The Beastmaster (1982)

One tier of fantasy adventure is the kind that everyone knows across different generations – from Star Wars to Lord Of The Rings – while others on the lower tier are tied to a time and place, and probably known more by the one generation that grew up with them on video tape or cable […]

Defending Your Life (1991)

This might be a generalisation, but it felt like the late-1980s/early-1990s were all about high concept comedies, usually involving time travel, reincarnation, body swapping, and the afterlife. I remember the video cover for the Albert Brooks film, Defending Your Life (1991), but watching it had eluded me until the Albert Brooks collection on the Criterion […]

Payday (1972)

When Rip Torn passed away, several film critics and publications would talk about his performance in the forgotten film, Payday (1972). Once you see it (and so far, the full thing is available to watch on YouTube), you won’t forget Torn’s performance as country singer Maury Dann, an unrelenting prick. Opening with him and his […]