The Godfather (1972)

M odern cinema simply could not exist as it is without The Godfather. Francis Coppola's masterpiece redefined the width and depth that movies could explore, and inspired a million imitations and homages along the way. No film has ever distilled disparate elements so well: Arthouse ambition melds with pure popcorn entertainment. Nouvelle Vague flourishes flow through the dimensions…

ByTodd WoffordJanuary 30, 20240Comments

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Gremlins (1984)

G remlins attracts more clashing adjectives than any other blockbuster of its era: It's both cute and disturbing. Clever, but also idiotic. There's Christmas cheer, but it's coated with the bubbling slime of Halloween. All this adds up to a movie that's fun, but...weird. I grew up watching Gremlins, but I can't say with certainty that…

ByTodd WoffordDecember 20, 20230Comments

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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

I n The Nightmare Before Christmas, producer Tim Burton and director Henry Selick deliver an amiably grimy little world, perfectly content with its own gurgling, soot-stained aesthetic. The monstrous characters smile and sing to one another, as if they’re goth outcasts from a bigger, shinier Disney production. All this adds up to a Christmas movie for the weirdo…

ByTodd WoffordDecember 13, 20230Comments

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Hook (1991)

H ook must've had an elevator pitch for the ages: Imagine a sequel to Peter Pan, starring Robin Williams as an adult version of the character. Next, add Dustin Hoffman as an aging Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell. Now, let's seal it with Steven Spielberg in the director's chair and John Williams in front…

ByTodd WoffordDecember 6, 20230Comments

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Trolls Band Together (2023)

A fter three movies, the Trolls franchise has settled deep into formula: Take a legion of fuzzy, butt-wiggling Happy Meal toys and build them a Spotify playlist of FM hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Add a vibrant palate of a million Candy Crush colors and…voila! You’ve got a passably entertaining experience for kids and grown-ups alike. Band…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 28, 20230Comments

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Double Impact (1991)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." S o sayeth the Old Testament. Indeed, it turns out the best person to mold Jean-Claude Van Damme into a precise killing machine is another Jean-Claude Van Damme. With that wisdom in mind, we get Double Impact, wherein duplicate Belgian ass-kickers stare each other down and flex their oily…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 22, 20230Comments

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Adaptation (2002)

A daptation is a dazzling blur of a movie, wherein clashing genres and emotions swirl in a furious cyclone of audacity and ambition. Comedy mixes with drama, fiction blends with fact, and sheer cockiness dukes it out with startling vulnerability to form a strange, ungainly masterwork. The resulting story defies easy description, alternating seamlessly between…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 15, 20230Comments

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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

W hen the Osage struck oil in Oklahoma, it seemed they would be the first tribe to gain real leverage against the federal government. Instead, all these instant riches simply brought a different form of destruction. In the years that followed this initial oil boom, a legion of lecherous, treacherous hyenas began to circle the…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 9, 20230Comments

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Twins (1988)

I t probably wasn't, but I like to imagine that Twins was concocted by coked-out studio executives on a beach somewhere. Slathered in sunscreen and blathering out of their minds, the idea pops up after the fourth mai-tai: Twins--separated at birth! Only, one is played by Conan the Barbarian, and the other by that little smartass…

ByTodd WoffordNovember 8, 20230Comments

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The Crow (1994)

T he Crow will be forever defined by the tragedy that occured during its production. On March 31st, 1993, star Brandon Lee was shot and killed on the set, the result of a mishandled prop gun. The film was around 80% complete, so the work was finished with the help of stunt doubles, crafty editing, and…

ByTodd WoffordOctober 31, 20230Comments