Cliffhanger (1993)

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

One of the very few Stallone flicks I haven't seen. Quite entertaining and I will take Lithgow as a villain any day of the week. I started to think to myself, "wow, this is like a better-structured Die Hard 2," and then I remembered both were directed by Renny Harlin. Great cast and the stunt work is remarkable. Looks great in HD, thanks Netflix!


Rating: 7/10 Atkins

North by Northwest (1959)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

A great Hitch film and one to which I was thrilled to introduce my wife. I need to be more proactive about showing her the classics. The film looks ridiculously good on Blu-ray and makes me pine for more Hitch high-def releases.

Deep Red (1975)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Always a delight to experience new (to me) Dario Argento. Deep Red is definitely one of his very best. It falls more into his grounded giallo than his supernatural fare and yet is far more mean-spirited and gory than any of his that I have yet seen. The upcoming Blue Underground Blu-ray is incredible. Full Blu review to follow over at Horror's Not Dead.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Dial H for Hitchcock (1999)

Revisit
Format: DVD (Burned from DVR)
Venue: Rivendell

An outstanding, gripping, and altogether moving documentary on Alfred Hitchcock. When I was in my early high school years, I discovered Hitch at the very same time I first saw this doco on TV. It blew my mind and turned me on to what real filmmaking was all about. The doc has never been released on DVD and its appearances on cable are unfortunately infrequent. A few months ago it popped up again so I had Luke record it. I have already watched the subsequently burned DVD three or four times.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Sledgehammer (1983)

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

 This shot-on-camcorder, direct-to-video horror film is the first fruit bore of the wonderfully unholy union of Severin Films and Intervision Picture Corp. This film was largely, and in many ways thankfully, forgotten for many years and the DVD comes loaded with more special features than anyone would have ever thought to give this awesomely terrible mistake. Full DVD review soon over at Horror's Not Dead.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Village (No Way Out Wrap Party)

My good friends Aaron Morgan and Eric Vespe shot a short film last week here in town called No Way Out which, if my set visits are any indication, will be a fan-fucking-tastic piece of work. It stars another of my very good friends Mr. A.J. Bowen who is phenomenal in everything he does. To celebrate it's completion, Vespe planned a private screening at the Alamo of one of his multitude of film prints. I love Maximum Overdrive with a vengeance and now it seems so do many of my friends. Although I do find it a bit irritating that I have been raving about this film for well over two years and no one bothered to listen until this screening.

The Fast & The Furious (2001)

Revisit
Format: HD-DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Guilty pleasure film if there ever were one. Subject of this week's Junkfood Cinema at Film School Rejects. If you also live life one quarter-mile at a time, give it a read.

Gremlins 2 (1990)

Revisit
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

Loved this film as a kid, still love it as an adult but for entirely new reasons. Joe Dante's harebrained love letter to Looney Tunes could not be more divergent in tone from the first, but that doesn't detract from my enjoyment. The Gremlins 2 NES game was the subject of the latest Motion Pixels at Ain't It Cool News. Don't read it after midnight!

Sisters (1973)

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

My third classic De Palma film of my self-imposed project. Didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Blow Out or Dressed to Kill, but it was still quite good. You could seriously make a drinking game called "Spot the Hitchcock" when watching De Palma. Here, it's Rear Window he homages with a similar commentary on voyeurism. No matter what you may think of the film, the interview he gives on the Criterion release is eye-opening and powerful.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Fast & Furious (2009)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Wanted to fill in my franchise gaps before seeing Fast Five. This was hovering right around mediocre until it got to the underground car chase...then it hit the gas and ventured into unwatchable drek territory. No thanks.


Rating: 5/10 Atkins

The Dorm that Dripped Blood (1982)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Leave to Synapse Films to give this film more attention and a finer treatment than it ever deserved. Covered this one for Junkfood Cinema at Film School Rejects. Have a bite!

Dressed to Kill (1980)

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

Watching Dressed to Kill directly after Blow Out was an amazing experience. De Palma wears his Hitchcock devotion on his sleeve but that does nothing if not enhance the film. Loved it, absolutely loved it. Fills me with eager anticipation for my continuing De Palma education.


Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Blow Out (1981)

1st View

Format: Blu-ray


Venue: Rivendell

Thanks to Criterion, I only recently discovered this film. It is now easily one of my favorites. It has inspired me to seek out other early De Palma, a director of whom I have been woefully ignorant. The Blow Out Blu-ray found purchase on Under the Radar at Hollywood.com. Take a look!

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Scream 4 (2011)

1st View
Venue: Alamo Village

Scream 4 is the best Wes Craven film in years. Sadly, that only mean that it is a competent film. As much as this franchise has meant to me, the fourth installment left me unmoved in any way. It's not horrendous, in fact a hair better than Scream 3, but it is painfully lackluster. I'd write more, but I'm still trying to catch up.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Akira (1988)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Alamo S. Lamar (Mondo Secret Screening)

I do not enjoy animae. I am happy that Mondo is hosting infrequent secret screenings, but I was less-than-thrilled that the first was Akira. I actually thought to myself, "no, I'm gonna put aside my distaste for this genre and enjoy Akira," but the film did everything in its power to reassert why I can't stand animae.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I love this film, my second favorite Jean-Pierre Melville film behind Le Samourai. Was watching the Criterion Blu-ray for this week's (or that week's as I am currently playing catch-up) Under the Radar at Hollywood.com. Give it a spin! 

The Manitou (1978)

1st View
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Terror Tuesday)

William Girdler wins my heart again! Let my pal Jacob Hall take the reigns on this one for the Terror Tuesday Report. Give his excellent writeup a read how about?

Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000)

Revisits
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

A reunion with the kids of Woodsboro in preparation for the release of Scream 4. They are not only listed chronologically here, but in order of my enjoyment of them. Here's an article I wrote for Hollywood.com about the cinematic importance of the first film.

Escape from New York (1980) & Roadhouse (1989)

Revisit & 1st View Respectively
Format: DVD
Venue: Fons Drive-in

My good friends, and PR wizards extraordinaire, Brandy and Ryan Fons sought to settle the age-old (non)debate of who is manlier: Kurt Russell or Patrick Swayze. They set up a projector in their backyard and we were treated to a glorious double feature of Escape from New York and Roadhouse under the stars. I had never seen Roadhouse and, while my position on the supremacy of Snake Plissken's machismo, I was impressed with how manly it was despite being a Swayze vehicle. It offered a whole new insight into Dirty Dancing; the reason no one will put baby in a corner is that Swayze will tear their throats out if they do.

Night Warning (1983)

1st View
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz

A phenomenal Terror Tuesday. Feel free to peruse my thoughts in The Terror Tuesday Report via Horror's Not Dead.

Your Highness (2011)

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

 This movie landed with a resoundingly dull thud. I just don't feel the cavalcade of dirty jokes and low brau humor thrives in a fantasy period piece. To summarize, I cared more about the quest of the characters in Pineapple Express (also by director David Gordon Green) than I did their quest in a movie about heroic quests. I will say I was thoroughly impressed with Natalie Portman and her headfirst dive into this role.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Darkman (1990)

1st View
Format: HD-DVD
Venue: Rivendell

I enjoyed Sam Raimi's Spiderman dry run quite a bit; emo hero notwithstanding. It also served as the sophomore entry for my brand new Ain't It Cool News column Motion Pixels. The column features video games adapted from movies (and not the other way around). Give it a read, won't you? 

RoboCop 3 (1993)

Revisit (ish)
Format: DVD
Venue: Dino Drive-In

Got to enjoy this film on a beautiful Austin night outside at my good friend Kayla's house. She, being an artistic genius, fashioned a drive-in screen using a sheet and some wire. She even managed to form it into the shape of a dinosaur. RoboCop 3 is a notorious piece of cinema and gets a truckload of attention for its abysmal quality. Though it wasn't until tonight that I realized I had never actually seen it all the way through and frankly, until the last few minutes it's not that bad. Oh it's incredibly schlocky and not at all auteur, but it isn't until RoboCop starts flying that the film even comes close to living up to its nefarious reputation. Whatever, I like it.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Casablanca (1942)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I love every frame of this film with a passion. One of the greatest films ever made and a definitive argument for black-and-white films receiving the Blu-ray treatment. It just makes me happy to watch.

Rating: 10/10 Atkins

The Outfit (1973)

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

 Solid revenge thriller from the director of Rolling Thunder.

Dead Silence (2007)

1st View
Format: HD-DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. It has some woefully silly stuff in it but James Wan's affinity for creepy puppets lends itself well to some great atmosphere and general creepiness.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Rambo (2008)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Still awesome, love it!

Rolling Thunder (1977)

Revisit
Format: MGM HD
Venue: Rivendell

Watched this again in honor of the announcement that it would finally be arriving on DVD. He's an article I wrote about the film for Hollywood.com.  Oh yeah, and that IS my livingroom wall in the pic.

The Howling III: The Marsupials (1987)

1st View
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz

 Trying to catch up on weeks worth of movies. Terror Tuesday Report will fill you in on my thoughts. 

Monsters (2010)

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Incredible sci-fi film made all the more impressive by its limited means. Still not sure how I feel about the ending; multiple views required.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins