Like so much of my semi-recent foray into horror, John Carpenter's last good film, 1994's In the Mouth of Madness, came to my attention due to its Lovecraftian connotations. As the final installment of Carpenter's "Apocalypse Trilogy" (which also includes The Prince of Darkness and the classic science fiction film, The Thing), Madness is another direct…Read more Film Review: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
1990s Reviews
Film Review: Emma (1996)
Upon reading Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma, 19th century novelist Susan Ferrier commented, "I have been reading Emma, which is excellent; there is no story whatever [...]." In a way, this sums up so much about the Austen's text. There is barely any semblance of a story; the book consists of a collection of village…Read more Film Review: Emma (1996)
Film Review: Alien 3 (1992)
The first 30 to 45 minutes of David Fincher's Alien 3 is filled with powerful, audacious filmmaking. Picking up directly after the rousing conclusion of Aliens, the third entry in the now long-running franchise is almost unbearably grim, taking the pseudo family-unit of Ripley, Newt, Bishop and Hicks that was established in Cameron's lighthearted romp…Read more Film Review: Alien 3 (1992)
Film Review: End of Days (1999)
Arnold Schwarzenegger has had two incredibly successful periods in his film career. The first of these is the most obvious. From roughly 1982 to 1994, Arnie established himself as one of the biggest movie-stars in the world, starring in a slew of actioners that brilliantly capitalized on his larger than life personality, charisma and biceps.…Read more Film Review: End of Days (1999)
Film Review: Rasputin – Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)
Many were hit hard by Alan Rickman's death this past January, and it's easy to understand why. Immortalized by the Harry Potter franchise for his role as anti-hero Severus Snape, Rickman loomed large over a generation of moviegoers. The resonance of this role is so powerful that it's occasionally difficult to remember the varied nature of…Read more Film Review: Rasputin – Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)
Film Review: Interview With the Vampire (1994)
By the mid-90s Brad Pitt's star began to explode, with major roles in Legends of the Fall, Seven and 12 Monkeys. The film that initiated this period however was 1994's Interview With the Vampire. Based on the 1976 novel by Anne Rice, the film pairs Pitt with Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt, who at the time was already a…Read more Film Review: Interview With the Vampire (1994)
Film Review: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Anyone familiar with Francis Ford Coppola's work will know that his 70s films, despite their frequently violent subject matter, were often characterized by marvelous restraint. This makes his career progression in later decades all the more fascinating. For example, after a decade of commercial failures Coppola emerged from the 1980s with two pieces of cinematic lunacy:…Read more Film Review: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Film Review: The Edge (1997)
What happens when you plop down a couple of famous faces in the Alaskan wilderness and pair them with a gross misrepresentation of animal behavior? Well, you get 1997's The Edge, which stars Anthony Hopkins (at his most regal) and Alec Baldwin (at his most greasy). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZDxh5Im6E The Edge is a survivalist drama that strives…Read more Film Review: The Edge (1997)
Film Review: Regarding Henry (1991)
After a decade establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Harrison Ford made some serious changes in the early 1990s. He put away his bullwhip and hung up his blaster, and Indiana Jones and Han Solo went into retirement (well, until recently). For Ford, he was no longer content to play "scruffy…Read more Film Review: Regarding Henry (1991)
Film Review: Fearless (1993)
Emerging from the battered remnants of a destroyed corn-field, leading a flock of shell-shocked survivors, Jeff Bridges' Max Klein immediately establishes the tone of intriguing ambiguity that comes to define Peter Weir's brilliant 1993 film Fearless. One of the few physically unscathed survivors from a truly horrific plane crash, Bridges’ Klein leaves the carnage with…Read more Film Review: Fearless (1993)
Adam Mohrbacher 