Bob Rafelson and a great ensemble cast demonstrate that Atlantic City during the winter in the 1970s is a terrible time and place to hatch a madcap real estate scheme.
Author: Matt S.
Occasional writer, media dabbler.
Blood Hands (1990)
The rare b-grade action film that delivers what its title promises and its box art fails to convey: actual blood on actual hands!
Face Value (1981)
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but transparent masks are visually disturbing. In this 1981 short film, they transform a simple story with stiff dialogue into an otherworldly and unsettling nine minutes of moralistic terror.
Devil’s Express (1976)
All of the genre elements of this film — martial arts, blaxploitation, gang warfare, police procedural, and man-in-a-suit monster tropes — work well individually and in combination. Of course they do! People are out there eating Mountain Dew & Doritos donuts for fuck’s sake.
Parole Violators (1994)
This is an action film featuring the sort of hero who strains spaghetti on his kitchen countertop instead of doing it in the sink, and gets hit by two speeding cars in a row before bounding off into the woods like a fucking deer.
Crime Killer (1985)
American cowboys have whisky, James Bond has the martini, and Euro-Cops have J&B. The Greek protagonist of 1985’s CRIME KILLER, has ouzo, the anise-flavored liqueur best served before, during, or after a meal.
Iron Thunder (1989)
A kickboxing movie which teaches us that even if your father hates your lifestyle choices, and your karate teacher threatens to kill you over your accomplishments, and your girlfriend sees no future with you, you should still pursue your dreams.
One Got Fat (1963)
Bizarre, terrifying, and humorous, 1963’s ONE GOT FAT is a horror movie masquerading as a bike safety film.
The Master Demon (1991)
Have you ever seen a cinematic hero voluntarily crash through a patio door window to jump-kick a guy standing in a living room with no furniture? THE MASTER DEMON may be your only chance.
Shake Hands with Danger (1980)
Nearly two decades after creating the horror classic, CARNIVAL OF SOULS, director Herk Harvey terrified machinery operators the world over with this violent safety film.
Night Vision (1987)
An aspiring writer arrives in the big city. The arrival of a mysterious VCR and television in his room correlates with a manic wave of creativity that may not be entirely fiction.
Memory Vault: Curating Community Access Television
Community Vault was a one-night showcase of community media from local-access stations across my home state that ranged from the absurd to the incredibly poignant.
Lethal Ninja (1991)
The criminal activity in Chinatown is escalating and the city’s police department doesn’t have enough resources. Violent gangs perform complex Tai Chi routines with impunity. Thugs in latex Halloween masks kidnap kids in broad daylight. Only a hero with a simple plan can make things right. 1991’s LETHAL NINJA spreads the havoc.
Dance or Die (1987)
DANCE OR DIE is that rare American independent film that wants us to look at a table full of narcotics and say, “Ha! Cocaine! No big deal.”
The Occult: An Echo from Darkness (1972)
Years before it was a hotbed of technological innovation and unaffordable housing, the San Francisco Bay Area was the “headquarters of occult and metaphysical activity in the United States.” This is just one of many bizarre assertions by the creators of the 1972 religious short film, THE OCCULT: AN ECHO FROM DARKNESS, that makes it perfect viewing for the spooky season.
Death Ray Dive 