I got a copy of this at one of the first Fango cons I ever went to. The film hadn’t yet come out and it was my first experience at getting something before everybody else could see it (there was also some Amy Jo Johnson vampire movie that the guy in the row before us won on DVD and he acted like it was the Ark of the Covenant). Anyway, this early access was cool when I was 20 but…
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Madame Web 2024
There’s a checked-out/world weary/perpetually annoyed quality to Johnson’s character that I’m convinced is the “magic” at the core of this schlock. By the way, that’s not a dig. This is a very easy movie to enjoy, sometimes because of bad line readings, odd logic, and everything pertaining to the villain, but Johnson understands this and she becomes a ringmaster to all of its insanity. I had a blast. The use of Toxic is, frankly, awesome and I’m not gonna hate…
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Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 2002
Rodriguez bafflingly takes his junior spy franchise into Harryhausen land for this sequel. It’s weird but fun and the kids had a good time with it.
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Door 1988
Well that was awesome.
Late 80s crazed stalker flick with plenty of creepiness before escalating into gleeful brutality. Plenty of stylish Argeno-ish flourishes (that over the head stuff is AMAZING) and a broader message about privacy that was a little ahead of its time. TerrorVision unearthed a real gem here.
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The Prophecy II 1998
I’ve got fond memories of waiting patiently for this one, and I watched it after work one night at a friend’s house. We both enjoyed it while conceding that it’s a pretty big step down from the first. The story is pretty thin in all respects, from Gabriel getting kicked out of hell to the ambitious but baffling and ultimately unsatisfying portrayal of Eden, and while the first one has a terrific ensemble, this one coasts entirely on Walken’s strengths……
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The Mean Season 1985
Nearly forgotten suspense film that has terrific Kurt Russell performance. I found this riveting as a kid and remembered almost all of it… the mark of a high quality film.
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Rocky Balboa 2006
Kinda funny how everyone thought this movie was going to be a joke and it wound up being one of the best sequels of all time, and the rare instance where the last film in the main series is as good as the first. Honestly this is probably the most inspirational movie to me. It stirs that stuff in the basement like nothing else.
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The Secret of NIMH 1982
One of the best animated films I’ve ever seen, a terrific fantasy with strong messages and a nice sense of danger. Very well acted and gorgeous to look at. Loved discovering something this great today.
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Anyone But You 2023
It’s down the middle and good enough! Ten years ago we had these pleasant diversions every month. More hot people in lovely environments and convoluted situations.
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My Demon Lover 1987
This is really fun. Parts of it are a little grating but as a pure horror rom com, it does its job and works surprisingly well within those parameters. Also has some inspired FX work and a wild car chase. I’d put this on a double bill with ONCE BITTEN (the soundtrack isn’t as good tho).