Mike Goes To Movies

Color Out of Space (2020) Richard Stanley's, Color Out Of Space is like a psychedelic greatest-hits of the horror genre. Although it is an adaptation - based on HP Lovecraft's 1927 short story of the same name - many of these old short stories/novellas are often concise and lacking in overt detail and dialogue. And so an adaptation such as this one will often take liberties in fleshing out the story and the world it takes place in. As well, unless its a period-piece, additional changes are often required to contemporize such old stories for modern audiences. All of these factors are present in Color Out of Space and, in that, Stanley has put together a fun and overly-trippy nightmarish romp. While it doesn't succeed in every way, it is nevertheless a fun ride for any B-horror movie fans out there. The film follows the Gardner family who, after leaving the big city, have recently moved into an old farm of the family's out in a secluded part of the countryside. Ther...

Adaptation (2002) ADMIT ONE to the mind-bending, meta world of Charlie Kaufman's psyche. This film is the epitome of what I will refer to as the intellectual's mindfuck . It is like what Dazed and Confused or Pineapple Express are to stoners, but for the thinkers out there. Adaptation is equally trippy as these films, but in a very different and more cerebral way. I will try to briefly explain what the film is about, however, for those that are unfamiliar with it, I imagine you will quickly think to yourself, "what in the fuck..." Adaptation is stated to be based on the real novel The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans but the film is really about Charlie Kaufman's struggle to adapt the novel into a complete screenplay. So, yes, the film is about the writing of... the actual film. This film, as such, is one of the most meta stories you will find out there, and that is much of the fun and complexity of it. The audience has to contend with constantly trying t...

Great 2018 Genre Films To Watch Here are a couple great genre films from this past year to watch. Many of these received positive reviews upon their release, however, I still feel a few of them flew under the radar a bit and so I bring them to your attention for a viewing. Coincidentally, many of these are revenge films, though each are as different from one another as they come: Mandy - 9/10 Nic Cage... Nic Cage! A psychedelic and horrifying revenge tale. Absolutely mesmerizing cinematography, full use of the colour palette and post-effects. John Wick x Hellraiser x Enter The Void! Overlord - 8.5/10 This, I see, is what it would look like if Wolfenstein were adapted to film. A US troop lands down in WWII France to uncover horrifying experimentation being conducted by the Nazis. War film x sci-fi film x zombie horror! You Were Never Really Here - 9/10 Joaquin Phoenix at his best. A grounded and gritty revenge tale, here, a tormented, violent hitman haunted by the dem...

A visual showcase of some of the finest performances from the 1990's: