FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

ANSEL FARAJ'S REEL'D IN: IMPRESSIONS OF FILM

Filmmaker Ansel (The Great Nick D/Todd Tarantula) Faraj's Reel'd In: Impressions of Film is an astonishing, 478-page curation of cinema reflections, where the author takes an unconventional approach to assessing the movies that impacted his life and profession. 

A substantial portion of the book is culled from Faraj's "Asylum of the Psychotronic" column, featured in the journal, We Belong Dead. The segments include ruminations on Dan Curtis' Dark Shadows, Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus, Dario Argento's Inferno, Roger Corman's The Trip, Curtis Harrington's Night Tide, William Castle's The Night Walker, Daniel Haller's The Dunwich Horror, Kasi Lemmons' Eve's Bayou, Jack Smight's Frankenstein: The True Story ... and Faraj's own acclaimed production, Loon Lake. These examples are complemented by edifying essays on Universal Monsters, Bela Lugosi's Ygor, Tod Browning's movies, haunted bedrooms, film-noir classics, MGM's Midnite Movies, kaiju wonders and young-adult, monster novellas. 

On one level, Faraj's reminiscing is reminiscent of the amicable approach found in Michael Weldon's The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film, but on another level, Faraj's sojourns perform as diary excerpts. This gives the combined parts a deeper, contemplative structure, one that's personal and sincere compared to the standard reviewing design, where fact-laden synopses rule the roost, but are often devoid of passion. 

Reel'd In is a volume that one will relish and revisit, not only for its down-to-earth insights, but because it's rather like spending time with a dear, perceptive friend, whose perspectives spring from a fountain of infinite wisdom.  

If you love movies (and wish to know more about them), Reel'd In: Impressions of Film is required reading and demands a permanent place in your library.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HD9VK7P8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

WISE WORDS:

 

HAPPY TEXAS CHAIN SAW DAY 2026 (8/18)

 

LANTERNS: THE HBO/DC SAGA

In brightest day, in blackest night, 

No evil shall escape my sight. 

Let those who worship evil's might, 

Beware my power ... Green Lantern's light.

*

HBO/DC's Lanterns is set to premiere, granting fans a pretty clear view of its melodramatic direction.

Most already know Lanterns is a dual deal, with Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan showing the ropes to Aaron Pierre's John Stewart. The duo faces inevitable encounters and clashes with Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, thus linking the show to James Gunn's new Superman franchise, as well as the parallel-tracked Peacemaker. As an added treat, Ulrich Thomsen enters as the sinister Sinestro: yet another bit of feels-right casting for this eight-part event.

We've been told the show will emphasize a "buddy" component, which will place it in the Lethal Weapon/Tango & Cash/Rush Hour category. I've no objection to that, since I do fancy such good-natured, quarrelsome team-ups. 

Most recent publicity indicates that the series will keep a traditional, crime-drama motif at its core, which strikes me as unorthodox in regard to Green Lantern lore, but maybe The Batman approach will prove prosperous in this instance. Such, combined with its buddy zeal, might even conjure an blanketing, Streets of San Francisco vibe, albeit with super-tech rings for crime-cracking enhancement. 

I've often thought that a television series based on the 1970s, Green Lantern/Green Arrow comics would hit the mark, considering its acclaimed handling of socio-political views, but on the other hand, if rendered at present, it would likely turn out biased, so what would be the point? Even so, if Lanterns is successful, something along those lines could emerge and as such, pave Oliver Queen's long-awaited, live-action return. Ah, dream on, right?

HBO lights its Lanterns this Sunday (August 16 at 9pm), with further episodes dropping weekly. I'll share my reflections when the season is through. 

PINUP TIME: LINDA HARRISON

 

I SAW THE END OF OAK STREET

The End of Oak Street is a sci-fi, interdimensional opus, written and directed by Robert Taylor (It Follows) Mitchell and coproduced by J.J. Abrams. Its premise is reminiscent of John "Bud" Cardos' The Day Time Ended, Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane and NBC's Land of the Lost. It also references such Rod Serling, Twilight Zone fables as "The Odyssey of Flight 33" (which in turn inspired Stephen King's The Langoliers) and (if only due to its suburban peril) "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." (I suppose Oak Street also harbors a brush of Earl Hamner's TZ offering, "A Stopover in a Quiet Town," in that it deals with displacement, capped by a colossal reveal.) 

In Oak Street's specific case, a 1982, Spielberg-ian neighborhood is transported (via explosions of bright light) into prehistoric times to face dinosaurs, many of which are feathered. (Heck, why not? I should think we all know by now that such colossal beasts evolved into birds.)

Focus falls on one family, the Platts, who consist of Anne Hathaway's Denise and Ewan McGregor's Greg and their children, Maisy Stella's Audrey and Christian Convery's Brian, in addition to their unruly dog, Starbuck. After the dimensional transition, the members are understandably on edge, but the parents do a decent job keeping their s*** together (despite a layering of wishy-washy, marital strife), thwarting and/or evading danger whenever and wherever they can, while still driving the tale's high-stakes, survivalist tension. 

Beyond how the dimensional rift occurred (with all the expected, wormhole theorizing attached), Oak Street isn't all that complicated, leaning on characterization to buffer it. That one cares about the family (and doesn't wish any member devoured) is a testament to its writing and performances. 

Michael Giacchino again supplies an effective score, in this case invoking John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith for its pivotal moments, and Michael Gioulakis' photography is nice and clear (with plenty of daylight scenes), going against the murky grain that mucks up too many modern, dinosaur adventures, whether big-budget or bargain-basement. And as far as the dinosaurs go, Industrial Light & Magic once more knocks it out of the park to deliver a magnificent and memorable, Jurassic-minded menagerie. 

I liked this one quite a bit and will probably like it even more when I revisit it. Its humans-vs-behemoths construction is comparable to the way good ol' giant-monster movies were once made: staged not for some sanctimonious message, but rather for simple, successful thrills.🦖