Category Archives: Movies

Movie Review – “Justice League”

TL;DR version: better than Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but not as good as Wonder Woman. (I won’t judge Suicide Squad until I get around to seeing it.) Also, my concerns with this iteration of the DCU have been largely addressed. Mild spoilers in the details on that part. Also, there are two scenes during and after the credits, so stay through the entire thing.

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Halloween Countdown: City of the Dead (1960)

Oh stop! This would be more effective at midnight with howling winds and crashing thunder and even then it wouldn’t frighten anyone
—Professor Barlowe

Hammer Studios made a name for itself in the late 1950s and early 1960s as purveyors of gothic horror, became more sexualized in the early 70s, halted production in the 1980s, and has tried to reestablish itself in the twenty-first century, with mixed results. Its most lasting contributions to the horror genre are probably Christopher Lee’s Dracula, Lesbian Vampires as a genre, and The Wicker Man, one of the most notorious horror films ever made (with possibly the worst remake in cinematic history. Few b-movies have ever been as bad as 2006’s Neil LaBute/Nicholas Cage disaster).

The Wicker Man did not spring fully-formed out of Hammer’s head. Hammer slowly nailed the pieces together, with two significant precursors: City of the Dead aka Horror Hotel (1960) and The Witches aka The Devil’s Own (1966).

With Halloween approaching we’re reviewing both tales of strangers finding themselves in small communities that aren’t what they seem.

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October Reviews: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

“We need 50% less kink!”

This weekend’s October Countdown takes us away from horror, as we consider two recent films of interest to genre aficionados. Blade Runner 2049 is the big SF release this October (reviewed by W. Blaine), but Professor Marston and the Wonder Women also found its way into theatres.

The fictionalized biopic gives us the story– or, at least, a story– behind Wonder Woman, her creator, and his wives.

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