Friday, August 21, 2026
TERMINATOR 2: IT'S JUDGMENT DAY ONCE MORE, VIA FATHOM EVENTS
One of the greatest sequels ever made returns to theaters for one night only (August 28), to celebrate its 35th-anniversary release in 4K, RealD 3D, thanks to Fathom Events (in conjunction with StudioCanal and Rialto Pictures).
James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day was an earth-shaking smash in 1991, and its thunderous impact has never faded. Its spellbinding effects are a huge part of why it endures, and its plot swings things in a unique direction from the original, as a heroic cyborg protects young John Connor from a liquefied, shape-shifting entity that wants the boy dead.
T2's cast emboldens the explosive thrills, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick and Joe Morton in the top slots. The performers create a palpable, emotional intensity throughout, which reinforces their engulfing escapade.
It'll sure be great to catch this mega-blockbuster again on the big screen. Opportunities like this don't come often, so why not seize Judgment Day and enjoy it in the way it was meant to be seen--big, bold and sprawling!
Check your local listings for theaters and showtimes.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
I SAW MUTINY (2026)
Jason Statham movies deliver the goods and are a breath of fresh air among the suffocating, "sensitive" dreck Hollywood peddles, which isn't all that sensitive, considering its bigoted views and anti-virile pledges.
The latest Statham entry, Mutiny, coproduced by its star, directed by Jean-Francois (Plane) Richet and written by J.P. Davis and Lindsay Michel, features the successful, action hero as Cole Reed, a security officer/bodyguard for a compassionate entrepreneur named Taren, played by Jason Wong, who's murdered in Reed's presence, with Reed framed for the deed.
The resolute Reed sets forth to clear his name, which leads him to a cargo ship and a human-trafficking ring (all set for Reed's "mutinous" reveal). This heinous criminality, which reflects a monstrous practice that continues to plague our real-life, modern world, is administered by Roland Moller's Captain Marko Madsen, a coldhearted son of a bitch, who one will relish hating.
The plot captures aspects of Statham's The Beekeeper and A Working Man, but it also grazes The Fugitive and Warning Shot (an underrated 1960s melodrama that stars the star of the original, Fugitive series, David Janssen). As much as Reed is required to beat up the bad guys, he must also peel away layers to unveil why his friend was killed (and sometimes those details come more by accident than plan). Moreover, he must help those who've been captured, which is truly the ultimate point of the story. (This angle could have been--should have been--the official slant of Daredevil Born Again: Season 2.) I suppose the approach makes Mutiny a semi murder-mystery with a righteous cause, albeit of the high-adrenalin, Die Hard/Under Siege sort.
Though Statham and Moller rule the roost at opposite ends, the rest of the cast, including the aforementioned Wong, gives worthy support and includes Annabelle (Malignant/The Mummy 2017) Wallis, Chaniel Kular, Adrian Lester, Steven Blades and Arnas Fedaravicius. Their foundation is a commendable one, but not enough to eclipse Statham/Reed's recompensing thunder.
One might argue that the cause and effect of Reed's exploit isn't as important as its execution, which is tight and fight-oriented, with fists and bullets flying at a steady rate. It has the right, formidable verve to please its intended, male audience: something that certain sensitive factions will denounce, but trust me, this one fills the principled bill, just as a John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Chuck Norris movie would back in the day (and still would).
I hope Mutiny does well, and the odds favor such, considering Statham's popularity and this movie's revealing message. It would be great to see more such examples, delivered by Statham or others of comparable fortitude. Lord knows we need this type of entertainment in this insufferable, socio-political, age of sympathy-for-the-devil pretension.✊
THE KNOW-IT-ALLS OF OAK STREET
It amazes me how the know-it-alls (the self-proclaimed oracles) feel fit to judge why a movie flopped.
The latest, infuriating example relates to David Robert Mitchell's time-travel/dinosaur picture, The End of Oak Street. Know-it-alls claim that its lackluster, ticket sales are due to the following: It's too violent/gory for general, family consumption or it's too carefree for its own good, working off the ol' sappy, Amblin strand. Others claim that the two aesthetics clash: a recipe for melodramatic disaster.
Hmmm. How are these explanations viable if a large number of people didn't bother to see the movie? Could basic word of mouth be the cause, but then word of mouth implies that a hardy sum of people saw the movie to besmirch it. Also, would it not underperform more so during its second week than at its outset?
Here's a radical notion: Oak Street got lost in the shuffle, since Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey remain the big, box-office draws. In other words, maybe it's more the timing that's hurt Oak Street and not its execution. (If one may recall, in 1982, Blade Runner, The Thing and Tron were considered flops, though that was only because they were released among E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Poltergeist, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Road Warrior and Rocky III, all of which had secured the spotlight, along with consistent audiences.)
Ah, but the know-it-alls know better than me. They've nailed this one, even though I bet most haven't even seen the movie. They've most likely relied on clips and pre-publicity nuggets to form their uninformed opinions, but that's more than enough for the know-it-alls to spout off. As always, logic isn't part of their clumsy creed. They know because, well, they know!
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE
When it comes to Amicus anthologies, The House That Dripped Blood summons maximum scares. As such, the always attentive Nige Burton & Jamie Jones have fashioned an adoring, 36-pg, Classic Monsters of the Movies edition for this famed, creepy, star-studded curation.
The House That Dripped Blood was produced by Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg, directed by television's prolific Peter Duffell and written by Robert (Psycho) Bloch (adapted from his published works). Their collaboration weaves a wicked blend of moralistic fright and sinister comedy.
The authors do a fine job critiquing the tales, each of which springs from a mysterious, old home, as relayed by a concerned police sergeant to a hardened, Scotland Yard inspector. The accounts include a horror author whose fictional character begins to influence his behavior; two gents drawn to a wax, Salome figure, which resembles a shared, lost love from their past; a girl who uses witchcraft on her callous father; and an arrogant, horror star who obtains an antique cape that transforms him into a veritable vampire.
The cast is phenomenal, and Burton & Jones supply informative bios on the participants. They include Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Jon Pertwee, Denholm Elliott, Joanna Dunham, John Bennett, Joss Ackland, Chole Franks, Tom Adams, Geoffrey Bayldon and Nyree Dawn Porter: indeed, a tip-top queue and (obviously) with a few who've more than made their mark in the imagi-field.
In so many ways, Burton & Jones' effort is as enjoyable as watching the actual film, but in the least, the edition works as a handy and fun, photo-laden supplement to it.
Order yours at
I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES SALUTE
The "ultimate edition" of Classic Monsters of the Movie's I Was a Teenage Frankenstein has landed, and the 36-pg release performs as an ideal companion piece to the publisher's I Was a Teenage Werewolf edition (see January 2024 post), thanks to the detailed-oriented Nige Burton & Jamie Jones and their creative production team.
As fans are aware, Teenage Frankenstein launched Gary Conway's career, much in the way that Teenage Werewolf launched Michael Landon's. Burton & Jones acknowledge Conway's prevalent presence in this respect, capped by his portrayal of Captain Steve Burton in Irwin Allen's sci-fi classic, Land of the Giants.
Though Conway's impressive resume is emphasized, the authors also give credit to others who brought Teenage Frankenstein to life, including director Herbert L. Strock, writers Herman Cohen and Abel Kanden and composer Paul Dunlap.
Additionally, they supply a rundown on the movie's superb, supporting cast, headlined by Whit Bissell, aka Professor Frankenstein, who portrayed the hypnotic Dr. Alfred Brandon in Teenage Werewolf, as well as having costarred in Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Time Machine (1960 & 1978), The Time Tunnel and Soylent Green. Plus, the authors add pleasing bios on Phyllis (The Adventures of Superman/Panther Girl of the Congo) Coates, Robert (The Slime People/Invasion of the Animal People/The 50 Foot Bride of Candy Rock) Burton, George (The Werewolf/Adventures of Captain Marvel) Lynn and John (The Siege of Red River/The Asphalt Jungle) Cliff, among others.
Teenage Frankenstein was designed to be gruesome, and the authors acknowledge its jarring tapestry, in particular the creature's unsettling assembly. (Of course, the monster's mangled appearance speaks for itself: the utter stuff of nightmares.)
I sure do hope that Burton & Jones tackle How to Make a Monster, Blood of Dracula (aka Blood Is My Heritage), and Invasion of the Saucer Men for future editions, but for now, their terrific tributes to Teenage Frankenstein and Teenage Werewolf should more than stoke one's adolescent quirks and primal desires:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)