The Brood (1979)

 We are in 1970s Toronto and the marriage of Art Hindle and Samantha Eggers is in deep trouble. Samantha has checked herself into doctor Oliver Reed's clinic, to undergo a new form of therapy known as "psychoplasmics". Samantha thinks Reed's a genius, Art suspects he'a a quack. Their five year old daughter dosen't know what to think but misses her mom. Then the murders start. 'The Brood' is best viewed unspoiled, but Cronenberg seems to be back on track after the disappointing 'Rabid'. ***1/2

Rabid (1977)

 This is essentially a less good version of 'Shivers', but with the outbreak originating in a Quebec clinic that specializes in reconstructive surgery. An experimental skin graft on a motor cycle accident victim, leads to a vampirestic plague that is similar to rabies. Was Cronenberg satrizing himself here? I can't tell. **

Shivers (1975)

 Early, Canadian made, David Cronenberg body horror film, produced by Ivan Reitman of all people. An intelligent, vinerally spread parasite, runs amuke among the swingers of a high end condo complex just outside of Montreal. Now if Roger Corman made this movie, I'd probably enjoy it, but it would be like a ** movie. Cronenberg elevates this into a piece of darkley, satirical art I felt genuinely invested in. ***1/2

Caligula (1979): The Ultimate Cut (2023)

 'Caligula' was a notorious, bloated, deboched epic whose production history became legendary. Disowned by its writer, it's principle director and stars, in part because the producers edited (additional) hard core pornography into the film for theatrical release. 'The Ultimate Cut' seeks to return the film to something closer to what the filmmakers thought they were making at the time. This is essentially a completely different film, constructed entirely form alternate takes, there is not a frame of the original film present.

Now this is the only cut of the film (of which their are several) which I have seen. I find it hard to know just what to make of the thing. It's not good, it's very lengthy, very talkie, very sexual and kind of boring. This should have been an epic, but outside of a single coliseum scene, it feels like a pornographic film made by the BBC. Helen Mirren is in this (alot of Helen Mirren), Peter O'Toole and Malcom McDowell. I broke this up into three roughly hour long parts. It was a slog, especially that last hour. I'm not sure exactly what was had in mind, but this film appears to be unsalvagable. * 

Wise Blood (1979)

 John Huston directing, based on a novel by Flannery O'Connor, and staring a young Brad Dourf in a stand out performance. Wise Blood' tells the story of "Hazel "Haze" Motes is a 22-year-old veteran of an unspecified war and a preacher of the Church of Truth Without Christ, a religious organization of his own creation, which is against any belief in God, an afterlife, sin, or evil. Hazel comes across various characters such as teenager Sabbath Lilly Hawks, who is madly in love with him; her grandfather Asa Hawks who is a conventional sidewalk preacher, and pretends to be blind; and a local boy, Enoch Emery, who finds a "new" Jesus at the local museum in the form of the tiny corpse of a shrunken South American Indian." - Wikipedia.

This movie takes a turn about X - minutes in and becomes shockingly dark. There is alot going on in this picture, but most of it understated, most of it implied. There's the surfice and there is the sub floor, once that subfloor is broken into and made plain.... This is one of those film adaptations that feels more like a visual book then it does a movie. If that dosen't make sense now, it may well after you watch it. ****

Warfare (2025)

 Based on a true story of Navy Seals pined down in Ramdi, Iraq in 2006, this movie did nothing for me. On a technical level there is nothing to complain about, but it felt slow, I was bored, there were no stand out characters, I felt in no way invested. Perfect movie to try out the new, one and only true movie rating system: Good Movie, I Didn't Like It. 

The Seventh Victiam (1943)

 Val Lewton produced Horror/Noir, has Kim Hunter in her film debut, mount a search for her missing sister Jean Brooks, who has ran afowl of Satanists. Also staring Tom Conway and Hugh Beaumont. How Lewton, usually a master of understated horror, can produce Satanists so dull is the real mystery of the story. *1/2

The Testament of Ann Lee (2025)

 Bio-pic, musical about the Shaker leader Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), who lead her followers from Britain to the New World in the late 18th century. A handsome looking, reflective type of film, its a sympathetic portrait, but dosen't shy away from the religious excess of the movement, known for ecstatic dancing, communal living and celibacy. Of particular intrest is Lewis Pullman as Ann's devoted younger brother William, who dies of injuries sustained when locals try to drive the pacificst group from one of their New World settlements. ***1/2

Remineciance (2021)

 Noir infused sci-fi mishmash of better movies ('Blad Runner', 'Minority Report', 'Inception' ect) has Hugh Jackman operating a service that allows people to re experience their own memories. Rebecca Ferguson is the fem fatal customer who obsesses Jackman and Thandiwe Newton is his Girl Friday. The film is set in the near future in the partially flooded cities of New Orleans and Miami, this looks cool, while everything else about the movie is blah. *1/2

Song Sung Blue (2025)

 Bio-pic about Neil Diamond (Hugh Jackman) and Patsy Cline (Kate Hudson) impersonators who marry, and go on to regional fame in 1990's Wisconsin. Heartfelt and refreshingly small scale production is a lot of things we don't see that much in contemporary studio financed films; it's about blue collar, traditional, normal looking people and treats them with genuine sympathy and affection. It feels almost like a movie from an alternate universe. More films with this tone and attitude would be appreciated. A simple pleasure of a movie. ***

Bitter Desire (2025)

 Police detective Nathan Hill requires 2 months physical therapy after injuring himself apprehending a crime king pin. The crime king pin requires of his girlfriend revenge on Hill, so she takes the place of his physical therapist so as to ruin Hill's marriage? Feels heavily padded at 71 minutes, so uninteresting side characters are given too many lines and shots are regularly held for unnervingly long periods of time. This movie is really bad. * 

Private Obsession (1995)

 90's errotic thriller. A poplar model played by Shannon Whirry is abducted and held prisoner by obsessed fan Lee Frost; but she gets the better of him about 1 hr 35 minutes in. **1/2

Jasper (2011)

 Nathan Hill, Ozzie action flick / oggle the women picture. PI Hil was about to retire but decides to take one last case for an attractive woman. I saw this a week or two ago and can remember almost nothing about it. I wrote down **