Michael

Posted on December 25, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Touched by a Hack

Angels visiting Earth for satirical purposes (to coin a contradiction) is old stuff in the movie and TV business. But an Old Testament warrior angel, more akin to the carousing gods of Asgard than to the timid Clarence of It’s A Wonderful Life, is an intriguing idea ripe with potential. Hiring John Travolta to play the surprisingly earthy angel (there’s another one), with William Hurt, Andie MacDowell and Robert Pastorelli as tabloid reporters sent to bring him back from Maureen Stapleton’s Kansas motel to their Chicago publisher Bob Hoskins, all seems like money in the bank. Continue reading →

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Mars Attacks!

Posted on December 13, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Playing with a Full Deck?

In 1964, two films were released with essentially the same plot: the United States accidentally sends the order to use atomic weapons against the Soviet Union and is unable to correct the mistake. While Sidney Lumet’s Fail-Safe was a gripping suspense drama, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove uses the same material as a superb arena for satire and black comedy.

1996 brought a similar situation: Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster Independence Day is a thrilling spectacle brilliantly updating the alien invasion of War of the Worlds. Now, Tim Burton finds the invasion scenario fertile ground for a wild and wacky farce, with a galaxy of well known stars led by Jack Nicholson playing broadly against a cartoonish backdrop. Continue reading →

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David “The Rock” Nelson’s Video Shorts Vol. 1

Posted on December 9, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Short is Good

Shot back in 1991, this collection of shorts were among the first made by Nelson, inspired by his attendance of Psychotronic Film Society shows, which reawakened his love of monster movies. In true Rocky fashion, Nelson begins this retrospective tape by appearing onscreen in his old marine uniform to introduce the program and show off his boxing trophies, followed by a brief clip of some punching bag work. Continue reading →

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L5: First City in Space

Posted on October 11, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Space was Never Spacier

The biggest science fiction film ever made – literally! Continue reading →

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Last Man Standing

Posted on September 20, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Last Remake You Can Stand

Walter Hill tries his hand at Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (itself based on Hammett’s Red Harvest), with Bruce Willis playing a prohibition era American samurai. Continue reading →

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Maximum Risk

Posted on September 13, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Minimum Wage

Better than average Jean-Claude Van Damme action fare, enlivened greatly by the veteran hand of director Ringo Lam (Full Contact) and location shooting in France and New York. Continue reading →

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Killer: A Journal of Murder

Posted on September 6, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Public Enemy Number 1

In the ‘20s, Leavenworth guard Henry Lesser (Robert Sean Leonard) befriended prisoner Carl Panzram (James Woods), who’d broken “every law known to God and man”. Lesser risked his job to allow Panzram to write down his story, which wasn’t published until 50 years later. Continue reading →

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The Crow: City of Angels

Posted on August 30, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Tar & Feathers

Why this unnecessary sequel is set in LA beats me. This poor retread looks the same as Detroit did in the great original. Good perfs by punk vets Iggy Pop and Ian Dury, but otherwise there’s really no reason to catch this one.

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The Island of Dr. Moreau

Posted on August 23, 1996 by Brian Thomas

Theater of Pain

Why remake Island of Lost Souls, one of the most chilling horror classics of the ‘30s, which has already been remade at least twice? Two possibilities: public domain source material and modern creature f/x. Continue reading →

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Tales From the Crypt: Bordello of Blood

Posted on August 16, 1996 by Brian Thomas

House of the Setting Sun

Will somebody tell this Whoopi Goldburg how to pick a script? Her summer basketball comedy Eddie turned out to be an airball, while the expensive Theodore Rex was relegated to a vid release. I haven’t caught her latest starring vehicle, but with a title like Bogus (and a co-star like Gerard Depardue playing a pixie), aren’t they just asking for it? Meanwhile, Whoopi does her HBO pals a “favor” by showing up in a quick and unfunny cameo in the second Tales from the Crypt feature film. Continue reading →

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