THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 13 &14: Chestbursters Roasting on an Open Fire - ALIEN RESURRECTION and PROMETHEUS

The penultimate episode in our holiday series features the least appreciated entry in the franchise, Alien Resurrection. Nick also rewatched Goodfellas and Tim Burton's Batman, and Drew gives his opinion on a new Ridley Scott film, Exodus: Gods and Kings.
 

Click "Read more" for our final episode in the Alien series.

DREW'S TOP 20 FILMS OF 2014

Man, what a stellar year in film. It's kind of amazing how many absolute knockouts we had this year. It's so astounding that I found myself incapable of ranking a Top Ten or even Fifteen list for the year. There are even films I'm leaving out that I genuinely liked (for the record: X-Men: Days of Future Past (my review), Hercules (yup), Birdman (my review), Interstellar (you get the idea), Neighbors, and Witching & Bitching) that just didn't stack up to a lot of other stuff I saw this year. As of this writing, these are my top twenty films of the year. The top ten will actually have some consideration taken into their rank, but the others are not in any particular order, so just because Captain America: The Winter Solider is my #20 entry doesn't mean I liked it the least. If there isn't a movie on here that you think should be, it means I either didn't see it or didn't like it quite as much as you. And keep in mind that these are the movies I enjoyed the most, not the "best" (whatever the hell that means) films of the year. Is Boyhood more monumental than John Wick? Yeah, but that doesn't mean my personal experience watching Boyhood was as impacting or enjoyable as my viewing of John Wick was. It's all subjective, so enough prefacing! On with the list!

Some SPOILERS may occur, because I don't like censoring myself when talking about movies. Snape kills Dumbledore.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 12: Chestbursters Roasting on an Open Fire - ALIEN³

Our holiday series continues with David Fincher's divisive entry, Alien³. Nick also rekindles his love for the original Star Wars trilogy, and Drew gushes about his love of The Babadook.
 

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 11: Chestbursters Roasting on an Open Fire - ALIENS

Our holiday series continues with James Cameron's beloved sequel, Aliens. Drew and Nick also talk about Dumb and Dumber To and the new Star Wars teaser trailer.
 

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BABADOOK Is A Powerful and Dark Family Drama That Also Happens To Be A Horror Film

One of the key elements in The Exorcist's effectiveness is that the film takes itself completely seriously. It approaches the material from a dramatic viewpoint first, and then finds the horror within those situations. The same can be said of The Babadook, a film that understands the value of its characters and their story. By doing so, it infuses the horrific aspects of the film ten-fold, instead of most movies that rely on their scares to create drama. However, it doesn't hurt that the horror elements are equally impressive.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 10: Chestbursters Roasting on an Open Fire - ALIEN

We're celebrating the season with everybody's favorite intergalactic monster by talking about the Alien franchise (no AVP flicks, sorry!) for the rest of the month. In this episode, we shower praise on the first film in the series, Drew talks about Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and Nick gets caught up with Marvel Phase Two.
 

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 9: The Venture Bros., BIG HERO 6, and Drew Rants About BIRDMAN

We close out our cartoon series (for now) by talking about one of the best cartoons ever, The Venture Brothers. Nick also gives his opinion on Big Hero 6, and Drew uses his immense critical influence to knock Birdman off its pedestal.
 

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GUEST Is the Most Fun A Film Fan Can Have This Year

As time has gone on, I've found myself appreciating films that are able to structure themselves around a simple premise, but then use that framework to their advantage by crafting engaging characters and uniquely exciting ways to execute their story. The Guest exemplifies this kind of experience, but adds to the mix by being insanely fun, comically disturbing, and unforgiving in its weirdness. It doesn't hurt that the movie is firmly aware of its own cinematic nature, and plays to that without being obnoxiously meta. The Guest is a film for those of us who are fetishistic devotees of genre cinema, and doesn't care if anyone else gets lost along the way.

MOVIE REVIEW: INTERSTELLAR Is a Masterful Cinematic Experience with a Somewhat Satisfactory Story

Christopher Nolan is often criticized for having a very cold way of executing a story. The praise that a lot of his films engender comes from their more analytic qualities rather than their emotional ones. It's very apparent that how a film is constructed and engineered is what fascinates Nolan, but the heart at the center of his films very rarely beats with an equal level of passion. Interstellar is the most blatant attempt at merging the two together, and while there are a few strides made in the realm of character attachments, it never matches up to the awe-inspiring technical aspects on display.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 8: More Cartoons. Disney Cartoons, Nicktoons, Cartoon Cartoons, and Other Toons. ...Cartoons

We wrap up our big general discussion about cartoons with shows we watched growing up in the '90s. Listen to Drew call a beloved cartoon a type of animal excrement, and hear Nick compliment Drew's Dink. These things really happen.

MOVIE REVIEW: BIRDMAN Is Snobby, Sweet and Ultimately Pretty Okay

There will always be people who are against current trends in the cinematic landscape, and since superheroes are the big box office draws these days, it's time to get a film that satirizes and decries them. Birdman is definitely attempting to do that, but fails by taking up a very elitist perspective instead of examining why these stories resonate with so many people. There's an argument being made about "true art" that feels like a pseudo-intellectual playground scuffle. Thank goodness that the behind-the-camera technique and performances in the movie are so fantastic, because if the film was solely focused on its commentary, it would be a dud.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 7: Classic Cartoons, Serial Killers, BIRDMAN, JOHN WICK, and NIGHTCRAWLER

We kick off a three episode series on cartoons by reminiscing about classic cartoons from our youth. We also briefly touch on serial killers and a bunch of movies you should go see right now. Like, stop listening and go see them.
 

MOVIE REVIEW: NIGHTCRAWLER Is A Movie About A Monster, With A Career-Best Performance from Jake Gyllenhaal

When the first cryptic teaser for Nightcrawler hit the scene, I was instantly sold. The captivating intensity and eerily believable nature of Jake Gyllenhaal's Louis Bloom was all I needed to keep the film on my radar. After seeing Nightcrawler, I understand why they decided to go that way with the initial marketing. Though the film positions itself as a viciously satirical breakdown of news media and the public's desire for violent stories (it is that, but it's not where the film is focused), the real backbone of the story is a character study of Louis and how terrifying a person he is.

Luckily, Gyllenhaal makes it work like gangbusters. This is one of his best performances, but I can understand how a lot of people would be unable to follow him as a protagonist. Louis Bloom is a textbook sociopath: well-spoken and pleasant on the outside, but filled with an utter lack of morality and concern for human life on the inside. He freely admits to disliking people and will use anyone he can to further his own personal goals. It's a deplorable character, but Gyllenhaal creates something so darkly compelling that I couldn't get enough of the character. His shark-toothed smile and business seminar lingo would fit just as comfortably coming from a young entrepreneur (which is actually exactly what Louis is), and I have to believe that the film is also making a statement on such individuals.

More than the media or sensationalist reporting, Nightcrawler is a biting examination of the new generation of American workers who will eventually become leaders. Louis doesn't have any kind of college education, but is an avid learner and self-teaches himself countless things via the Internet. He is singular in his drive to obtain exactly what he wants, and as the film progresses, we see the more disturbing lengths to which he'll go to ensure success. What I like about this in a social commentary sort of way is that Louis isn't shown to be an anomaly in these ways. Rene Russo's character, the news station's director Nina, is just as cold when it comes to putting Louis' graphic crime footage on the air. There's definitely a message in play about success coming at the cost of your humanity, but where most films would have a protagonist struggling with these issues in order to create conflict, Nightcrawler presents us with a person who has no moral conundrum at all.

Since the film isn't willing to be completely bleak, Louis does have a partner named Rick (Riz Ahmed) who brings up these dilemmas, but it feels like the filmmakers knew they had to have someone voice those feelings or else the audience would get the impression that we're supposed to be rooting for Louis. They actually do pull that off with at least two scenes of perfectly crafted tension that kept me nervous all the way through. It's a lot like the scene in Psycho when Norman Bates is putting the car in the swamp and it stops sinking. Even though the character we're following is practically a villain, we become tense and want the car to sink, essentially making us vicarious accomplices. The same unnerving participation is present in Nightcrawler, where we find everything Louis is doing awful, but at the same time we don't want him to get caught. I love when a film gets me invested in a character whose methods and ethics (or lack thereof) I wholly disagree with.

Again, a lot of that has to do with Jake Gyllenhaal's performance. While he never does much of anything to make Louis likable, he doesn't need to. This isn't a likable character, but he is a fascinating one. His cool exterior and smooth tongue mask a deeply unsettling loneliness that has transformed into an icy focus on getting what he wants. There are brief moments of understanding when Louis talks about what he wants to do with his life, but it's the deadly initiative he takes that makes him purposefully unapproachable. Even though it's extremely disconcerting, Louis is a grim fairy tale execution of the American Dream. He is a self-made man, and in this country, that's supposed to be something we admire. What we are willing to accept to maintain the illusion of such a dream is something the film seems to be attacking.

I don't know if I can fully recommend Nightcrawler to most people for the simple reason of its monster of a protagonist, but for someone like me, it's exactly the kind of thought-provoking, darker corner of the human animal exploration I love. It's a very quiet movie for the most part, so I can understand why people might label it "boring", but as an examination of one truly disturbed individual, it's fantastic. Gyllenhaal proves that he's one of our finest actors working today, and the character he's given is equally riveting. It's dark, dark stuff, but since I'm a little on the creepy side myself, I find it to be a stimulating experience. Bottom line: don't take grandma to see it.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 6: Happy Halloween! Hitchcock, HORNS, HOUSEBOUND and Other H-Words

For this Halloween episode, we talk about a whole bunch of spooky, scary stuff. The main focus is on the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, and his many films. Listen to how many classic films we've never seen!

Note: We'll be taking a week off to rearrange our recording and editing schedule. Next episode will post on November 10th and then we'll have weekly episodes very Monday from then on. Sorry for the delay! We're taking classes on how not to be scatterbrained unprofessionals.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 31: TRICK 'R TREAT

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Trick 'r Treat (2007)

No film has captured everything that is the Halloween season more than Trick 'r Treat. The decorations, the costumes, the mischievous spirit, the fun but scary mood. Heck, the movie even gives the holiday a proper mascot with the adorable and horrific Sam. There's so much to love about this film, especially if you're looking for the perfect Halloween movie.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 30: HALLOWEEN III

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Last year, before I bailed on my 31 Days of Drew, I had intended to make Halloween the penultimate entry. Now, I do think Halloween is an unmitigated masterpiece, but what's interesting is that the holiday it takes its name from isn't really central to the story. It's just a backdrop that the filmmakers realized hadn't really been taken advantage of in films prior. The same cannot be said about not-really-a-sequel Halloween III, which is a film drowning in Halloween imagery, history and insanity. If you can stop complaining that Michael Myers isn't in it, you'll be in for a treat.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 29: WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: WNUF Halloween Special (2013)

I'm not a huge fan of found footage as a sub-genre (read: gimmick) for horror films. It can be used effectively, but the hit-to-miss ratio highly favors the duds. Authenticity is the hardest thing to capture in a found footage film, and the golden standard for the technique has been made: WNUF Halloween Special is so believable that you could easily prank your more gullible friends into thinking it really is some infamous lost piece of urban legends goodness.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 28: ERNEST SCARED STUPID

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

One last one for the kids. I don't think I'm going to be able to make any kind of articulate argument as to why Ernest Scared Stupid is worthy of your holiday viewing time (it's certainly not the best Ernest film. That title belongs to Ernest Goes to Jail), so I think I'll relate a bit of a personal anecdote as to why I have a bit of affection for this film.

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK Has Won My Useless Award for "Best Action Movie of the Year"

"They don't make them like they used to," is a common axiom that is spouted in regards to motion pictures, particularly films in the action genre. While it's true that superheroes and science fiction have sublimated the genre, there are still occasional surprises that manage to reinvigorate those of us who enjoy clever gunplay and brutally straightforward story. John Wick is such a film, and exceeds even those standards to become something outlandishly noteworthy. As far as I'm concerned, it's unquestionably the best action film of 2014, and maybe even one of the best that the entire decade will produce.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 27: CANDYMAN

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Candyman (1992)

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like Candyman's presence in the horror dialogue has become somewhat diminished in the last few years. It certainly has its fans, but it feels like it should be even more heralded than it currently is. In my opinion, it's one of the supreme genre offerings from the 90's.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 26: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990)

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Until the end of human history, we will be indebted to George A. Romero for giving us the popular image and concept of the modern zombie. Considering how beloved the creatures are thanks to The Walking Dead and other media, it's surprising how many younger people have never seen the one that started it all. It's an absolute classic and needs to be seen, especially given its importance in creating an entire sub-genre of horror. But, I'm going to take a moment to talk about the 1990 remake, which seems to have been lost in the shambling shuffle of zombie films, despite it's importance to the genre.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 25: DEAD ALIVE

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992)

When they write Peter Jackson's obituary, it will probably be all about his landmark adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. If I was writing it, I'd probably spend a lot more time focusing on his insane early outings like Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles because they are such memorably gonzo flicks that once you see them, they are seared into your brain forever, regardless of your opinion on their quality. Chief among his first few features is the bonkers masterpiece, Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead), which is a benchmark in horror-comedy history.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 24: PLANET TERROR

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Planet Terror (2007)

I was abnormally excited for Grindhouse when it was announced. A double feature from two balls-to-the-wall filmmakers (Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino) that promised fanboy levels of reverence to the exploitation cinema of yesteryear? I couldn't wait. Walking out of the theater, I was perplexed at the fact that the few fake trailers made for the film were better than the two movies themselves. Over time, I've actually come to appreciate Tarantino's Death Proof as a strange double feature in of itself, but that flick doesn't really jive with the Halloween season. Instead, I'm going to tell you why you should watch Planet Terror, even though it is an a absolutely awful picture.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 23: NIGHT OF THE CREEPS

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Night of the Creeps (1986)

If you haven't figured it out by now, I love 80's era horror. The focus on effects, the fun spirit and emerging talents really made the decade something special for the genre. One of the most celebrated cult directors of the era was Fred Dekker, who would go on to make the minor classic The Monster Squad (which I picked for last year's list). Dekker is the kind of creator who can't help his infatuation with the genre he plays in, and that fanatic love is wonderfully honed in Night of the Creeps, a blend between 50's science fiction, 80's teen romps, and a whole bunch of fake blood.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 22: RE-ANIMATOR

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Re-Animator (1985)

I've said it plenty of times, but it bears repeating: the eighties were the golden era of effects-driven horror. The revolutions that were happening in the burgeoning field meant lots of on-screen benefits for viewers. With this fun attitude infusing the effects, the eighties also provided us with plenty of classic horror-comedies. One of the absolute best of these is Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon's loose adaptation of a series of H.P. Lovecraft stories.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 21: PARANORMAN

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: ParaNorman (2012)

I love movies about weird kids. Most people feel weird when they're kids, and it's much easier to relate to young outcasts than it is ti even semi-popular characters. Not only do I love ParaNorman for this reason, but also because the overall message of the film ends up being about how we judge people who are different, and how that almost always leads to nothing but trouble.

THE DREW REVIEWS PODCAST - EPISODE 5: TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch, and the Dark Lord Satan

After a minor name change, we're back! In this episode, we discuss the cult TV show, Twin Peaks, and its mad genius of a creator, David Lynch. We also continue to alienate as many listeners as possible, due to our accidental offensiveness. We heart you all!
 

MOVIE REVIEW: HOUSEBOUND Is Here to Save Halloween

Maybe it's just me, but 2014 seems to have been a weak year for horror so far. There have been a few hidden gems (Grand Piano and Witching & Bitching are the only ones I've seen), but as far as anything monumental, there hasn't been much of anything causing a blip on my radar. There's some entries yet to be released that I'm holding out hopes for (The Babadook, It Follows, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Open Windows and Cooties), but otherwise it's been one heck of a dry spell. Thank New Zealand for Housebound, which has shown up just in time to give the Halloween season exactly the kind of film it needs: scary, funny and crafted by true lovers of the genre.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 20: SLITHER

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Slither (2006)

Before he conquered the box office with a sentient tree and a talking raccoon, James Gunn was one of the horror genre's newest rock stars. Coming up under the independent spirit of Troma Films' Lloyd Kaufman, Gunn had better training than most when he helmed his feature directorial debut, Slither. It's pretty apparent that the guy was destined for greatest, even form the outset, because Slither is a horror fan's wet dream (that wetness is mostly alien slug slime and blood).

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 19: THE MANITOU

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Manitou (1978)

If all you're looking for this Halloween season is a heavy dose of unfettered weirdness , look no further than The Manitou. Based off the book by Graham Masterson, this nutty tale involves the resurrection of an evil shaman who is being reborn through a tumor on Susan Strasberg's neck. I swear that's the actual plot, and it's kind of incredible.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 18: THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Expect Vincent Price to make an appearance in this series at least once every year. I quoted Horror Movie A Day scribe Brian Collins once before and I'll quote him again: "If you go all October without watching a Vincent Price movie, you're doing something wrong." While I still think Theatre of Blood is Price's crowning achievement in the horror genre, The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a very close second, and even though the general setup of the two films are strikingly similar (Price is a character getting revenge on a group of people who wronged him), they each offer their own flourishes of creativity.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 17: SUSPIRIA

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Suspiria (1977)

I've only recently begun to churn through the works of Italian horror-meister Mario Bava, and I find myself in love with his lurid and often comic book-like use of color and light. It's no wonder that his student, Dario Argento, brings that same kind of vivid visual style to his early films. Suspiria was the first Italian horror movie I ever saw, and for many, it is the country's gold standard. I'm not well-educated enough in the sub-genre to agree or disagree, but I can recognize that Suspiria makes for a very strong argument.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 16: THE EXORCIST III

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Exorcist III (1990)

The Exorcist isn't just one of the most seminal horror movies in American cinema, it's also a cultural touchstone that is so ingrained into our popular consciousness to the point that the film's classic images and moments become the only things we associate with the property. That's a shame, because in a perfect world, the masses would be just as enamored and traumatized by the third entry in the series. While Exorcist II: The Heretic was just the fevered dreams of its misplaced director, The Exorcist III is a concentrated effort to return to the eerie tone of the original, and at the same time, craft a story that allows for all new terrors to emerge.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 15: CHILD'S PLAY 2

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Child's Play 2 (1990)

I can understand there being some kind of subconscious fear of dolls that has to do with deep-seated childhood memories, or in the way a particular doll is creepily crafted (that Annabelle doll always bugs me. Not because it's creepy, but because it's so ridiculously creepy that I can't believe anyone would ever find it cute), but when it comes to making dolls scary on film, it's a tough nut to crack. The first Child's Play was somewhat successful in this feat, but the most remembered aspect from the film ended up being the vulgarly comedic attitude of the villain, Chucky. Luckily, the filmmakers behind the sequel decided to amp up the fun, and in doing do, actually created some disturbing moments themselves.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 14: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

I think a lot of people would be mad if I didn't use this opening to proclaim my love for the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre when I'm about to recommend its sequel instead. The first film is a classic in the genre, and should be mandatory viewing for both horror fans and regular cinephiles alike. But, I feel like the sequel gets easily forgotten, especially since the franchise itself stays on a pretty steady decline after this entry. There's a lot to love about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, as long as you're not expecting anything close to the tone or style of the original.

THE DREW VENUE - EPISODE 4: Tim Burton, Charles Manson and Lots of TV Shows

In this episode, we pick apart the filmography of Hot Topic poster boy, Tim Burton. There's also a lot of TV discussed, as well as a continuing inability to maintain a train of thought.
 

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 13: JASON X

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Jason X (2001)

Last year, I chose Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI for the thirteenth recommendation of the month. I made the case that it was the best entry in the franchise, and while I stand by that declaration, I also recognize that such a claim is not a minority opinion. The F13 fanbase is pretty unanimous in their adoration for that entry. So this year, I figured I'd do my best to ruffle some feathers by proclaiming Jason X as the second most enjoyable film in Mr. Voorhees' repertoire. I joyfully await your vehement disagreement in the comments section!

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 12: HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

You can read about my personal experience with Rob Zombie's directorial debut here, which will give you some kind of idea where my brain is coming from when I recommend this movie. This spot in the list did belong to the superior sequel, The Devil's Rejects, for a long time before I decided that I was incapable of suggesting that movie without first paying my respects to its progenitor. Don't worry, because the sequel is a guaranteed lock for next year. ...Spoiler alert?

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 11: CABIN FEVER

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Cabin Fever (2002)

I think Cabin Fever might actually be the worst film I recommend this year. After rewatching it for this series, I found my opinion had shifted pretty heavily from when I first saw it over ten years ago. What I once found to be shocking and original was now kind of simple and tame. The only prevailing factor that still remained from my memory of the film was how ugly it was. Not just in terms of the gore, but in the characters, the look of the film and the overall tone. But now, I actually find that ugliness to be the reason I still really enjoy watching Cabin Fever.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 10: THE EVIL DEAD TRILOGY

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Evil Dead Trilogy (1981 - 1992)

While I may not have loved the most recent entry in the Evil Dead franchise as much as everyone else seemed to (my review), I still found it to be a fresh nugget of gory fun in a cinema landscape dominated by found footage and overwhelming seriousness. Still, it never came close to matching the unfettered dementia and unashamed glee of the original film. Much like The Addams Family duology, I couldn't decide on one film to recommend. Since I only have my own rules and regulations to go by, I'm saying, "Fuck it," and telling you to watch all three films in one day. Yeah, they're that good.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 9: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

I don't know why there aren't more popular musicals based in the horror genre. For all of its trappings, the genre is capable of loads of fun. In recent years, the Evil Dead musical has proven this, but the progenitor of this kind of raucous and giddy attitude has got to be Little Shop of Horrors. Just the idea of adapting a Roger Corman cheapie into a goofy bit of Faustian absurdity seems like a fool's errand, but it's that exact sense of silliness that makes the filmed version of the off-Broadway musical an absolute blast.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 8: DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Horror movies for kids are tough. Either you get stuff that can't even be called "horror" because it's so safe and cutesy, or you run the risk of creating something too intense and causing the viewer to retreat. The eighties seemed to be the best period for this kind of film (see The Monster Squad), but I think the Guillermo del Toro produced remake of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark manages to walk that tightrope quite expertly, and provides a thoroughly chilling and thrilling experience for children that doesn't pull any punches.

THE DREW VENUE - EPISODE 3: TREEHOUSE OF HORROR

Closing out the first trilogy of episodes, we kick off the month of October with a Lard Lad-sized discussion about The Simpsons Halloween Specials. There's also Spanish witches, Bill S. Preston & Ted "Theodore" Logan, and a few completely unnoticeable technical flubs thanks to our first ever Skype recording. Comment and tell us how awful we are!

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 7: WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

Before he eviscerated the slasher genre two years later, Wes Craven turned his critical and scholarly eye towards the monster he himself had created: Freddy Krueger. Not content with New Line Cinema's less-than-satisfactory exit for the character in 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (the series had drifted further and further into the realm of comedy by then), Craven took a bold approach by setting the film in our own reality, with the actors and creators behind Freddy playing themselves. It's a crafty way to subvert audience expectations, create a thoughtful commentary on horror films and the genre's importance to our cultural psyche, and to make Freddy Krueger an entity that deserves to be feared once again.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 6: KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

You know, I could try and talk about this film from the point of a film nerd, mentioning the great effects work by the Chiodo brothers (who worked on Critters). I could talk about its clever send-up of 50's sci-fi flicks. I could mention that veteran actor John Vernon manages to be surly, amusing and even truly creepy during certain scenes in the movie. There's a lot of directions I could go when recommending Killer Klowns from Outer Space. But, that title pretty much does all the work for me, doesn't it?

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 5: TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)

I've mentioned on here a few times about how my enjoyment of Scream has soured as time marches on. I think I should at least give the film credit for doing one thing fairly well: humor. The humor in Scream is often effective, even if it can get a little too snobby towards the genre it's dissecting from time to time. There's nothing sweet about Scream. In contrast to that, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil might just be one of the sweetest horror comedies ever made. It also happens to be extremely clever in its use of horror cliches, flipping the character perspectives around in order to teach a simple but tender message about not judging people by how they appear.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 4: HELLRAISER

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Hellraiser (1987)

It's undeniable that the imagery of Clive Barker's fiction is an important part of horror history. While his short story collection, "The Books of Blood", introduced his macabre visions to the world, it was his feature directorial debut, Hellraiser, that made his name synonymous with the horror genre. And for good reason, because Hellraiser is a savage piece of originality that must be discussed whenever the topic of landmark horror gets brought up.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 3: TROLL 2

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Troll 2 (1990)

There's a large number of people today who don't know what a proper so-bad-it's-good movie is. Pandering drivel like Sharknado and the entire catalog of The Asylum's output are so aware of the level they are operating at (low budget genre fare with ridiculous premises and less than Oscar-worthy actors) that there's not a single frame of film that has any sincerity in it. These are movies made for people who are awash with a post-modern love of "irony" and wouldn't know a true piece of awfulsome (awesomely awful, or awfully awesome) cinema if it was given a 24 hour marathon on SyFy. Real so-bad-it's-good movies are completely unaware of the limitations they are subjected to, often reaching for goals that are utterly unattainable due to budget restrictions. It's that spirit of trying to make something that the filmmakers believe is worthwhile, but due to their naivete, they fail in a spectacularly unique way which turns a film into something both absurd and admirable. One of the highlights of these kinds of films is Troll 2.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 2: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Werewolves are a really fun concept. It's a shame that we don't have an enormous catalog of excellent werewolf flicks, but the few that we do have are incredibly special. Probably the pick of the litter (har har) has got to be John Landis' An American Werewolf in London, a horror-comedy that is amazingly accessible to a wide audience without betraying its deep love of the genre. While it's almost consistently funny, it also plays its grislier parts with complete conviction. This film doesn't pull any punches, and that's most noticeable in its effects work.

31 DAYS OF DREW 2 - DAY 1: GHOSTBUSTERS

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out film recommendations for every day in October. I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: Ghostbusters (1984)

Let's start the month off correctly.

THE DREW VENUE - EPISODE 2: TUSK, Kevin Smith, and A Whole Lotta Tangents

The grand experiment continues. In this second episode, we discuss the art-house drama, Tusk, and the career of its creator, Kevin Smith. There's also Batman, Disney Channel movies, and an overall lack of respect for anything resembling a format. We'll get there eventually. Hope you enjoy listening, and please leave questions, comments and criticisms either here, at our SoundCloud page (follow us on SoundCloud too!), or tweet at us. I'm @DrewDietsch and Nick is @darthbrazil

31 DAYS OF DREW (2013) INDEX

Something I feel truly awful about is not completing my "31 Days of Drew" Halloween recommendation articles last year. Horror is my favorite genre in all of fiction, and October is the month where it's okay for people who aren't as into horror to delve into it. Due to my personal and professional life getting super crazy near the end of last October, I just didn't take the time to finish the remaining few posts. This year, it's going to be different. Instead of trying to write throughout the month of October, I did the smart thing and wrote all thirty-one articles this past month. Now all I have to do is remember to post them each day, and if I can't do that, then I should just retire from my Internet ramblings completely. For those of you who would like to see my unfinished articles from last year (I got so close too!), I've compiled all the links here for your clicking pleasure. I hope you'll stick around for the upcoming month. I promise you, we'll make it to Halloween this time!

31 Days of Drew (2013)

Day 1: High Plains Drifter

Day 2: The Night of the Hunter

Day 3: Laid to Rest

Day 4: Resolution

Day 5: Tremors

Day 6: Phantom of the Paradise

Day 7: Society

Day 8: The Frighteners

Day 9: Tourist Trap

Day 10: Creepshow

Day 11: Nightbreed

Day 12: Hollow Man

Day 13: Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI

Day 14: House

Day 15: Ghostwatch

Day 16: Behind the Mask - The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Day 17: The Cabin in the Woods

Day 18: Carrie

Day 19: Theatre of Blood

Day 20: Waxwork

Day 21: Jeepers Creepers

Day 22: The Monster Squad

Day 23: Club Dread

Day 24: Intruder

Day 25: The Addams Family and Addams Family Values

Day 26: The Return of the Living Dead

Day 27: Beetlejuice

THE DREW VENUE - EPISODE 1: We Talk About THE WIRE

And so it begins. My best friend, Nick Murray, joins me for an ongoing podcast where we talk about the most important topics in the world: movies, television shows, video games, music, comic books etc. This first episode has us trying to tackle the most layered show in TV history, The Wire. Hope you enjoy listening, and please leave questions, comments and criticisms either here, at our SoundCloud page (follow us on SoundCloud too!), or tweet at us. I'm @DrewDietsch and Nick is @darthbrazil

31 DAYS OF DREW - DAY 26: THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Every horrorhound's favorite month is upon us, and to celebrate, I'll be dishing out a personal pick from the genre for every day in October. Some will be obvious and rather unoriginal (sorry that I like movies other people like), while some will be a little more oddball and off-the-wall. Some may even challenge your idea of what constitutes a "horror" movie. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the month with some good movies, even if they aren't ones I recommend!

Today's Pick: The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

As I've mentioned quite a few times during the 31 Days of Drew, the 1980's were a golden era of splatstick horror gems. But, if there was one horror movie that captured that aesthetic, tone and energy perfectly, there's no question it would be The Return of the Living Dead. Filled with great effects, a new take on zombies and one of the bleakest but funniest endings ever, this could very well be the high watermark of the entire decade.

MOVIE REVIEW: BOYHOOD Is the Definitive Coming-of-Age Film

By now, everyone is pretty aware of the radical experiment writer/director Richard Linklater has undergone with his new film, Boyhood. It's been a centerpiece of the film's marketing, and the audience I saw it with were murmuring about it before the lights went down. While I was certainly intrigued by such a risky choice, it was how Linklater would use the real-life aging of his actors in service to the story and themes that brought me to the theater, and I was not only impressed, I was in emotional awe. Boyhood is the true definition of a magnum opus. It is such an achievement that I find it challenging to try and encapsulate everything that makes it so special, but I will try.

MOVIE REVIEW: SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR Is... Yeesh

I loved Sin City when it came out in 2005. It was serendipitous that, at the same time, I was beginning to delve into the world of graphic novels, discovering the works of essential artists like Alan Moore and Frank Miller. When Sin City came out, it hit my sweet spots all across the board. It was violent, seductive, visually fresh and passionate to the point of zealotry when it came to being faithful to the source material. I rewatched Sin City recently in anticipation for the sequel, and found that, while I wasn't as enamored as I once was, I still enjoyed it. I walked into Sin City: A Dame to Kill For with measured expectations, but I guess I should have lowered them a whole lot more.

MOVIE REVIEW: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Makes A Han Solo Spin-Off Film Gloriously Unnecessary

While most people now associate Star Wars with a deeply mythological reverence, the original 1977 film isn't really focused on cultivating that kind of aura. Instead, it's a hodgepodge of Buck Rogers, samurai stories and pulp adventure. That spirit is mostly channeled through Han Solo, a rogue who isn't necessarily a hero, but has enough charm and good in him to become one by the film's end. That same charm and adventure has been resurrected in Guardians of the Galaxy, the first sci-fi adventure film to really capture the flavor of the original Star Wars film, while still carving out a new corner in a completely original and curiosity-empowering universe.

MOVIE REVIEW: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Sets the Standard for What the Summer Blockbuster Should Aspire To

People often forget that the whole idea of the summer blockbuster started with Jaws, which is a film that is far more interested in character than it is with spectacular set-pieces and action. However, Jaws does have those things, and as time has worn on the spectacle of summer films have often been at the cost of character. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a rallying cry to the importance of focusing on creating great characters and letting that drive the plot rather than the other way around. In an age of soulless action fare like the Transformers series, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes feels like one of the most intelligent and adult pieces of genre entertainment available.

MOVIE REVIEW: SNOWPIERCER Is the Kind of Sci-Fi Film We Need: Entertaining While Also Being Important

Science fiction films these days that concentrate on their ideas more than their spectacle have mostly been lower budget productions. The days of seeing heady sci-fi at the multiplex seem long gone, replaced with flashy and bombastic spectacle that does nothing for the parts of your brain that utilize critical thinking. That's why a film like Snowpiercer needs to be seen. It proves that you can still make a great sci-fi film full of style, but without having to sacrifice any substance. In fact, Snowpiercer makes it clear that the substance is what informs the style, and not the other way around.

DREW'S VIEWS: The Horror Genre Needs A-List Pictures Again

I have opinions, predictions, rants, raves and other assorted ramblings about things other than movie reviews (but sometimes also about movies). This is my soapbox for them.

The subreddit r/horror is one of my favorite communities on the Internet. They often remind me of Devin Faraci's article over at CHUD.com: Why Horror Fans Make the Best Film Fans. I have had a number of fun and thoughtful conversations with the people at Dreadit (how can you not love that name?), but one post this past week put me into thinking overdrive. The question was, "Once the found footage wave dies down, what trend would you like to see next?" While most of the answers focused on seeing a specific genre return to prominence (ghost stories, werewolves, creature features etc.), it made me realize that something the horror genre (in America, at least. My knowledge of foreign horror trends isn't quite as strong) has been missing for a while is an A-list production.

MOVIE REVIEW: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Can Lay Claim to Being the First Actual X-Men Movie

Every X-Men movie up until First Class was really a Wolverine film in disguise. The main arc of the film always belonged to Logan, and his role as protagonist was never in question. Once the series began to reboot itself with First Class, the tone and direction changed sharply. Gone was the metallic and somewhat darker aesthetic cultivated in the previous films, and in came a fresh and lighter take on the material. Having the backdrop of the sixties helped bolster that mood, making First Class the most fun entry in the franchise. Still, First Class couldn't escape the need for a definitive protagonist, and since it was born out of the ashes of a planned Magneto prequel, it was that character who took on the bulk of the film's arc. This didn't make it bad at all, but it did undermine a bit of the feeling that we were finally going to get the team-family vibe that the other films hadn't focused on.

MOVIE REVIEW: I'm Not Mad at ROBOCOP (2014), I'm Just Disappointed

Full disclosure: The original RoboCop is my #2 favorite film of all time. While it is impossible for me to completely separate my intense bias for the original and my views on the remake, I will do my best to judge this new film on its own merits and not to fill this review with superfluous comparisons to the 1987 classic. However, the very nature of remaking a film invites comparison, so while I will undoubtedly reference the original film when I find it appropriate, I will attempt to keep such references at a minimum.

I'm not against remaking films. In fact, one of my most anticipated films of 2014 is the remake of the Japanese classic, Gojira (Godzilla to all of us gaijin). There is almost always a new and interesting way to tell an old story, even when it doesn't seem necessary. RoboCop (2014) seems utterly unnecessary, and it more than proves that it is, but what is ultimately disappointing about director Jose Padilha's new version is that there are so many original and thought-provoking ideas, but they end up getting suffocated by the very nature of the narrative and the fact that this is a RoboCop movie, which means the audience is supposed to expect certain things (or so the filmmakers believe).