I was delightfully surprised by Paramount Pictures Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Things, but if I had known that John Francis Daley was involved, I wouldn’t have been. Daley has been a delight since I came across him in Freaks and Geeks, and whether in front of or behind the camera, he’s always fantastic (check…
Tag: practical effects
Mama (2013) – Andy Muschietti
Guillermo del Toro served as executive producer on Andy Muschietti’s Mama an interesting take on a ghost story that also explores the roles of parents, specifically mothers, while fostering some interesting and enjoyable scares with some pretty solid special effects. Sisters Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nelisse) were thought lost when their father took…
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) – Steven Spielberg
If the Indiana Jones films that were set in the 30s were to pay homage to the serials of the time, then by moving Indy (Harrison Ford) into the 50s it makes sense, from a cinematic historical point of view that the film would include nuclear weapons, aliens and UFOs. That doesn’t mean it translated…
The Rocketeer (1991) – Joe Johnston
Special effects wizard Joe Johnston’s second directorial effort is probably my favourite, as there is just something about The Rocketeer that I love. The style? Art deco is a fave. The score? James Horner! The cast? Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly (who I have crushed on FOREVER), Timothy Dalton, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino. The source material?…
The Hateful Eight (2015) – Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino’s eighth film let him tackle the fringes of the western genre, and features a beautiful score by iconic composer Ennio Morricone. With his sharp ear for dialogue and engaging storytelling, Tarantino pays homage to the Italian Spaghetti Westerns and classic American films of the same genre, as well, apparently, to the 1982 classic Carpenter…
Alligator (1980) – Lewis Teague
I remember seeing the poster for Alligator when I was a kid, and while I liked the shadowy look of the art, with a giant alligator peering out of an arched sewer, I never really had much of a desire to see it. Even as I grew older and heard some semi-decent things about it,…
House (1985) – Steven Miner
Directed by Steve Miner, who gave us Friday the 13th Parts 2 and 3, and Sean S. Cunningham who gave us the first film, and was the producer for its sequels, gives us a different kind of horror (tinged with comedy) starring William Katt and George Wendt, and while there’s an interesting concept here, a…
Dagon (2001) – Stuart Gordon
So I figured I would take a look at another Lovecraft adaptation, and despite the title of the film, the story is more in line with The Shadow Over Innsmouth, with a slight lean towards Dagon. And while I appreciate what Gordon set out to do, he’s hampered by horrible lighting and photography, and terrible…
Enemy Mine (1985) – Wolfgang Petersen
Enemy Mine, from director Wolfgang Petersen and starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., looks like a 50s era sci-fi film (particularly the model work and space suits) but it’s message of prejudice, hate, and race war, is as relevant today (and arguably more so) than it was when it was made. Feeling like a…
The Fate of the Furious (2017) – F. Gary Gray
The first Fast and the Furious film after the death of Paul Walker changes speed, and I’m not saying the series jumped the shark, but the speed has changed from fast to ludicrous. The cast is huge, with some big hitters in supporting roles, including a wonderful cameo appearance by Helen Mirren. We learn that…
The Mind Reels 