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Reviews & Commentary by Adam Groves
CECIL B. DEMENTED
Far from John Waters’ best work, but funny and perceptive enough in its corrosive portrayal of guerilla filmmaking to warrant a qualified recommendation
A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM
A black comedy whose effectiveness pivots on an unexpected but quite canny casting choice: Michael Caine, playing a New York businessman using highly unorthodox practices to get ahead
AKIRA
This is the 1988 cyberpunk-themed anime feature that, prior to game-changers like GHOST IN THE SHELL and PERFECT BLUE, irrevocably altered the format
WHALE MUSIC
The late John Candy was a galvanizing force behind this film, which was released in 1994 (the year of Candy’s demise)
GOING BERSERK
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the untimely March 4, 1994 death of the great John Candy, here’s a look back at his first-ever Hollywood starring vehicle
PHILLY
A “modern tale of the macabre” that worked better in its movie adaptation: the 1981 teen comedy PRIVATE LESSONS
THE SLAVE TREE
A novel that’s interesting enough to make me wonder why it was published solely in limited edition hardcover format
AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL
In the category of fiction written by famous singers AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL, the first novel by Australia’s Nick Cave, ranks with classics of the form
ALEISTER CROWLEY: WANDERING THE WASTE
A graphic novel that attempts to encompass the entirety of Aleister Crowley’s life into a 108-page whole–and very nearly succeeds
BEAR
A highly literary “Canadian classic” about a woman schtupping a bear.
THE AMAZING HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS
THE AMAZING HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS by Daniel Krogh, is the first book devoted to H. G. Lewis, widely hailed as the Godfather of Gore. His flicks include such 1960s and 70s-era anti-classics as BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS!…
THE OVERLOOK FILM ENCYCLOPEDIA: HORROR
One of the unfortunate things about web sites like the one you’re currently logged onto is that they’ve largely overshadowed books like this one
SPLATTER MOVIES
Apparently the most authoritative overview of the splatter movie phenomenon ever published—or so I’ve been told
THE HORROR…THE HORROR
The passing of Rick Hautala in March of 2013 was a great loss to the horror field, but he left behind nearly 30 interesting novels, and also this frank and instructive memoir
GOING HOLLYWOOD
This book, written by the director of LUNATICS: A LOVE STORY and ALIEN APOCALYPSE, is required reading for anyone considering a filmmaking career
More Thoughts on Movie Titles
The big movie-related issue right now? That would be the disappointing February 2019 opening of the SUICIDE SQUAD spin-off BIRDS OF PREY, for which Warner Bros. had (unrealistically) high expectations
Dutch Horror Essentials
Continuing with my “Essentials” horror surveys (see here, here, here and here for the others) we arrive at the Netherlands, which isn’t exactly a hotbed for horror fare
2019: Bedlam in Print
Concluding my 2019 overviews is this, the latest edition of Bedlam in Print, exploring the noteworthy publications of the previous twelve months
2019: The Year in Bedlam
What is there to say about 2019? A lot, albeit not on the movie screens
The 2010s
Apologies for the brutal honesty, but regarding the 2010s I have this to say: What a lousy decade for entertainment!