The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal

Running Time: 83 minutes

Sally Hardesty, her wheel-chair-bound brother Franklin, and their friends Jerry, Kirk and Pam are traveling to rural Texas to visit the old Hardesty homestead. After getting stuck out of gas, they encounter a depraved family of killers and cannibals.

While the acting is sometimes laughable, with most of the cast being relative unknowns back then, this film has gained cult status over the years, and deservedly so. This is a very effective horror movie. It is quite short, but it packs a solid horrific punch in less than 90 minutes. The violence, the screams, the depravity and the blood made quite an impact. That last scene stays with you long after the movie is over.

Rating: ««««

The Key (1983)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Tinto Brass

Cast: Stefania Sandrelly, Frank Finley, Barbara Cupisti

Running Time: 116 minutes

Teresa is an inhibited wife unable to satisfy the humongous carnal needs of her husband of 20 years, Nino. After starting an affair with her adult daughter’s fiancé, she finds the sexual awakening that she brings back at home to her husband.

Set in the Venice of 1940, under a fascist regime, this Italian erotic drama is okay for what it was meant to be. There is a lot of naked flesh, especially of female backsides. That I can appreciate. Story-wise, it is entertaining enough to keep you interested, even if you have to rely on subtitles.  

Rating: «««

God Forgives...I Don't! (1967)

Genre: Western

Directed by: Giuseppe Colizzi

Cast: Terence Hill, Frank Wolff, Bud Spencer

Running Time: 109 minutes

Card-shark Cat Stevens and insurance agent Hutch Bessy team up to stop Bill San Antonio, a bandit who faked his own demise to disappear with money but then proceeded to rob a train.

This is one of the early films where Terence Hill and Bud Spencer teamed up. It was in their spaghetti western era, but this certainly was not the best offering. It was overly long and it lacked substance in terms of story and characters. Bud Spencer, for example, was not given much to work with. Great title, though!

Rating: ««

Humpday (2009)

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Directed by: Lynn Shelton

Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore

Running Time: 94 minutes

Ben is starting to build a little simple life with his wife Anna, when his long-time friend Andrew knocks on his door one night. During a wild party, Ben and Andrew, who have not seen each other for 10 years, dare each other to shoot a gay porn film together as part of an art project to be submitted to the HUMP! Film Festival.

This is a smart film that rang very true. I have had many such free spirit people in my entourage when I was younger, so the characters here, though they might seem far-fetched, felt real to me. It was a new interesting take on the subject of bromance and it was well delivered on screen. Really well done.

Rating: ««««

Benny's Video (1992)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Michael Haneke

Cast: Arno Frisch, Angela Winkler, Ulrich Muhe

Running Time: 110 minutes

Benny is the teenage son of a wealthy Austrian family who spends most of his time watching various videos. One home video he is particularly obsessed with is one where a pig is slaughtered on a farm with a bolt pistol. Benny brings a girl he just met to his room to show her this video, and, after talking with her for a while, he kills her with a bolt pistol. His parents, upon finding out, try to concoct a way to sweep the murder under the rug.

This film is of the psychological horror type. Someone looking for fast-pace scares would be better off looking elsewhere. Here, the pace is slow and deliberate. The main ingredient is tension, and it has a chilling effect. You can feel the isolation in this unsettling look at modern mass media culture and violence. This was really well done.

Rating: ««««

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: John Putch

Cast: Bug Hall, Brandon Hardesty, Kevin M. Horton

Running Time: 94 minutes

A group of three high school kids who are very unsuccessful with girls happen to find The Bible, a mysterious sex manual constructed over 40 years by different students who went to their school. The book, that was hidden in the library, was heavily damaged by water. So, with the help of its creators, they try to rebuild it so they can use it to improve their luck with the young ladies.

This was the last installment in the American Pie franchise, and it is no wonder they pulled the plug after this straight-to-video offering. The acting is putrid. The premise has been reheated so many times it has become unconsumable mush. The characters are dumb, and not even in the funny way from the original American Pie series. Stiffler use to be crude but entertaining. Scott Stiffler, not so much. The dialogue is bad and it is badly delivered. The pointless nudity and the few scenes with Eugene Levy were the only saving graces here.

 Rating: ««

The Seventh Seal (1957)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman

Cast: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Nils Poppe

Running Time: 96 minutes

A medieval knight and his squire return from the crusades to find their country, Sweden, ravaged by the Black Plague. The knight is confronted by the human personification of death. The knight challenges death to a chess match, spread out over multiple days, with the deal being that, as long as he is not defeated by death at this game, his life will be spared.

This film is considered to be a classic of cinema. The images, story and delivery on screen is like a long epic visual poem. Sure, it might seem kind of dry to most people, but cinephiles have to see this at least once in their lives.

Rating: ««««

Double Indemnity (1944)

Genre: Drama / Film Noir

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson

Running Time: 107 minutes

Insurance salesman Walter Neff returns to his LA office late one night, sweaty and visibly injured by a gunshot wound, and he starts dictating his confession to a murder into a Dictaphone. He tells the story of how he was charmed and convinced by housewife Phyllis Dietrichson to help her kill her husband after contracting an accident insurance on his life.

This film is considered as one of the first movies of the film noir genre. It starts and ends in the present, and most of the story is told through flashbacks, with the main protagonist serving as narrator. By today’s standards, the tone might seem over the top, but this remains a masterpiece of cinema and film noir. The acting is impeccable for its time and the storytelling keeps you hooked all the way through.

Rating: ««««

Brendan Schaub: You'd Be Surprised (2019)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jay Lafayette

Cast: Brendan Schaub

Running Time: 65 minutes

Brendan Schaub is a former footballer and a retired MMA fighter. For the last few years, he has been podcasting and trying to realize what he says was his lifelong dream: Being a stand-up comic. He’s not there yet in my book, no matter how polished and professional this comedy special looks.

To be honest, most of the material was weak. The premises were lame and the punchlines even worse. I had a few chuckles, very few. Maybe with a few more years polishing his craft and his set behind his belt, the former fighter will have a better chance to win at this new stage in his life. The last bit about his last MMA fight made him sympathetic and it was an interesting tale, but it was not enough to save this show.

Rating: ««

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: John Hughes

Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck

Running Time: 103 minutes

Ferris Bueller is the popular kid in school. Towards the end of his last school year before graduation, Bueller fakes an illness to spend the day with his girlfriend Sloane and his hypochondriac best friend Cameron going around Chicago to have fun. School principal  Rooney does not trust Bueller, who has a history of absenteeism, so he tries to catch him in the act of ditching class.

This film is a classic of my youth. They used to show it to us in school, which I never really understood. Maybe the powers-that-be wanted to pretend to be cool. This is a feel-good movie. The characters are fun, and you want them to have a good day off from school. The acting was really good and the movie-making work of John Hugues was also solid. Many scenes, such as the parade (which is kind of illogical for the afternoon of a non-holiday), the role call of Bueller, Bueller, and the car crash will remain in the memory of movie fans forever.

Rating: «««««

Joker (2019)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix

Running Time: 122 minutes

Arthur Fleck is a party clown who aspires to become a stand-up comic, but it is not working for him. In a Gotham City where crime is more and more prevalent, Arthur lives with his sick mother while dealing himself with a disorder that makes him laugh out loud at the most inopportune times. After he gets jumped in an alley by a gang of thugs, Arthur’s life starts unraveling and it brings him on a path of violent crime.

This is a dark and twisted movie that sure is not for the faint of heart. Many people have walked out of the theater during the showings. As for me, I loved it. The acting is excellent, especially when it comes to Joaquin Phoenix. His dedication to the role is extraordinary. He inhabits that character so wonderfully, it is scary.

The story is compelling and totally riveting. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. This film is a great character study and it pushes the viewer to question his or her own views on such important matters as mental health and violence. Bravo, great movie.

Rating: «««««

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Stephen Herek

Cast: Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, Josh Charles

Running Time: 102 minutes

Sue Ellen Candell is 17-year old high school graduate who wishes she could go to Europe for the summer, with her friends, but she does not have the necessary funds. Her mother leaves her and her 4 siblings with a babysitter for 2 months as she travels to Australia with her boyfriend. After the babysitter, a tyrannical old lady, dies of a heart attack, leaving the kids alone and without money for a couple of months, Sue Ellen takes charge forges her resume to score a job in a fashion company.

I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid. Looking at it now, it feels quite dated, as is often the case with stuff from that era. Still, while it was cheesy and it required a huge suspension of disbelief, this movie was entertaining. Most of the acting was not overly bad. It was fine for what it was.

Rating: «««

La femme de mon frère (2019)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Monia Chokri

Distribution: Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Patrick Hivon, Evelyne Brochu

Durée: 117 minutes

Sophia et Karim sont frère et sœur et ils ont une relation d’extrême proximité, frôlant l’inceste. Alors que sa vie ne va nulle part, malgré un doctorat en philosophie, Sophia ressent une énorme jalousie par rapport à la nouvelle blonde de Karim et elle se voit forcée de réévaluer sa vie.

La prémisse de ce film est fort intéressante, mais c’est dans la façon que le tout est livré à l’écran que ça se gâche pour moi. Ce film se perd dans un paquet de personnages et de situations inutiles qui détournent l’histoire de son sens profond. Au bout du compte, on en perd le fil, et l’intérêt s’évapore. Il y a quelques moments loufoques, qui font rire, mais le jeu des acteurs est souvent gros, et les longueurs n'aident pas.

Rating: ««

Joe Rogan: Strange Times (2018)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Anthony Giordano

Cast: Joe Rogan

Running Time: 63 minutes

Taking the stage in front of a Boston, Mass, crowd, Joe Rogan delivers a fast-paced, raucous and high energy hour of comedy where he discusses evolving times, pro wrestling, pot, cat, vegans and much more. Rogan is loud and unafraid to share his opinion. He also admittedly exaggerates for comedic purposes. Overall, most of the material was very, very solid. There were very few weaker points, but this was a very enjoyable comedy special.

Rating: ««««

Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward (2019)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Marcus Raboy

Cast: Anthony Jeselnik

Running Time: 64 minutes

Live in New York City, Anthony Jeselnik appears on stage, in this comedy special, without fanfare. No theme music and all of that, he just comes on and delivers his particular brand of dark humor. He talks about dementia, family, dropping babies and other such weird topics. Jeselnik’s strength is in his delivery. The premise brings you along on some normal-looking ride that swerves wildly by the time the punchline comes. It is fun as hell and made me laugh out loud multiple times. It will shock and offend many, but it entertained me.

Rating: «««««