CIMINO: THE DEER HUNTER, HEAVEN’S GATE AND THE PRICE OF A VISION
A frustrating and inconclusive book, although that’s an inevitability give its subject: the notoriously hermetic Michael Cimino
RAMPAGE (1987/92)
From the sometimes-great William Friedkin, a so-so serial killer drama
SENSITIVE SPOTS
A little-known example of Central European science fiction, set in the far-off year 1998
RED DAWN
“Better dead than red” cinema got a memorable 1980s rethink in RED DAWN, a “what-if?” narrative about a Russian invasion of the US
CAT’S EYE
A three-parter from the eighties, scripted by Stephen King, that should be better.
Ivan Reitman: 1946-2022
Say what you will about Ivan Reitman, but he knew how to make movies
ROBOT CARNIVAL
Nothing less than 1980s-era Japan’s answer to FANTASIA
THE TREASURE PLANET
A 1982 Bulgarian animated feature (apparently the first such film) that takes Robert Luis Stevenson’s immortal novel for quite a ride
BRAINSTORM
A film that, given the level of talent involved, shouldn’t be that awful—but I’m afraid BRAINSTORM really IS that awful
ARENA BRAINS
An avant-garde film in the guise of a music video compilation of a type that was once ubiquitous on VHS