getting out the 2 VHS tape set. I also remember starting with the second tape to skip all the "boring" set-up at the beginning of the film. It was my first exposure to the Second World War and to modern warfare in general (as opposed to the "olden-fashioned" wars portrayed in Davy Crockett, as I used called them). This was the beginning of a life-long interest in WW2, one that would eventually lead to my involvement in historical reenacting.

     It is a brilliant re-creation of the events of 6 June, 1944 as chronicled by Cornelius Ryan in his classic novel. Producer, Daryl F. Zanuck who had served in the Signal Corps during the war, was determined bring the story of the Normandy Invasion to the big screen. He had resigned as head of 20th Century Fox in 1956 to become an independent producer and went to the studio heads with his plan to adapt Ryan's book. Reeling from the disaster that was Cleopatra (1963), the executives at Fox were reluctant to fund Zanuck's project and imposed an $8 million dollar ceiling on the film's budget, forcing Zanuck to fund much of the production himself.

     In order to bring his vision to life, Zanuck had to get really creative, calling in favors from his friends in the army and in Hollywood. According to director Ken Annakin, he had four assistants working 24 hours a day to keep an eye on all the movies that were being made so he could get actors for possibly just a couple of days of shooting. This is how he managed to get 43 international stars to appear in the picture. Similarly, he worked with the armed forces of America, England and France to get much the equipment and extras when he needed them.

     Cornelius Ryan himself wrote the initial draft of the screenplay though it was later worked on by four other writers. Ryan clashed with Zanuck on many issues and associate producer Elmo Williams had to work as a go-between between the two men. His book had been meticulously researched and had brought together numerous personal accounts of the invasion, along with the official histories, to present a really complete picture of the events. It is largely thanks to the strength of his material that The Longest Day manages to present such a complicated, large scale event as a coherent narrative, despite a few inaccuracies. No other war film has ever come close to achieving this on the same scale.

     Although The Longest Day had three credited directors the real visionary behind the film was really Zanuck. He insisted on historical accuracy and authenticity wherever possible. It is because of him that the German and French characters speak in their native tongue, that many of the battle scenes were shot on location where they originally happened, and that the film was shot in black and white, rather then technicolor, which was the standard at the time of the film's release. The producer also brought in many of the films technical advisers including Brigadier Simon Fraser, the Earl of Lovat, Frau Lucie Maria Rommel (the wife of Erwin Rommel), Major John Howard, and Lieutenant General James Gavin.

     It was Zanuck's hope that the film, by accurately portraying the battle, would serve as an indictment of war. The Longest Day contains some really tragic scenes. Particularly of note is the sequence where elements of the 82nd Airborne land in the middle of Sainte-Mère-Église only to be slaughtered by waiting the waiting German  troops before they reach the ground. In a scene ripped straight from Ryan's book, one paratrooper (played by Red Buttons), who lands on the steeple of the church, is saved from his comrades fate and watches helplessly as they are gunned down before his eyes. In another, controversial moment that really brings home the futility of war, we see the 2nd Ranger battalion reach their objective on Pointe du Hoc after a bloody struggle, only to find that the guns they came to destroy are not there (in reality the Rangers did eventually locate and destroy the German battery though it was not where it was supposed to be).

     Of course Zanuck does not deserve all the credit. The battle scenes are handled with great proficiency by directors Ken Annakin (British and French exteriors) and Andrew Marton (American exteriors) along with cinematographers Jean Bourgoin and Walter Wottitz and editor Samuel E. Beetley. A lot of the credit also has to go to Elmo Williams, who coordinated all the battle scenes. Marton, who had been a second unit director for the chariot race on Ben-Hur (1959), was especially adept at filming action scenes and his big sequence, the rangers assault on Pointe du Hoc, is perhaps the best in the film, as the Rangers scale the cliffs and take the heavily defended German positions on the heights. Annakin's big sequence, the capture of the town of Ouistreham by Free French forces, could give it a run for its money. Opening with a minute-and-a-half long helicopter shot showing the French forces charge through the harbor under heavy fire from the Germans, it is a stirring sequence. The film's other major action scene, the taking of the Orne river bridge by the British 2nd Airborne Battalion, was also skillfully helmed by Annakin.

     The rest of the film's action present fragmented pieces of the battle which, together, paint a pretty complete picture of the invasion. The sheer scale of these scenes is simply awesome, with thousands of extras, hundreds of pyrotechnics and dozens of tanks, heavy guns, armor and heavy artillery. The most jaw-dropping scene in the film is certainly the Allied naval bombardment of the German coastal defenses. As Major Werner Pluskat (Hans Christian Blech) looks out of his bunker at the thousands of Allied ships emerging out of the fog, you cannot help but be stunned along with him. Much of the film was shot on location in Normandy, which lends a lot of authenticity to the exterior scenes. The film's score, with Paul Anka's thematic material composed brilliantly by Maurice Jarre and orchestrated by Mitch Miller, is used sparingly and helps to punctuate some of the movies more epic moments.

     The film's dramatic moments are also handled deftly. It portrays both the anticipation and restlessness of the Allied forces and the resigned frustration of the German commanders as they are prevented from adequately responding to the invasion by the ill informed decisions of Hitler and the high command. It gives you a really clear picture of the strategy and the tactical decisions made by both sides. Bernhard Wicki (director of the German episodes) has to be given a lot of credit for imbuing what could have been a lot of boring exposition with the German generals into stirring cinema. Remarkably, the film takes time to cover each countries involvement in the campaign and it never tries to demonize the German generals but actually humanizes them and helps the audience to relate to their frustration.

     The cast, a remarkable collection of international stars, bring a lot of dramatic weight, not to mention star power, to the film. Some of the best performances come from Curd Jürgens as the frustrated Chief of Staff Günther Blumentritt, Heinz Reincke as the hothead Luftwaffe fighter ace Josef Priller, Richard Burton as the war-weary veteran of the Battle of Britain, Richard Todd (who actually fought with the British Airborne in Normandy) as Major John Howard, Henry Fonda as General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., and of course Robert Mitchum as General Norman Cota. For some of the more recognizable figures, such as Eisenhower, Rommel, and Bradley, Zanuck was able to find actors that looked remarkably similar to their real life counterparts. Henry Grace in particular (who was actually not a professional actor but a set decorator) could pass for Ike's twin.

     In the end The Longest Day works so brilliantly because of the continual contrast between the epic and the intimate. We see the generals going over their strategy and the common soldiers waiting for the decision to invade. We see masses of men assault the beaches and small groups of paratroopers and resistance fighters harass the enemy inland. The last two scenes illustrate this contrast beautifully, as we see a lone paratrooper (played by Richard Beymer), separated from his unit, having a smoke with Richard Burton's downed pilot. He muses "I wonder who won?" and then we transition to the films final moments, as the victorious allied convoy moves inland in a magnificent wide shot while a vindicated General Cota looks on. We are reminded here that many of the men who fought the battle couldn't see the bigger picture, they simply did the job they were told to do.

     Fifty seven years after its release, The Longest Day remains the benchmark for epic battle movies. It will always be mandatory yearly viewing for me around June 6th.

Western Wednesdays: Broken Lance (1954)

     Broken Lance was released on September 25th, 1954. It is directed by Edward Dmytryk and with a script by Richard Murphy based on the crime film House of Strangers (1949), itself an adaptation of the novel I'll Never Go There Any More by Jerome Weidman. It tells the story of the Devereaux family, as the patriarch, Matt, struggles to maintain his cattle empire and the loyalty of his sons.

     Though I've never seen House of Strangers, it is somewhat obvious, watching this film, that the story has been reworked. It has a flashback structure, a common element of film noir, which doesn't quite work here. In the film's opening and closing the focus is on Robert Wagner's Joe but the bulk of the film, which is an extended flashback, focuses on his father, Spencer Tracy's Matt Devereaux. The heart of the story his failure to be a good father but the way it is structured it feels like Ben's antagonistic relationship with his brother, Richard Widmark's Ben, ought to be the focus.

     It's a very ambitious film in many ways, telling a story that spans many years and it tackles themes of familial loyalty and conflict and also of racism. Joe, the youngest of four brothers has a different mother, a Cheyenne princess (played by Katy Jurado) and his brothers resent him somewhat as a result. Matt's friend and ally Horace (E. G. Marshal), the governor, refuses to help him with some legal trouble unless he forces Joe to stop courting his daughter Barbara (Jean Peters), as he doesn't want her to marry a half-breed. Interestingly, Horace recognizes that his prejudice is a fault but is unable to let go of it.

     The real center of the film, however, is Matt's relationship with his sons. He has a difficult time treating them as family. He treats his three older sons, for the most part, as hired help, working them to the utmost for very little in return. He spoils, Joe, as he is the youngest and came of age after Devereaux had made his fortune. The three older sons are resentful toward their father as a result of this and, in the end, this proves to be his undoing.

     Outside of the distracting and pointless flashback structure the film is really quite good. The cast is magnificent especially Spencer Tracy, who is able to be at once likable and charming but also kind of despicable as the unscrupulous Matt Devereaux. Richard Widmark is also quite good as his resentful, and somewhat cunning eldest son. Katy Jurado is great as Señora Devereaux, bringing a welcome bit of humanity and warmth to the film. She was nominated for an academy award for her performance. Leigh Harline's richly textured score is magnificent. It complements Joseph MacDonald's colorful cinematography beautifully and both help to imbue the film with a really epic feel.

Score: 8/10

Shocktober Fest 2019 Wrap Up

Me and my brother watched a bunch of random movies to finish up the month.

1. The Monster Squad (1987)
     The second film written by Shane Black (it's co-written by director Fred Dekker) The Monster Squad is a fun throwback to the old universal horror films. Like The Goonies it follows a group of young kids who get in over their heads in an adventure involving vampires, werewolves and other assorted monsters. It's well directed and has plenty of quotable lines (as usual with Black) but I find the characters a little lacking in dimension. Nevertheless the filmmakers clearly have a lot of love for this material and it would be a good entry point into universal horror for the uninitiated. Indeed, I showed it to my younger sisters in this hope. 

Score: 8/10 

2. Jaws (1976)
      Another film I showed to my younger siblings this year Jaws is probably my favorite horror film of all time. The sea (and all it's dangerous creatures) is one of the few things that still terrifies modern man and Steven Spielberg's film captures that primal fear better then any other I've seen. The cast is great, the writing is surprisingly down-to-earth and Spielberg's direction, minimalist by necessity and helped in no small measure by John William's harrowing score, is pitch-perfect. The director may have gone on to greater successes but he never made a film better then Jaws.

Score: 10/10

3. Insidious (2010)
     The beginning of a resurgence for director James Wan Insidious, like the later and more successful The Conjuring is a haunted house film. Wan has proven that he excels at making this sort of crowd pleasing haunting film but he hadn't quite gotten the hang of it when he made this. It's rather tonally inconsistent and explains way to much that should be left to the imagination. There is plenty of creepy imagery and the acting is solid but the writing and tonal issues prevent the film from really working. Despite this, it shows enough promise that I'm curious to watch the other films in the series.

Score: 6/10

4. Zombieland (2009)
     This is a consistently funny and clever send up of zombie films. First time director Ruben Fleischer, along with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, show their inexperience occasionally but, for the most part, this is a great cinematic debut. It's the main cast, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, that really hold the film up. Each one really imbues their character with personality and they all have great chemistry. It's not quite Shaun of the Dead but it's a ton of fun nonetheless. 

Score: 8/10

5. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
     This bizarre adaptation of the iconic novel contains many episodes and elements from Stoker's work often left out by other adaptations yet it strays much farther then most in it's reinterpretation of the text, portraying the titular monster as a tragic figure, bereaved of his one true love. Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula would have been a more apt title. It is a visually stunning film, as one would expect from the man who made The Godfather and Apocalypse Now yet it fails to find one, distinctive visual style at times hearkening back to German expressionism and at others looking more like a Jane Austen adaptation. The performances are a mixed bag with some being delightfully over-the-top and others rather stiff (sorry Keanu). It's a mess of a film.

Score: 6/10

We also watched the original Halloween and A Quiet Place (both of which I talked about last year) and Ichabod and Mr. Toad (which I reviewed yesterday).  

Shocktober 2019 Ranked

Ranked on Flickchart.com 

1. Jaws (1976)
     Spielberg's shark movie transcends its campy concept to become a true classic. One of the greatest films ever made.

2. Alien (1979)
     Ridley Scott's masterpiece of cosmic terror. It gets better on every viewing.  

3. Frankenstein (1931)
     For better or worse, this is still the iconic retelling of Mary Shelley's novel. It's also one of the best Universal Monster movies.

4. Aliens (1986)
     Though it never quite lives up to its predecessor, Aliens is still a great film in its own right. 

5. A Quiet Place (2018) 
     It's flawed, to be sure, but A Quiet Place spoke to me in a way that few modern films do. It's also filled with a palpable sense of dread that's all too rare in modern horror. 

6. The Dead Zone (1983)
     Though arguably not a horror film, The Dead Zone is a fine pshychological thriller with an, at times, chilling tone.  

7. The Old Dark House (1932)
      An underrated universal classic that hearkens back to Gothic romances of the Victorian era.

8. The Black Cat (1934) 
     An unsettling, at times confusing film, The Black Cat features Karloff and Lugosi at the top of their games.

9. Christine (1983)
A solid Stephen King adaptation, Christine is worth watching for John Carpenter's direction and some above average character work (for this kind of film at least). 

10. Zombieland (2009)
      A fun, irreverent send up of the zombie genre, Zombieland is a solid horror comedy.

11. Carrie (1976) 
On of the better Stephen King films, Carrie is directed with panache by Brian De Palma and features outstanding performances from Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie.

12. The Monster Squad (1987) 
     A really fun throwback to old Universal monster movies, The Monster Squad is an underappreciated 80's gem in the tradition of The Goonies.

13. The Invisible Man (1933) 
      More self-aware then the earlier Universal pictures, The Invisible Man is a wonder of early special effects and features solid direction from James Whale and committed performances from the cast. 

14.The Shining (1980)
     Though I've never loved this film I cannot deny the level of craft that Kubrick brings to it.

15. Cujo (1983) 
     A surprisingly well done King adaptation, Cujo is a solid thriller with well written characters.

16. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
     A lesser effort from Universal. Worth watching for Bela Lugosi, the atmosphere, and that hilariously fake looking monkey costume.   

17. The Mummy (1933) 
     Perhaps I was in the wrong mood to watch this, but I found it a plodding, fairly dull film, saved mostly by the interesting back story for the titular monster and for Boris Karloff.

18. Dracula (1931)
     Lugosi and Frye are magnificent in this otherwise clunky adaptation of the Stoker novel.

19. Friday the 13th (1980)
     A fairly incompetent and rushed cash grab, this film is saved by a well done and genuinely surprising 3rd act.

20. Secret of the Blue Room (1933) 
     The weakest of the early Universal horror films. An otherwise solid mystery that is let down by it's obvious solution.

21. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) 
     One of the better entries in the series. The confusing narrative is more then compensated for by the films atmosphere and its balls-to-the-wall ending. 

22. Friday the 13th Part III (1982) 
     The film that defined the series for better or for worse, the third Friday the 13th is exploitative, campy fun. 

23. Salem's Lot (1979) 
     Though it's a fairly well done modern/gothic vampire flick I was dissapointed with this film's treatment of Stephen King's characters. 

24. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
     Essentially Carrie vs. Jason, The New Blood is a ridiculously entertaining entry in the series. 

25. Insidious (2010) 
     A disappointing effort from James Wan. Worth watching for its zany, tonally confused climax.

26. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) 
     Though I can understand why people hate this I found (watching through the series within a week as I did) that it moved the series in an interesting direction, even if the execution (no pun intended) is a little lacking.

27. Friday the 13th Part II (1981) 
     I've gone back and forth on this one. I was fairly bored by it this time around. 

28. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) 
     A bizarre adaptation to say the least. Worth watching for the unique visuals.  

29. In the Tall Grass (2019) 
     An interesting, if failed effort from Stephen King and his son. The performances are not enough to save the scatterbrained script. 

30. Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) 
     Though I can understand why people like this one, I found it rather lazy on top of having characters who were dumber and less likable then usual.

31. Alien Covenant (2017) 
     A terrible film but less unwatchable then the rest of the (post Aliens) sequels. 

32. Alien 3 (1992)
     Despite some interesting ideas, Alien 3 is a dull and at times infuriating sequel.

33. Alien: Resurrection (1997) 
A bizarre mess of a film. At least the actors seem to be having fun.  

34. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) 
     Despite a few fun moments, "Jason on a Boat" is a terribly boring, lazy sequel. The series had clearly run out of ideas by this point.  

35. Prometheus (2012)
     A pretentious, ponderous, unfocused, ugly film with stale direction and awful writing. This movie made me angry. 

Well that's all for this year folks!