Scare Up Some Laughs
There are many classic comedians that are still honoured and remembered fondly today. People like the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are highly regarded funny men, yet the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are, in my opinion, less quickly thought of than those mentioned above. Despite this, many of their films, which include a mixture of memorable physical comedy and witty dialogue, still hit the funny bone today. Two of my favourites mix comedy with the horror genre: 1941's Hold That Ghost and 1948's Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein.
A Fateful Reunion
Controversial, edgy, tasteless and taboo are just a few words that have been used to describe the movie that I will be reviewing today. If there was ever a love it or loathe it film – this may be it. It has been chosen by the acclaimed company Criterion as being one of their ‘important classic and contemporary films’ and many film afficionados have lauded it, yet others have absolutely trashed it – with legend Roger Ebert proclaiming that it is "as nasty as it is lubricious, a despicable attempt to titillate us by exploiting memories of persecution and suffering". I will leave it to you to decide.
Snatch and Grab
The first thing that came to mind after watching Guy Ritchie’s 2001 crime film Snatch was that it must have been a bugger to write. Ritchie, who both scribed and directed the movie, concocts a motion picture that feels like an amalgam of film noir, a British crime caper, a boxing flick as well as a comedy – all thrown onto the screen by some sort of high powered rocket launcher.
Suck Draws Us In
Sometimes going into a movie with low expectations can be a good thing. As I was perusing a discount store one day, I came across a film titled Suck – a rather ominous moniker I must say. Yet the premise, which pays homage to rock and roll while also spoofing vampiric horror in a comedic way, sounded like it could be fun. Plus, the back cover explained that it boasted a rocking soundtrack while featuring cameos from legends like Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop, so I picked up the Blu-Ray for a whopping three dollars.
The Kid is Hot Tonight
Sometimes, a film is able to transcend the era it was made in, truly making it feel as relevant and modern as when it was first released. Yet, others simply have not aged as well. This can sometimes create a rather difficult viewing experience – and that is somewhat the case with the 1928 western In Old Arizona. This western is one of the most important and influential films of the time –
Easter Update
I thought this would be a good time to highlight some of the things that have been added to the site over the last little while. For those of you who did not catch my ‘Vigilante Justice’ column, there is now a ‘dual’ style review where I can compare and contrast two movies. You will […]