Jaws: The Revenge (1987, Joseph Sargent), the international version
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 4, 2016
If only there were something remarkable about Jaws: The Revenge. Just one thing terrible enough about it to make it somehow interesting. Jaws: The Revenge is unremarkably bad in its unremarkable badness. As the opening titles rolled, with shark POV of a New England harbor, I wanted it to be some ki read more
[BASP] An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997, Arthur Hiller)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 4, 2016
The Best of An Alan Smithee Podcast: Episode Thirty An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997, Arthur Hiller) Originally posted: May 5, 2014 Subscribe via iTunes. read more
Highlander: The Source (2007, Brett Leonard)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 3, 2016
I wish there were nice things to say about Highlander: The Source. I wish every statement didn’t have to have a qualifier. For example, Adrian Paul is almost fine. He’s got a badly written part but he’s game for it. Same goes for Peter Wingfield, who’s a little less almost f read more
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016, Zach Snyder), the ultimate edition
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 2, 2016
The extended version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t just the extended version of Batman/Superman, it’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: The Ultimate Edition. There’s a second subtitle on the thing. It’s doubling down on the idea the extended cut in the post-D read more
The Hunger (1983, Tony Scott)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 1, 2016
A lot of The Hunger is so exquisitely directed by Scott, it almost seems like there’s nothing the narrative could do to mess it up. His Panavision composition is precise, fixated on the small detail, whether it’s David Bowie’s stubble or Catherine Deneuve’s sunglasses. These read more
The Deadly Mantis (1957, Nathan Juran)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 29, 2016
The best directed parts of The Deadly Mantis are when the film is propaganda for the military. Director Juran–and editor Chester W. Schaeffer–show more enthusiasm when putting together those brief expository segments than they do anywhere else in the film. Given it’s about a giant read more
She’s Dressed to Kill (1979, Gus Trikonis)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 27, 2016
She’s Dressed to Kill is a simultaneously a perfect TV movie and a disappointment. It’s a murder mystery set on an isolated mountain; Eleanor Parker is a recluse fashion designer who has a show and the attendees can’t stop being murdered. Only the killer has followed the attendees read more
[BASP] KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978, Gordon Hessler) / Detroit Rock City (1999, Adam Rifkin)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 27, 2016
The Best of An Alan Smithee Podcast: Episode Twenty-seven KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978, Gordon Hessler) / Detroit Rock City (1999, Adam Rifkin Originally posted: April 8 2014 Subscribe via iTunes. r read more
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, George Roy Hill)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 27, 2016
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens with a sepia-toned silent film newsreel. It’s exposition, but also contrast. The silent images of a daring train robbery distract from reading the film’s accompanying opening titles. When the film itself starts, it’s just as sepia-toned. On read more
Highlander: Endgame (2000, Douglas Aarniokoski)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 27, 2016
For all intents and purposes, there’s nothing nice to say about Highlander: Endgame. Maybe there’s an almost all right moment between Lisa Barbuscia and Adrian Paul. They’re married, but estranged. They’re both immortal, something he didn’t tell her before killing her read more
Creepshow (1982, George A. Romero)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 27, 2016
Creepshow is an homage to 1950s horror comic books. Director Romero and writer Stephen King go out of their way to make it feel like you’re reading one of those comics. It’s about the anticipation. The terror isn’t promised, it’s inevitable. So watching Creepshow is about wa read more
City of the Living Dead (1980, Lucio Fulci)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 22, 2016
City of the Living Dead isn’t really about a city of the living dead, more an unincorporated municipality of the living dead. An unincorporated municipality of the living dead is far less scary than a city of the living dead. Though the film is rarely scary. It’s occasionally gory, even read more
Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 22, 2016
The least violent part of Reservoir Dogs is the bloodiest. One of the characters is in a pool of blood, slipping on it as he delivers his dialogue. Director Tarantino finds a moment of Shakespearian tragedy and builds a film to it. He uses stylish ultra-violence, Dogs is visceral with the blood, bu read more
[BASP] The Fly (1986, David Cronenberg) / The Fly II (1989, Chris Walas)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 21, 2016
The Best of An Alan Smithee Podcast: Episode Twenty-seven The Fly (1986, David Cronenberg) / The Fly II (1989, Chris Walas) Originally posted: February 7, 2014 Subscribe via iTunes. read more
Freedomland (2006, Joe Roth)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 21, 2016
I didn’t see Freedomland when it came out because I loved the novel and Richard Price adapting the novel or not, the movie’s cast and crew aren’t encouraging it. No movie directed by Joe Roth should inspire confidence, especially not one about racism. Freedomland is about racism. read more
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956, John Sherwood)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 20, 2016
The Creature Walks Among Us is a surprising disappointment. It never has potential exactly, but it does have something. Arthur A. Ross’s script is rather good for this production. Right off, Ross has decent science dialogue. His character interactions are good. And then it’s clear the c read more
Caged (1950, John Cromwell)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 19, 2016
Max Steiner does the music for Caged, which is strange to think about because Caged barely has any music. Director Cromwell instead emphasizes the silence, especially as the film opens. Right after the opening credits, which do have music, Caged gets very quiet. “Silence” reads all the read more
Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994, Andrew Morahan), the European version
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 19, 2016
About the only complementary thing in Highlander: The Final Dimension is Steven Chivers’s photography. The film’s got a terrible color palette, which isn’t a surprise since all of director Morahan’s decisions are bad, but Chivers never lets the film look cheap. It’s cl read more
Windstruck (2004, Kwak Jae-young)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 19, 2016
Narratively, Windstruck falls apart in the last thirty-five minutes. Director Kwak’s screenplay stops and starts–not vignettes really, but definitely episodic. Leads Jun Ji-hyun and Jang Hyuk have their romantic courtship, which gets off to a rocky start as police officer Jun confuses J read more
The Great Muppet Caper (1981, Jim Henson)
The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 17, 2016
The Great Muppet Caper is rather easy to describe. It’s joyous spectacle. The film has four screenwriters and not a lot of story. Instead, it’s got some fabulous musical numbers. Director Henson really goes for old Hollywood musical, complete with Miss Piggy doing an aquatic number. It read more