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Back in 1997, Kevin Costner’s grand American fairytale seemed like a self-indulgent vanity project for its star/ director. I mean, who in their right mind would believe a story where 2013 America is laid waste while a blowhard strongman promises to make the country great again, provided it’s only made great for his supporters while those of undesirable ethnicity are exiled, the infirm and…
Still trolling the cry-babies (religious types, mostly), this Treehouse Of Horror opens with the Fox censor redlining the script for the Halloween Special only to be brutally murdered by his own TV-G rating. Such scandalous behaviour demands punishment and so the couch gag sees our favourite Springfield family executed by electric chair. Only in America!
The HΩmega Man
“Ain’t that always…
If you're looking for anarchic alien antics, Mars Attacks! is the Topps. #Review Goofy, macabre and deliciously, satirically silly, “Mars Attacks!” sees Tim Burton indulge his inner Irwin Allen and go full Seventies disaster movie, channelling Ed Wood and nodding to Stanley Kubrick as he does so.
Across The View Askewniverse: Chasing Amy (1997) #Review Perhaps stung by the initial reaction to “Mallrats”, “Chasing Amy” sees Smith hew much closer to the down-to-earth authenticity of “Clerks”, this time wrapping his profane pop-culture infused dialogue around a romantic comedy with a twist, the twist being a more expansive view of sexuality than was around in mainstream cinema at the time, and especially in Smith’s target audience.
Terror lurks beyond Uranus in Neptunian nightmare sci-fi Event Horizon (1997) #MonthOfSpooks #Review
Unbeloved by critics at the time but having since built quite the cult following, “Event Horizon” may not be much more than the pithy ‘haunted house in space’ summary that often dismissively describes it but given that it delivers on that concept very, very well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In the year 2047, a salvage team is sent to investigate and recover the long thought lost starship
As long-time readers will be aware, I’ve not been overly impressed by the efforts of the DCEU thus far. What better way, then, to cleanse my cinematic palate before “Justice League” than by taking in the 1997 failed pilot “Justice League Of America”, a film that sets the bar so low, it buries it? When the city of New Metro falls prey to The Weatherman, it’s up to the Justice League to save the…
Frank Oz’ 1997 romantic comedy “In & Out” is a bit of a curiosity, simultaneously ahead of and firmly of its time. A frothy, light-hearted comedy about homosexuality and coming out was a bold move then but now…well, now it’s hard to see it being made at all.
When Midwestern high school teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is outed as gay during an Oscar acceptance speech by a former student, his…
With Bond firmly re-established as a cinematic heavyweight franchise and “GoldenEye” delivering the best box office returns of the series to date, the pressure was on to build on the success with the next movie. With Martin Campbell reluctant to direct two Bond movies in a row, Roger Spottiswoode was recruited and a script was written focussing on the forthcoming handover of Hong Kong to China.…
Hey, it’s May 4th, as in May the 4th be with you, right? Perfect time for another ‘Rediscovered…’
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Rediscovered? Yeah, right. Like a geek like me had forgotten “Star Wars”. Of course not, I still remember the giddy, obsessive adoration “Star Wars” produced. I remember buying a copy of The Sunon the way to school in late 1982 because it had an article about what was rumoured to…
Psyche! If you were expecting a review of the ‘heart-warming’ Michael Keaton snowman comedy, you’re barking up the wrong yule log. However, if you’re finding all the holiday sweetness a bit much and the gathering family are getting on your nerves a bit leaving you pining for a bit of sharp holly amongst all the mistletoe, then perhaps I’ve found the perfect film for you to watch.
1997’s “Jack…
