TV | Catastrophe | Liked It

Cute series for adults that is filled with likable characters. The foul language was a bit excessive, though; so much that it didn't seem realistic.

TV | Transparent | Didn't Like It

Well done show that's unfortunately populated with mostly unlikable characters. With out the ability to cheer for or even be interested in them, there's not much of a story to be drawn to.

Movie | Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation | Liked It

Another very good addition to an excellent franchise. Well worth seeing.

TV | Picket Fences | Liked It-ish

We remember really liking this series back in the day, so I got it from Netflix. It's still cute but it felt dated enough that we lost interest after the first 3 episodes.

Movie | The 7th Victim | Liked It

Our Val Lewton-athon continues and this is yet another film that builds tension via cinematic skill rather than shock. In fact, it's so well done that it becomes less of a horror film and more of a really well done drama-thriller. Just my cup of tea.

TV | Red Oaks | Liked It

If a television version of Caddyshack appeals to you as much as it does me, you're going to enjoy this. It was predictable but well done.

Movie | Lifeforce | Liked It

A sci-fi created by famed horror director Tobe Hooper, with a soundtrack by Henry Mancini and an Alien-like script about space vampires by Dan O'Bannon? Sign me up! It was good, just as I remembered it when I saw it all those years ago but now it was even better with the very rare director's cut. Any problems with this movie lie with the overbearing studio, it seems to me.

Movie | Dolls | Didn't Like It

I'd never seen this all these years and thought I'd give it a try. It was just too dopey for me.

Movie | The Deadly Mantis | Didn't Like It

Painfully boring.

TV | Space Island One | Didn't Like It

I fell asleep. This is supposed to be a cult classic but it didn't appeal to me.

Movie | Shadow of the Vampire | Really Liked It

When the SO took a surprising liking to the classic horror film Nosferatu, I thought I'd push my luck and introduce her to this film which I remember really liking. Seeing it again, I enjoyed it thoroughly though I don't think it clicked with her as much as the fantastic original silent film did. It's easy to understand that the viewer could be a bit confused about whether the events depicted in Shadow of the Vampire were based on reality or not. They weren't but it doesn't make it any easier. I still think this is a great film and it meshes so well with the movie it's based on. Maybe too well...

Movie | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Liked It

Fun stuff.

Movie | Salad Days | Liked It

Full title = Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90). It was well done but somehow it didn't exactly capture the excitement of the times. Like I could have done any better; probably not.

TV | Ash vs Evil Dead | Liked It-ish

It's not fair to judge an entire series based on the pilot but here goes; this was pretty stupid. A plot barely existed, most of the acting was bad and the whole thing seems to be aimed at teenage boys. If they actually come up with a story line and give Bruce (who is still great, no matter what) something to actually sink his acting chops into, then this could be great fun. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen and the thing will peter out and fade away. I guess I'm not much of a Raimi fan, either. Thought I was but looks like I was incorrect. I hope I'm wrong about this television show; update coming soon.

Update
Well, the second episode was pretty much the same and I'm disappointed, to say the least. Poorly written, the acting is questionable (except Campbell, of course) and the story is paper thin. Again, seems written for teenage boys.

Movie | Winnebago Man | Really Liked It

I didn't find this film to be funny whatsoever; it's so much more complex than that. So good that I watched it again and I'm glad I did; it was funnier the second time and I missed a number of things during the first viewing. Note that if you do watch it, make sure to watch all the way through the credits and the short 16 minute film shot during the NCY premier - that's the real end of the film.

Movie | Bone Tomahawk | Liked It

Hmm. What an interesting movie.

We’ll just rope this doggie in right now and tell you that we didn’t love it. Sorry if that missed the spittoon and hit your boot but that’s the darn truth. Was it a bad film? No, far from it; the production, acting and script were excellent. So what went wrong at Twistern Ranch when we watched it?

Well, while the actors did a fine, fine job, there wasn’t much in the way of building up a strong liking to any of them, with the possible exception of Richard Jenkins’ character, Chicory, who was simply marvelous. There just wasn’t any connection to be had and we didn’t get enough back stories to connect. Or maybe it was the pacing; long scenes, shot with a wide lens, little camera movement and sparse editing contributed to not only a building sense of dread, which was a good thing, but also a creeping boredom, which was distinctly a bad thing. And though the sound production was superb, it may be our modern sensibilities rearing back like an untamed pony when we say we were perturbed by a lack of musical accompaniment. It would have helped the mood, building it in spots and signaling to the viewer when we were supposed to be nervous…but not quite yet, hold on, it’s coming and it’s going to be a bad one. That was not to be; instead, it felt like they forgot to put it in or didn’t have a budget for it. This movie should have had a grand, sweeping soundtrack or something weird, maybe by a master of sound like Phillip Glass or some such cowpoke. The sound effects of the gunshots were particularly awesome, though. We’d like that as our smartphone ringtone, if we had one (we don’t; we use the pony express).

The violence was abrupt, viscous and ultravirile. There were a couple of scenes that really made us shiver in our boots and cover Bessie the Cow’s eyes. You’ve been warned and say we didn’t warn you.

Back to the pacing; it was so slow, that the film didn’t really pick up until the final half hour, which was fine except the entire movie is over two hours long. This was writer and director S. Craig Zahler’s first foray into feature-length film and despite our reservations detailed above, it was an impressive outing and we’re looking forward to more from him in the future. Considering that the entire movie was shot in roughly a month for $1.8 million…well, that’s just plain amazing.

But here’s the real scoop on the horror-western “Bone Tomahawk”…a big-name cast with a slick production made for comparatively little money…will it make money? We hope so and we hope this is a sign of more horror-westerns to come (don’t hold your breath)! While we didn’t find it finger-lickin’ good and we’re still split on whether we actually liked it, you might give an arm and a leg to sink your teeth into another well done Twistern. Just don’t expect to split a rib laughing at this dead serious film.

Movie | i-Lived | Really Liked It

Impressive low budget thriller. Yes, the main character is annoying; he's supposed to be.

TV | Powers | Didn't Like It

Wow did I want to like this. But I just didn't. It was too predictable and didn't capture my interest.

Movie | Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows | Really Liked It

Nice documentary about the genius producer who made several classic horror films that were actually so much more and hugely artistic.

Movie | Night of Terror | Liked It

Surprisingly charming. Lugosi was what exactly...a Hindu?!?

Movie | Tarantula | Liked It-ish

Check out the small cameo by Clint Eastwood, who is nearly unrecognizable as a jet fighter pilot wearing a mask.

TV | Lucifer | Liked It-ish

Tom Ellis is great but the pilot for this show was a little predictable. Word is that it will officially begin showing in 2016 but that ratings were not great for the pilot. We'll see. I'll give it another shot.

TV | Black Mirror: White Christmas | Really Liked It

Another unbelievably amazing piece of twisted art from Charlie Brooker. I guess technically this is part of Series 3...? Word is that Netflix picked it up after those wimps over at Channel 4 dropped it and our beloved Utopia. What is wrong with those people?!? Who cares, as long as it lives on and nobody sees it but me and others with discerning tastes for something that pushes the boundaries. All others are doomed to reruns of the typical mindless television pap.

Movie | Pitch Perfect 2 | Liked It

Not great but it had moments.

TV | Con Man | Really Liked It

Very enjoyable.

Movie | Dementia 13 | Liked It

Francis Ford Coppola wrote and directed this, one of his earliest films and you see his brilliance even here. Roger Corman produced.

Movie | Dumbland | Didn't Like It

There's creativity here but it doesn't equate to a worthwhile viewing experience. Another case of just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Movie | Dracula A.D. 1972 | Liked It-ish

Another Hammer but this one was pretty bad, no matter how you looked at it. The music in particular was painful. But the cars were awesome. I have to give the film that.

Movie | Frankenstien | Liked It

I'll let you in on a little secret; I'm not particularly a fan of Frankenstein. Never been particularly all that interested to tell you the truth. But still, it was fun to see this again. Dwight Frye steals every scene he's in, too.

Movie | The Grandmother | Liked It

If David Lynch does one thing well it's weird. This was weird and it was done well.