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Reviews
Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987)
A Waste of a Sequel
I'm not even sure if you could call Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 a movie. At least half to 3/4ths of it are comprised of archival footage from the original film that's retold in the form of flashbacks from Ricky, the younger brother of Billy, the killer in the original film, who was also traumatized by seeing their parents murdered by a Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and going to live at an orphanage run by the abusive Mother Superior.
Ricky explains how he lost his mind and went on a killing spree to his doctor before escaping, jumping into a Santa suit, and going off to find Mother Superior to spread a little homicidal holiday cheer. Eric Freeman might not be a nuanced or subtle actor, but he goes for it and is fun to watch as he chews up the scenery with his expressive eyebrows alone.
Dr. Giggles (1992)
Creative and Silly
Dr. Giggles has all the makings of a slasher classic. The killer's backstory is memorable, his choice of weapons is inspired, and the small town atmosphere is off the charts, but somehow, none of these winning elements come together in any sort of cohesive way, making Dr. Giggles a bit of a silly disappointment.
It's beautifully shot in a colorful, over the top style with tons of inventive camerawork and appealing lighting and the makeup effects we do get to see are top notch. A lot of the gore appears to have been edited which makes it feel like watching a porno without any of the money shots. Larry Drake is great as the titular villain, but Holly Marie Combs gets stuck with a whiny drip of a leading lady to play.
Relic (2020)
Horror as Metaphor...Again
Another of the new horror tend of making horror films out of metaphors about more serious issues than your usual monsters in the closet or mad slashers. It has a good mood, but it's never very frightening and it makes you wish they'd settled on making a dark drama about dementia and getting older instead.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Sister Drama
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford make their triumph debut together in this horror/thriller about two feuding sisters and one who goes to great lengths to make sure they stay together forever. It's campy, heartbreaking, and very scary at times and the two leads are in rare form.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Be Careful Who You Sleep With
The film that rightfully scared many philandering married men away from one night stands. Glenn Close will chill your blood as Alex, the needy and desperate one night stand of Dan, played by Michael Douglas, who'll stop at nothing to try and keep him in her life...even if that means attacking his family.
Ordinary People (1980)
Classic Drama
The kind of film awards are made for. It showcases the slow disillusionment of an American family after an unspeakable tragedy. Mary Tyler Moore gives a very uncharacteristic performance as the cold matriarch who cares more about what others will say than what her family is going through.
Nine to Five (1980)
Workin' 9 to 5!
Incredibly funny satire on office and gender politics with three strong performances from Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton as three women who have had it with their awful boss played to the hilt by Dabney Coleman.
Tootsie (1982)
The Great American Comedy
Dustin Hoffman has never been better than as Michael Dorsey, a difficult actor and user of women who learns about himself and his talents when he decides to pretend to be a woman to get acting work. A stellar supporting cast only makes everything better, sharper, and funnier and the script is basically flawless.
Mommie Dearest (1981)
Compelling Entertainment
You can't say Faye Dunaway phoned even a second of this performance in and that should count for something. None of us will ever know just exactly how accurate her performance and the screenplay for this film is when compared to the real Joan Crawford, but whatever Dunaway and co. Have created is a compelling mix of domestic drama, horror, and dark comedy.
Carrie (1976)
Horror With Tremendous Heart
Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie are a dream team as a codependent mother and daughter in a horribly abusive relationship that turns even more sour when the daughter discovers she has magical powers to move things with her mind. Spacek gets to be vulnerable, pathetic, beautiful, and terrifying all at once and got a rightful Oscar nomination for it. The direction by Brian De Palma sees him at the height of his Hitchcockian powers.
Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Incredibly Charming
Elisabeth Shue charms as the down on her luck babysitter who takes her young charges on the adventure of their life in the dangerous downtown night life. The screenplay is cute and always entertaining.
Chicago (2002)
Truly Great Movie Musical
Zellweger does what she can to make a truly repulsive character relatable and she does so with grace, style, and humor. Zeta-Jones provides the perfect counterpoint to her as the sassy Velma Kelly who murdered her own sister and husband after she caught them in bed together. The musical numbers are well staged and edited and, unlike most movie musicals, everyone can carry a tune.
Single White Female (1992)
Great Pulpy Thriller
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda have spectacular chemistry as roommates that become a little bit too close and clingy which ends in murder. It's stylishly shot and Howard Shore's sweeping music score adds a lot of class to a pulpy story.
To Die For (1995)
Darkly Funny Masterwork
This is an excellent role for Nicole Kidman and she revels in playing such a vapid and ditzy sociopath. It's impossible to take your eyes off of her for the entire movie. The supporting cast is up to her high standards and the script by Buck Henry is a satirical treat.