Posts Tagged ‘Alien’
An Appreciation – The Thing
From the late 1970s through the ‘80s, John Carpenter directed a string of good to great films. Working primarily in the action and horror genres, Carpenter exhibited a keen sense for style – generating atmosphere and building tension. This ability was not only due to…
READ MOREFilm Review – Sputnik
On the surface, Sputnik (2020) has similarities with other science fiction films involving humans coming into contact with non-Earth beings. Hailing out of Russia, its approach will call to mind Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) or maybe Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016). What the writing (Oleg Malovichko,…
READ MOREFilm Review – Underwater (Second Take)
January is usually the month that film studios drop their supposed film duds. When a film has a January release date, the eyebrows go up. Underwater completed filming in 2017. It is possible that 20th Century Fox’s sale to Disney had something to do with the delay. Regardless…
READ MOREFilm Review – Underwater
It’s rare for a film to start at the beginning of the second act. Normally, we are given some introductory scenes where we learn a little bit about our characters and their relationships. This is meant as a set up so that we understand what…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Predator
Monster movies are fun. And there’s no doubt that the creature design from the original Predator film from 1987 is one of the great makeup jobs in film. H.R Giger‘s creature design for Alien is still superior, but the look of that “One ugly mother”…
READ MOREAn Appreciation – Jaws
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” Here is the moment that would forever change how movies are made, marketed, and watched. It’s hard to fathom – all these decades later – how much of an impact Jaws (1975) would have in popular culture. With its…
READ MOREAn Appreciation – Blade Runner: The Final Cut
My admiration for Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) did not come immediately. It came about slowly, in bits and pieces, over a long stretch of time. When I first saw it, I knew that it was important, but also felt there was something holding me…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Mummy (2017)
Ugh. Maybe it’s because The Mummy is the least interesting of all of the classic movie monsters. Dracula is seductive and a metaphor for pent up sexuality. The Wolf Man is a tragic figure who often elicits sympathy as much as scares. Frankenstein is a…
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