May (Angela Bettis) is an extremely lonely young woman looking for that perfect somebody. She mourns the fact that people have “pretty parts, but no pretty wholes.” She meets Adam (Jeremy Sisto), who is initially interested, but soon creeped out by her, particularly when she bites him. She then tries to make a relationship withContinue reading “Lucky McKee’s ‘May’: A Savage Look at Unrealistic Beauty Standards”
Category Archives: Movies: M
‘Maximum Overdrive’ is Really…Gosh, I Love Emilio Estevez
A rogue comet causes motor vehicles and random electronic items to become sentient and murderous. A group of survivors band together at a truck stop to hold the machines off. However, diesel trucks keep coming, with an endless thirst for gas. (For some reason, the gas pumps are layabouts, while the meat slicers are moreContinue reading “‘Maximum Overdrive’ is Really…Gosh, I Love Emilio Estevez”
‘The Masque of the Red Death’: Naughty, Campy, and Gory
One of Roger Corman’s numerous Edgar Allen Poe adaptations. Prince Prospero of the many funny hats (Vincent Price) is escaping the Red Death that’s ravaging his village by hiding in his castle. But first he kidnaps his subject Francesca (Jane Asher), as well as her husband Gino (David Weston) and father Ludovico (Nigel Green), inContinue reading “‘The Masque of the Red Death’: Naughty, Campy, and Gory”
‘Motel Hell’: Wacky and Fun
Down at the Motel Hello (the o being burned out, hence the title), Farmer Vincent (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) make sausage. They also kidnap travelers, plant them in the ground, and later grind them up for said sausage. After all, “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters.”Continue reading “‘Motel Hell’: Wacky and Fun”
1987’s ‘The Monster Squad’ Withstands the Test of Time
In the late 1800s, Van Helsing and pals try to kill all of Universal Studio’s lineup: Dracula (Duncan Regehr), Frankenstein’s monster (Tom Noonan), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), the Wolfman (Carl Thibault), and Gillman (the Creature from the Black Lagoon) (Tom Woodruff Jr.). “They blew it.” So 100 years later, the task is left toContinue reading “1987’s ‘The Monster Squad’ Withstands the Test of Time”
Troma’s ‘Monster in the Closet’: A Mid-’80s Examination of Homophobia, or an Example?
Brought to you by the Troma Team. Richard (Donald Grant) is an obituary writer for a local newspaper. He has a chance to move up in the world when a rash of murders spreads, leaving victims dead in their closets. With the help of college biology teacher Diane (Denise DuBarry), her genius son Professor (aContinue reading “Troma’s ‘Monster in the Closet’: A Mid-’80s Examination of Homophobia, or an Example?”
‘Monster Dog’: So Bad It’s Good! Just Kidding, It’s Hilariously Bad
Alice Cooper is Vince, a rock star (yeah he’s really stretching as an actor here), heading back to his hometown with a film crew: his girlfriend Sandra (Victoria Vera), camera guys Jordan (Emilio Linder) and Frank (Carlos Santurio), makeup artist Angela (Carole James), and actress Marilou (Pepa Sarsa) to shoot his new music video. TheContinue reading “‘Monster Dog’: So Bad It’s Good! Just Kidding, It’s Hilariously Bad”
‘Marronnier’: Compelling, Creepy, and Campy
Japanese movie, based on the manga by Junji Ito. Marino (Mayu) is a young woman who’s “hooked on dolls,” particularly those made by famous doll maker Iwata (Ochyazukenori). Her passion is ultimately detrimental, as Iwata’s loony assistant Numai (Hiroto Nakayama) becomes fixated on her. He eventually kidnaps her and reveals Iwata’s secret: the dolls areContinue reading “‘Marronnier’: Compelling, Creepy, and Campy”
Takashi Shimizu’s ‘Marebito’: Vampires, Kinda, and also Social Commentary
Japanese movie, whose title Google Translate assures me means “rare”. Masuoka (Shin’ya Tsukamoto) is a cameraman who feels disconnected from daily life. After filming a stranger committing suicide by stabbing himself in the eye, Masuoka longs to see what the man saw, thinking that his terror opened him up to seeing “things both strange andContinue reading “Takashi Shimizu’s ‘Marebito’: Vampires, Kinda, and also Social Commentary”
‘The Mangler’: Tobe Hooper, Ted Levine, and Robert Englund–’nuff Said
John (Ted Levine) is a gruff but lovable detective investigating a death at the Blue Ribbon Laundry: a woman was sucked into a steam ironer and flattened. His brother-in-law Mark (Daniel Matmor) immediately suspects the machine is possessed by a demon, and he’s right. John and Mark discover that the owner, Gartley (Robert Englund), deliberatelyContinue reading “‘The Mangler’: Tobe Hooper, Ted Levine, and Robert Englund–’nuff Said”
GhoulieJoe 