Although Randall primarily stars as the Chinese circus owner Dr. Lao, he also appears as Medusa, The Abominable Snowman, a horned goat man, a blind fortune teller and — in one, don’t-blink scene — a stupefied circusgoer. Lao rolls into a Western town on the verge of collapse, thanks to a drought. His mysterious and […]
Sci-Fi
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The Lost Future
But I’m referring to “Game of Thrones.” Sean Bean’s also at the center of a decent, indie film where the nearby land has been wiped out, and where a disease has rendered some villagers into monsters. But I’m referring to “Black Death.” Sean Bean’s again at the center of “The Lost Future,” which could fit […]
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Mimic: The Director’s Cut
That’s why del Toro has long bad-mouthed his American debut, 1997’s “Mimic,” because the studio wanted — and got — some changes. Now that he’s been allowed to present his original cut, you’d think he’d quit griping. But no. In his video prologue, he’s still fuming, and it makes him look disrespectful of the once-in-a-million […]
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Master of the World
It’s now available at ClassicMoviesNow.com through MGM’s made-on-demand program, with no frills attached, but the important thing is that it’s out at all … assuming you’re a Price checker. If you liked his AIP vehicles adapting Edgar Allan Poe, you’ll probably feel the same about this AIP vehicle adapting Jules Verne — two novels, to […]
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Man from Atlantis: The Complete TV Movies Collection / The Complete Television Series
Those fans — and the curious, like me — should embrace Warner Archives’ pair of releases that bring the show to the DVD surface for the first time: “The Complete TV Movies Collection” and “The Complete Television Series,” at two and four discs, respectively. Yes, before NBC made it an official series, the fantasy first […]
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Trollhunter
Troll movies number a scant few, so their relative absence as a screen creature makes “Trollhunter” seem that much more fresh — because God knows there’s no shortage of found-footage films these days. Speaking of God, the trolls here are drawn to the blood of Christians, so if you want to investigate them further, it’s […]
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Red Faction: Origins
Did he tell anybody else? Because that wasn’t my top-of-mind takeaway. Based on a series of video games with which I have no experience playing, “Origins” is, I’m guessing, a prequel story. Set on Mars in 2145, it follows second-generation soldier Jake Mason (“SGU Stargate Universe” vet Brian J. Smith, who looks like Josh Hartnett, […]
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Cowboys & Aliens
But in one of the pleasant surprises of the summer-movie season, this genre mash-up is lean, handsomely crafted entertainment. It works precisely because it acts as if there’s no joke. You’ve got cowboys, and you’ve got aliens. ’Nuff said. It certainly starts with a bang. A man (Daniel Craig, “Quantum of Solace”) wakes up in […]
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Oblivion
1. It’s from Full Moon Entertainment’s heyday of straight-to-video fare. 2. When’s the last time you saw Siamese twin poker players, identical right down to the eye patch? 3. Andrew Divoff (“Wishmaster”) plays dual roles, including the lead villain, a reptilian green guy named Redeye.4. Julie Newmar portrays a madam, but basically does it as […]
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A Clockwork Orange: Anniversary Edition
When I watched it again just a couple weeks later, I was still really bothered about it. As disturbing as it was then, it’s as disturbing today. Yet there’s no denying its brilliance. While it’s by no means among my favorite of Kubrick’s films — “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Shining,” for […]