Dangerous Game (1993)

With Dangerous Game (1993), Abel Ferrara makes a movie about making movies, so you’re gonna get histrionic method acting shouting, people wearing sunglasses indoors smoking cigarettes like vampires, catholic themes about indulging vices and expunging guilt, and copious scenes of drinking and drug-taking while a Schoolly D track pumps away in the background. For Dangerous […]

Heartbreakers (1984)

With its Tangerine Dream synth-wave score and gliding Michael Ballhaus cinematography, Heartbreakers (1984) exudes considerable neon-noir energy. Yet the movie has nothing to do with the crime or thriller genre. Instead, all that neon and energy is just the palpable aesthetic for a drama about male friendships. The film’s title card frames the two men […]

The Hidden (1987)

Somewhere between The Thing and The Terminator lies… The Hidden (1987). I have a strong memory of the VHS in my local video store being adorned with a “Recommended” sticker, which always jumped out at me, particularly for movies that I’d never heard of or felt had received a cinema release, and getting that extra […]

Trouble Man (1972)

What brought me to watching Trouble Man (1972) I’m sure is the same thing that draws in a lot of people and possibly has had more cultural impact than the film itself: Marvin Gaye’s soundtrack. The song ‘Trouble Man’ is a brilliant piece of music, and much like the ‘Theme To Shaft,’ it smoothly and […]

The Decline Of Western Civilization (1981)

I grew up as a Wayne’s World fan and always intended to explore the director Penelop Spheeris pre-Wayne’s World career, especially their trilogy of music documentaries under the banner title, The Decline Of Western Civilization. For the first film, The Decline Of Western Civilization (1981), Spheeris captures a time and place, the punk movement in […]