There’s truth in advertising, as the 2008 South Korean epic “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” is exactly that, in roughly equal measure. Written and directed by Ji-woon Kim (“A Tale of Two Sisters“), the ’40s-era Western begins aboard a train, where not one, not two, but three “? count ’em, three “? different factions […]
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Piranha / Humanoids from the Deep
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00317LM8S&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Although released separately, the two latest releases in the “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” line make a great double feature: 1978’s “Piranha” and 1980’s “Humanoids from the Deep.” Both involve killer creatures in the water; both harken to the days of using rubber props and creative ingenuity to […]
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After.Life
As noted on its cover, suspense film “After.Life” asks, “How can you save yourself if you’re already dead?” It’s a good question, but the answer is less than electrifying, at least as presented by director/co-writer Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo. Grade school teacher Anna (Christina Ricci) doesn’t have the healthiest of relationships; she’s estranged from her crazy mother, […]
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Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell Volume 3
Love him or hate him (I’m in the former camp), Will Ferrell is one of the all-time MVPs of NBC’s long-running comedy institution we lovingly abbreviate as “SNL.” Universal’s third “? count ’em, three! “? collection of the funny man’s skits come culled not just from his days as a cast member, but as a […]
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Max Headroom: The Complete Series
Max Headroom the character was an icon of the 1980s, but “Max Headroom” the TV show was ahead of its time. Thematically, it still is, although it’s quite dated in terms of look and production value, as Shout! Factory’s complete series set reveals. Forever set “20 minutes into the future,” the show imagines a not-so-friendly […]
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The Girl by the Lake
If only you try, there are a number of solid, recent crime films from foreign countries waiting to be discovered and devoured, from Sweden’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and its sequels to Australia’s “Beautiful” and “The Square.” Add Italy’s “The Girl By the Lake” to that list. Based on a Karin Fossum novel, […]
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The Art of the Steal
Art heists don’t always have to involve cat burglars, as the documentary “The Art of the Steal” shows. In this case, it just takes a few politicians and their well-placed, well-monied friends. With a fortune earned by inventing a drug used to fight venereal disease, Dr. Albert Barnes amassed arguably the world’s greatest collection of […]
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Popatopolis
Already in 2010, I’ve seen a number of great documentaries, including “The Art of the Steal,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop” and “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.” As fun as those are, they lack the sheer infectiousness of Clay Westervelt’s “Popatopolis.” Those who recognize the name of Jim Wynorski “? i.e. B-movie lovers “? […]
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Batman: Under the Red Hood
Take a peek under the hood of “Batman: Under the Red Hood,” and you’ll find a darker, grittier take on the Dark Knight than any animated version on the tube. It’s the latest feature-length effort for the DC Universe line of PG-13 movies, so steer the kids over to “The Brave and the Bold” instead. […]
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#1 Cheerleader Camp
“#1 Cheerleader Camp” is a repugnant little T&A comedy, a Z-grade cheapie from the folks at The Asylum, who claim this one’s in “the tradition of ‘Bring It On’ and ‘American Pie.’” Hell, it’s not even in the tradition of “Bring It On: In It To Win It” or “American Pie Presents: The Book of […]