The Meaning of J

 The Last House on the Left (1972)    Wes Craven (1939-2015) was an innovative horror director that left a lasting impression that endures in the world of horror cinema. He gave us one of the most enduring horror icons of the genre, in the form of Freddy Kruger, and gave us numerous horror classics such as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), and Scream (1996). His pioneering work in the horror genre included a brilliant blend of humor and cliches, oftentimes these films were satirical in nature, as evidenced in the Scream series. I never considered covering his work in one of my reviews, but I eventually decided to celebrate the great horror director by reviewing his directorial debut, and the lasting impact it left in the horror genre, The Last House on the Left (1972).    To offer some insight, The Last House on the Left came out at a time when exploitation flicks were all the rage in drive-ins and movie theaters. These movies exploi...

 Revaluated: Shrek the Third (2007)     For the sixth edition of Revaluated, we will be heading to the genre of animated movies, more specifically, animated sequels. I never planned on reviewing an animated film before. I had initially believed that animated features wouldn't make for great material for this series. But there are a plethora of animated movies that deserve coverage in this series. I decided to cover a film that I had adored as a child but looking back at it as an adult, I sigh at the thought of this particular film and say, "Oh damn, this did not age well." There is a laundry list of films that could fit that description. ( Scooby-Doo, Star Wars Episode 1, or Chicken Little ) But I ultimately decided to give coverage to one of DreamWorks Animation's low points, Shrek the Third.  Original Shrek design and Chris Farley (1964-1997)   Shrek needs no introduction at all, as anyone who grew up in the early 2000s knows who this lovable green o...

 Revaluated: A Cure for Wellness (2017)                          For the third edition of Revaluated,  we will be moving away from movies based on video games to the realm of psychological horror films. These movies emphasize mental, emotional, and psychological themes to mess with our heads and leave us with our jaws on the floor at the big reveal that  pays off from the well-crafted buildup in films like  Black Swan ,  The Silence of the Lambs ,  The Others , and  Psycho.   These movies rely on atmosphere and messing with the viewer's mind by exploiting the psychological fears in both the protagonist and the viewer, leaving the main threat to the viewer's imagination. With that said, let's take a look at the Gore Verbinski psychological horror flop,  A Cure for Wellness.    A Cure for Wellness is a 2017 psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski. He is best...

 Edge of the Axe (1988)  2020 Arrow Video release, excellent artwork by Justin Osbourn   It's not usual for me to purchase a film on blu-ray that I have never heard of, le t alone having seen said film before in any way. But as a blu-ray collector, I cannot resist the urge to pick a relatively obscure title that receives a high-quality release on blu-ray, specifically slasher movies from the 80s. I have a soft spot when it comes to these films. There's an enduring charm that makes these movies such a joy to watch. These movies can range from being surprisingly good to downright bad or criminally overlooked and forgotten classics of their genre. These films are provided by such home media distributors as Scream F actory, Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, and so many more. Let's look at the relatively forgotten Spanish-American slasher film  Edge of the Axe (1988).       I had first heard of this movie when Arrow Video  announced they would be rel...