Blade 2 (2002)

After the success of the first Blade movie, this is actually my favorite of the trilogy. It begins with Luke Goss portraying a de-evolved, "reaper-infected" vampire, and he eliminates about 80% of what Blade would be facing if this were someone else's version of the same story. The film is directed by Guillermo del Toro and is actually one of my favorites. Wesley Snipes is fine as Blade, but behind the scenes, he wasn't so great. Making a film is difficult enough (currently learning this first hand), and with so many other aspects of production needing attention, having the main star act like a child shouldn't be one of the challenges. Anyway, what I enjoyed most was the world-building, the style in which the film is shot and edited, and the martial arts-style action, which, although not the best, is still an improvement over the first movie—as are the special effects. I prefer superhero movies that feel more like comic books rather than just standard action films with lots of noise and a slapped-on ending. This one tries to create lore, a vampire hierarchy, a rich history, and enough characters with presence to make the story engaging and fun. What’s the reward for the viewer in part 3? Nothing, as almost all of this is discarded in the next film, Trinity (2004). The standouts in Blade II are Leonor Varela as the royal vampire Nyssa, Luke Goss as Jared Nomak and of course, Ron Perlman as the wisecracking Reinhardt. Norman Reedus also appears as Scud, a lesser counterpart to Abraham Whistler (played by Kris Kristofferson). One negative that has always bothered me- Whistler is missing for a large portion of the film, and wished he had more to do in the story's outcome.

Kuso (2017)

I showed up late again to the party. Come at me harder bro with the celluloid nastiness!  Lol. Four chaotic vignettes, each obsessed with bodily fluids, mutations and/or arthropods, form a puzzling story. I'm not sure if the movie is trying to gatekeep certain viewers from understanding its message or if it even has a clear message at all. In fact, I don’t know what the message is- or if the creators know either? My interpretation is this: no matter what you believe in, terrible things will happen regardless if it is called upon or not. Life, death, murder, and brief moments of hope will always be there. No one will come to save us once we’ve completely destroyed what exists here. There may be no higher power that will step in to help. And even if such a being did come, we would misunderstand it, crush it, and let it die. Things will keep repeating, and we do not learn. We’ll keep believing in things we can't control. But is there really such a thing as control? Time and nature are real because we can feel them passing. But we can ease our burdens with TV, music, art, and imagination or distract ourselves from the pain in other, maybe worse ways? Personally, I do not prescribe to all these notions but in earnest we have all had moments of doubt, where these things have crept into our minds. Am I way off base or is it in the realm of what this project was about? Somebody help me!

Glitter (2001)

This was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD! If I could find a way to uniformly symbolize a negative number of stars, I’d win the Nobel Peace Prize. Infinitesimal? I added this to my watch list as a joke, but wanted to stop watching at the start. The casting of the young Billie is wrong, and the woman playing her mom looks nothing like her. To make it worse, the mom is named Lillie, so you have Lillie and Billie. Jesus... For reasons, Billie ends up in foster care, where she makes friends. They connect with a record producer for an artist who can’t sing and lip-syncs / dubs others voices. The character Sylk (Padma Lakshmi) is so miscast I thought it was a joke- like someone would step out and say, "We’re kidding, here’s the real movie!" Anyway, Billie (now played by Mariah Carey) meets nightclub producer/DJ "Dice (Max Beesley)," and he’s impressed by her voice, so they start working on material. Did I mention the music in this film is awful too? There are competing characters, all nonsensical, all trying to use or hurt Billie. Despite this, she becomes successful, though of course, at a price. The film builds up to a tragic ending, like a pig wearing a hat. It feels like a film that was ruined by either the star’s ego or movie company suits, who know nothing about filmmaking and then also tries to shove in bad music ("because it's a musical!") in instead of focusing on story, drama, tension, or acting. Carey is a terrible lead, though I think she could do well in smaller roles. I remember hearing buzz before its release that she did a great job- yeah, okay. This movie is an anomaly of bad decisions, bad faith, bad everything. It killed director Vondie Curtis-Hall’s career. He directed one more film after this, Waist Deep (2006), which is a ok "bad" film, before returning to acting and directing TV episodes. Curtis-Hall did make one good movie, 1997’s Gridlock’d with Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth. The only person who came out of this unscathed was Terence Howard, though he didn’t need any help tainting his own career.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

The title is a nod to the setting of the Evil Dead films. (I am a ED 2 fan all the way!) I can see why some people might dislike this film because it doesn’t follow the typical formula it starts out with, but I actually liked the twist in the second half. Once you catch on, it becomes clear that this is satire, wrapped in a bloody mask, dirty jumpsuit and a rusty shovel. It's a shame there hasn’t been a proper sequel to expand or continue the storyline. If one ever gets made, I'll be first in line to give them my money. The plot is simple: five "teen" archetypes take a break from college to spend a weekend at a cabin. At first, they ignore all the warning signs that something’s wrong, but they eventually realize they’re in serious danger, with consequences that reach far beyond the cabin and the planet. I saw this movie during its opening weekend, on a Friday around 7:30 PM, with only seven other people in the theater. Walking out, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to perform well because it’s a bit different and doesn’t follow all the usual horror tropes. Sometimes the reward of being unique and a little different is punishment. The film did make a small profit.

Smile 2 (2024)

My suggestion is to watch the first Smile before viewing part 2 for clarity. This sequel spins a slightly different take on the lore from the first one. It's an unusual mix of dark (some body) horror, gory moments, and bits of unintentional comedy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first one, but just like that, this one is decent and worth watching. It's not the groundbreaking movie I was hoping for, though. By the way, is it just me, or do I suddenly have a craving for VOSS bottled water? Parker Finn returns to write and direct, improving in the process and Naomi Scott is a champ and does a lot of the heavy lifting here as a frazzled popstar dealing with hysteria.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

This is a vampire dramedy that reflects on history, the past, procrastination, rebuilding, and the struggle against an uncertain future. Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) are a married couple who also happen to be vampires. Eve is much older, and Adam seems disillusioned with his current existence. After years apart, a depressed Adam, living in Detroit, asks Eve, who is in Tangier, to join him. Eve enjoys observing life and believes that destruction and rebuilding are natural cycles, while Adam yearns for the past, even though his memories of it are distorted. Yet they both agree that humanity is going through a rough patch. But are traditional values truly reassuring once one realizes the assumptions they are built on? And is anything really made to last? While I'm not usually a fan of Jim Jarmusch, this is one of his best- a smart, thoughtful, well-acted film with a lot to say about what we consider living and what constitutes life in general. With Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska, Jeffrey Wright and John Hurt in small but important roles.

The Haunting (1963)

I had seen the remake first, The Haunting (1999), back in 2000 and did not like it. This, the original, was a disappointment too. I found the remake boring, and the original, despite some solid acting (and pleasant in-camera and overlay effects), was more silly than frightening. Julie Harris as Eleanor Lance and Richard Johnson as Dr. John Markway are good here, but their actions don't lead to anything profound. There are no scares that make the film memorable; it's just blah. The 4K restoration I watched looks and sounds great, and for horror fans, it's semi-worth watching if one has the time, mostly for Julie Harris, who is the poster child for guilt in this film. The remake, starring an all-star cast, stalls after a strong start and becomes bogged down with silly special effects, noise and a boring resolution. However, some parts are nice to look at. In comparison, I would watch the remakes of House on Haunted Hill (1999) or 13 Ghosts (2001) from the same time period. They have a fun visual energy that both Hauntings lack.

Strange Behavior (1981)

Also known as Dead Kids, this 1981 film is one of my favorite off-beat movies. It was filmed in New Zealand, but it’s set in a small Midwestern town. While it has some slasher movie elements, it's not overly graphic. Instead, the film focuses more on character motivations, atmosphere, and light humor. In the town of Galesburg, Illinois, teenagers are mysteriously being murdered, possibly by a serial killer. There’s tension between the teens and authority figures, and, as in many small towns, everyone seems to be connected by community relationships and events. The plot thickens when a big-city detective arrives to investigate the murders, and it becomes clear that these killings might be part of a larger conspiracy. One of the film's most memorable moments is an unexpected dance sequence set to Lou Christie's song Lightnin' Strikes. This scene stands out as a high point in the movie and sets the stage for a brutal ending. When I describe this movie as quirky, I mean dark quirky, not the light, whimsical kind. There’s nothing light about a scene with a hypodermic needle in the eye. So, if you're sensitive to that kind of visual, this movie might not be for you. As for what exactly happens and why, I’ll leave that for you to discover. The cast includes Fiona Lewis as Gwen, Charles Lane as Donovan, Scott Brady as the big-city cop Shea, with standout performances by Louise Fletcher as Barbara, Michael Murphy as local officer John, and Dan Shor as John's son Pete.

The Exorcist (1973)

This is what I consider a 'foundation film.' A foundation film is an original movie for its time, which is later remade or influences other films for decades- sometimes even for 20 years or more. A good example would be the Universal Monsters films, which have influenced movies for almost 100 years. The recent 2023 remake of The Exorcist: Believer (though not well received) proves again that it is a foundation film. For those who haven’t seen The Exorcist (shame on you), the story is about a young girl named Regan (played by Linda Blair) living in Georgetown, Washington DC, who becomes possessed by the devil. The film follows the emotional journey of her mother (Ellen Burstyn) and two priests (Jason Miller & Max von Sydow) as they try to exorcise the demon. Faith plays a big role in the story: one priest struggles with doubt, another follows his faith without question, and other characters either lack belief or question what they think is real. Director William Friedkin does a masterful job of scaring the audience while delivering these deeper messages, also making this one of his best films. Several sequels, reboots have been made but only this film, the Exorcist III and the incomplete 2016 Fox TV series are worthy of viewing.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been a staple of my life since the early 1990s, and its 50th anniversary has arrived! Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), looking to take their relationship to the next level, get stranded with a flat tire during a storm. As they search for help, they spot a nearby castle owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), an eccentric scientist. Inside, they meet his servants, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and Columbia (Nell Campbell). Dr. Frank-N-Furter then introduces them to his latest creation, "Rocky," revealing that he was brought to life using various body parts and the genetic material of another. The innocence of Brad and Janet's lives comes to an end as they all sing and dance, urging everyone not to "dream it" but to "be it!" Though it flopped during its initial release, time has been kind to the film, allowing it to gain a massive cult following through midnight screenings, audience participation, and multiple home video releases. If one has an open mind toward sci-fi and horror and enjoys a soundtrack steeped in rockabilly and 1970s glam rock, this will be a treat.

Ringu / The Ring (1998)

Director Hideo Nakata created an excellent and complex film with a heavy sense of dread. This caught the attention of hollywood and the world and sparked the J-horror trend, leading to nearly 20 years of meh to bad American remakes, including English versions of "The Grudge," "One Missed Call," and, of course, "The Ring" series. In a memorable opening scene, two high school girls talk about urban legends, introducing the myth of a cursed videotape. The tape supposedly brings death a week later to anyone who watches it. After one of the girls admits she watched the tape, she receives the "ring" of a phone call and dies soon afterwards, triggering a chain of events that carries the plot. I loved the film’s atmosphere, visuals, and the understated style of storytelling. This makes me dislike the bombastic American remakes, which take away from the original's mystery. "Ringu" is a classic, and watching it on VHS for the first time (it was a rental, DVD for repeated viewings) was deeply unsettling for me. A Japanese crossover with The Grudge named Sadako vs. Kayako was made in 2016 and it is bonkers, cuckoo crazy.