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Embracing Diablo’s Culls
I rewatched Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects this past weekend, and though at film’s conclusion I was told by my wife (who hadn’t seen it before) that I’m “messed up” for liking it so much, I remain convinced of its near-greatness. And I don’t mean “great” in an ironic or campy sense, either. I honestly…
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Some Evolution
For reviews of most of this weekend’s new releases, check out the site’s right sidebar. And for a review of the wisely-not-screened-for-critics Underworld: Evolution, look below, where it’s joined by reviews of three upcoming films, including the sturdy Nick Cave-penned revisionist Western The Proposition. This Weekend: Underworld: Evolution (Slant magazine) Next Week: Imagine Me &…
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Hell Up in Harlem (1973): C
Made on the quick and cheap to cash in on Black Caeser’s popularity, Hell Up in Harlem lacks nearly everything that made its predecessor so groovy – a coherent (if clumsy) visual scheme, a forceful social consciousness, and James Brown’s funkadelic “Paid Tha Cost to Be the Boss.” Shot on weekends while writer/director Larry Cohen…
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Black Caesar (1973): B+
Refashioning the 1940s Warner Bros. gangster picture for the 1970s blaxploitation era, Larry Cohen once again plumbs the depths of American racial tensions with Black Caesar, a crime saga suffused with socio-political resentment and enlivened by James Brown’s classic soul-funk soundtrack. While freelancing for the mob, shoeshine boy Tommy Gibbs suffers a brutal beating at…
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Bone (1972): B
As his entitled, spendaholic wife Bernadette (Joyce Van Patten) sunbathes nearby, Beverly Hills used-car salesman Bill (Andrew Duggan) discovers in his swimming pool a giant black rat. This unwanted animal trespasser, however, isn’t nearly as dangerous as Bone (Yaphet Kotto), an imposing African-American thief and rapist who appears shortly thereafter to terrorize the couple. In…
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Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990): A-
While its predecessor boasted a healthy share of allusions, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a smorgasbord of shout-outs to seemingly anything and everything that popped into director Joe Dante and screenwriter Charles Haas’ heads. A manic free-for-all that exudes – from its pre-credits intro featuring Bugs, Daffy and Porky – the rambunctious spirit of…
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Golden Globe-athon
For my first significant This Multiplexed World post, I thought I’d pay tribute to the best sports columnist in the country – ESPN’s Sports Guy – by doing a running diary for last night’s 63rd annual Golden Globes awards. As a disclaimer, I should state that I dislike awards shows in general, and the usually…
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This Multiplexed World
Well, after much consideration and even more prodding from a few certain friends, I’ve decided to add a component to this blog that’s more, well, bloggish. Thus, I introduce This Multiplexed World. Named in honor of Tom Tomorrow’s peerless political comic strip, it’ll be an unruly film-centric forum for my random thoughts, musings and tirades…
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Do Bad, Not Glory
Four new reviews to close out the week, including Disney’s latest crummy sports story Glory Road, 1972’s eerie Oscar-winning doc Marjoe (now getting a limited NYC re-release), and Criterion’s decent DVD for Akira Kurosawa’s underrated The Bad Sleep Well. Out Today: Glory Road (Slant magazine) Marjoe (Slant magazine) Next Friday: Pizza (Slant magazine) In Stores…
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Gremlins (1984): B+
While most children of the ‘80s vividly remember Gremlins’ signature moments – the three crucial rules regarding the care of a Mogwai, the microwaving incident that helped usher in the MPAA’s PG-13 rating, the Scrooge-ish wicked witch Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) riding a runaway stair-climbing chair – rarely does anyone seem to remark upon the…
