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Reviews & Commentary by Adam Groves
AMANITA PESTILENS
This eco-horror tinged psychodrama had the distinction of being the first Canadian live-action feature to be filmed in color
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1920)
A silent classic that Ican lay claim to being the definitive adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella
THE LAST SEDUCTION
An interesting take on the femme fatale trope, with a true performance for the ages by Linda Fiorentino
EXPLORERS
In the summer of 1985, when it seemed like every movie release involved teenagers engaged in elaborate adventure/sci fi scenarios, EXPLORERS was the odd film out
FRANKENSTEIN ISLAND
Yes, this film is pretty awful, but I’m sure you’ve figured that out already
THE MANITOU
The first and most famous novel by the ultra-prolific UK horrormeister Graham Masterton
THE TAKE
The rarest novel by Australia’s Kenneth Cook, credited here as “John Duffy”
SAX ROHMER’S DOPE
Yet another vital release from IDW that despite some enthusiastic notices did a fast fade
THE MAN FROM THE GREAT NORTH
A beautifully designed English rendering of a graphic novel that’s considered a classic in its original Italian language form
UGLY MUG No. 8
The latest entry in House of Harley’s “Industrial Strength Comics Compendium” that, in the words of underground comics legend Ed Pinsent, is “laced with heavy doses of insanity, wonder, and escapades inside the dream house”
SOLDIER: FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN
I’ve admittedly never been too enthusiastic about the 1998 Kurt Russell science fiction vehicle SOLDIER, but thoroughly enjoyed this passionate account of its making
JIM
A “Self-Centered Memoir” of the recently deceased Jim Brown by the disgraced James Toback
VHS VIDEO COVER ART
The British-centric follow-up to 2011’s All-American VHS cover art compilation PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE
PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE: THE LOST ART OF THE VHS BOX
A gorgeously designed trade paperback that comes complete with a slipcover mimicking the VHS boxes of old
BRUSHING THE TIP OF FAME
An ideal book for anyone interested in how to stay sane (or not) in the world of off-Hollywood moviemaking
Ukrainian Horror Essentials
Compiling a list of Ukrainian horror movies, much less essential Ukrainian horror movies, is no easy task…
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST at 20
Does anyone remember THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST? It’s not discussed much these days, but the film was quite the hot potato back in ’04
Welcome Home to the Faustian Penitentiary, Away from Emma Mae and the Street Wars
About the late blaxploitaiton auteur Jamaa Fanaka, who combined urban grit and sheer weirdness
Norman Jewison: 1926-2024
Eulogizing “Canada’s greatest director”
David J. Skal: 1952-2024
The January 1, 2024 demise of David John Skal, whose car was struck by a drunk driver in Glendale, CA, started off 2024 on a tragic note