From Stake Land director Jim Mickle, this American do-over finds its fever in a religious fervor, with scripture-quoting sourpuss Frank Parker (Bill Sage, Precious) mourning the accidental death of his wife. That tragedy leaves their eldest daughter, Iris (Ambyr Childers, The Master), in the unenviable position of assuming the family duty of … let’s just […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
A Single Shot
Shot‘s sights are set on John (Sam Rockwell), a dirt-poor hunter who mistakes a young woman for a deer — not necessarily a negative except that a trigger was involved and John’s aim is true. When he tends to her dead body, he finds a lot of cash next to her and assumes it won’t be missed. […]
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Cat People
Director Paul Schrader (The Canyons) bravely forged a new path in updating the 1942 RKO classic — evident from frame one with a gorgeous prologue, unfolding slowly with a dreamlike quality. Purposely abstract and erotic, it’s the kind of sequence the legendary Val Lewton never would have considered four decades earlier, even if the squeaky-clean […]
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The Big Gundown
In fact, The Big Gundown has been floated in some circles as the genre’s best not coming from the genius of Sergio Leone, and Grindhouse Releasing’s superb, four-disc set is like a dare for you to argue otherwise. Clearly, as much love has gone into this package as it went into production of the movie […]
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The Snake God
Directed by Django co-scripter Piero Vivarelli, the mostly plotless Italian film follows the beautiful Paola (Nadia Cassini, Starcrash) to the luscious Caribbean, where she makes a fast friend with Stella (Beryl Cunningham, The Weekend Murders), a local babe with membership in a voodoo cult. That’s where the title comes into play, as seemingly endless drum […]
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The Horror Show
Aliens‘ Lance Henriksen stars as Lucas McCarthy, a police detective tormented by the memory of sneering evil killer Max Jenke (Brion James, Blade Runner), whom he helped put in prison. Jenke is sentenced to death and bursts into flames in the electric chair. Somehow he busts out of the straps and walks across the room […]
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Sanitarium
Coming in before the New Year’s bell is Sanitarium, in which three unknown directors contribute tales exploring mental illness, each centered on a patient at a padded-wall institution run by Dr. Stenson (Malcolm McDowell, Silent Night), our host. First up, in “Figuratively Speaking,” an artist played by Scrooge‘s John Glover (sporting dreadlocks that make him […]
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All the Boys Love Mandy Lane / Mischief Night
Well, “new” may be inaccurate when we’re talking about All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. Despite being a festival-circuit hit in 2006, the debut film from director Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies, 50/50) sat unreleased until now. The seven-year wait proves not to be worth it. It’s easy to see why all those boys love (read: […]
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The Seasoning House
Angel is taken to the dingiest of filthy brothels imaginable and watches other young women forced into prostitution with military men who act like boys. She’s saved from that level of horror when Viktor (Kevin Howarth, Gallowwalkers), the pimp of the place, takes a shine to her and keeps her for himself. However, she’s still […]
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The Canyons
New to Blu-ray following a much-buzzed-about VOD and limited theatrical run, the IFC Films release casts a voyeuristic eye on Los Angeles couple Tara (tabloid fixture Lindsay Lohan, Liz & Dick) and Christian (porn star James Deen, Anal Buffet 8). They’ve been together for one year, but their bedroom — and other areas of their […]