Psycho II (1983)

Now this is a legacy sequel! Psycho II (1983) was actually a box office hit, from what I’ve read, and exists nicely at this cross-section of eras and influences: obviously 1960s Hitchcock, but also 1970s Network TV Mystery Of The Week and 1980s Slasher Sequels. While an unnecessary sequel to a genre-defining classic twenty years […]

Nowhere To Hide (1999)

Sometimes the algorithm works. I only came across Nowhere To Hide (1999) when I was looking up “Similar Movies to” The Wild Goose Lake (a Chinese neo-noir that was a recent fave) on Apple. Wong Kar-wai stylistic comparisons for a South Korean crime thriller, images of dudes punching each other drenched in the rain, I’m […]

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972) belongs undeniably to a sleazy exploitation category, the “women in prison” sub-genre. Yet if you can stomach that grubbiness, this entry proves to be an artistic triumph because of two strong elements: (1) the theatrical and surreal style that director Shunya Ito (his debut film!) brings to it, and (2) […]

Sabotage (2014)

In the space of a week, I watched both Triple 9 and Sabotage (2014), which would make a good double feature under the sub-genre of “corrupt cops commit heist”. Along with Den Of Thieves, there’s a similar post-Heat aesthetic but jacked-up with scumbag Monster drink energy. While Triple 9 has some great sequences, looks amazing, […]

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 […]