Film-Forward

Horror

The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard Produced by Joss Whedon Written by Whedon & Goddard Released by Lionsgate USA. 95 min. Rated R With Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins & Bradley Whitford Joss Whedon’s big Happy Meal tie-in extravaganza The Avengers will make a lot more money, but The Cabin […]

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope

Directed by Morgan Spurlock Produced by Jeremy Chilnick, Matthew Galkin, Spurlock & Thomas Tull Written by Jeremy Chilnik, Whedon & Spurlock Released by Wrekin Hill Entertainment USA. 88 min. Rated PG-13 With Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Eli Roth, Robert Kirkman, Stan Lee, Harry Knowles, Seth Green and Seth Rogen For the first time […]

Notable Genre DVDs, Spring 2012

Too Weird, Too Wonderful: Home Video Releases You Won’t Want To Miss Battle Royale: The Complete Collection With all the renewed attention that Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 cult hit has received during the run-up to, and the aftermath of, The Hunger Games release, it’s no surprise that a new home video release has appeared on the […]

“The Skin I Live In” and the Problem of “Art Horror”

  The DVD and Blu-ray release earlier this month of Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In is probably causing few ripples in the perennial, if quietly implicit, debate on the merits of the highbrow vs. lowbrow culture. In fact, I’d guess that it’s stirred up little concern on this front except among folks like […]

Rabies

Edited, Written & Directed by Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado Produced by Chilik Michaeli, Avraham Pirchi Tami Leon & Julia Schifter Hebrew with English subtitles Released by Image Entertainment Israel. 94 min. Not rated With Lior Ashkenazi, Ania Bukstein, Danny Geva, Yael Grobglas, Henry David, Ran Danker, Liat Har Lev, Yaron Motola, Menashe Noy & […]

The Divide

Directed by Xavier Gens Produced by Ross M. Dinerstein, Juliette Hagopian, Nathaniel Rollo & Darryn Welch Written by Karl Mueller & Eron Sheean Released by Anchor Bay Films Germany/USA/Canada. 122 min. Not rated With Lauren German, Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vance, Iván González, Michael Eklund & Rosanna Arquette Like nothing so much as […]

Notable Genre DVDs and Blu-Rays of 2011

We all know that countless titles are released for the home video market every year—in the genre category alone there’s too much for any individual to track, including me. Or should I say “especially me” as I tend to focus my energies on theatrical releases. So just in case you’re like me, here are some […]

Island of Lost Souls

Directed by Erle C Kenton Written by Philip Wylie & Waldemar Young, based on The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells Released by Criterion Collection USA. 70 min. Not rated With Charles Laughton, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams, Bela Lugosi, Kathleen & Arthur Hohl Special Features: New digital restoration of the uncut theatrical version. […]

The Skin I Live In

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar Produced by Agustin Almodóvar & Esther García Written by Pedro Almodóvar & Agustin Almodovar, based on the novel Mygale by Thierry Jonquet Released by Sony Pictures Classics Spanish with English subtitles Spain. 115 min. Rated R With Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes & Jan Cornet In his stylish psychological thriller-cum-horror […]