The Meaning of J

 Re-evaluated: Cruising (1980)   I never considered reviewing an erotic thriller on Revaluated , less a film that I've never heard about before discovering it in any other media. However, with home media distributor Arrow Video releasing many cult films on excellent blu-ray releases, I may have found a plethora of movies to cover from their massive library of films. With Arrow Video providing plenty of great material to cover for this series, I decided to look at the 1980 Al Pacino erotic thriller Cruising.    Cruising was directed by William Friedkin, one of the figures of the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s, an era of filmmaking where young directors had complete creative over their films. Back then, film studios never intervened in the production, nor did they dictate mandates the director had to conform with to meet expectations. Friedkin had previously directed The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), both films winning him acclaim from criti...

 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...