Per its tagline, “This is not a sequel. There has never been anything like it. Before watching Russ Myers’ Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (BVD), put aside anything you know, love or hate about the 1967 film Valley of…
Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) wanted nothing more for his sixth birthday than a large-sized, talking “Good Guy” doll. But widowed working mom Karen (Catherine Hicks) didn’t have enough advanced notice of her son’s birthday wish to save the $100 dollars…
Originally aired on November 17th and 24th in 1979, Salem’s Lot was the second adaption of a Stephen King novel, following the theatrical release of Brian De Palma’s Carrie, in 1976. While its status as a TV miniseries presented certain…
The latest offering from director Nicolas Winding Refn, Neon Demon is his version of a horror film, filled with pulsating music and florescent lighting. Whatever. A cutting commentary on the fashion industry, The Neon Demon is pretentious and boring. Horror…
“So bad it’s awesome.” That, aside from my fondness for Patty Duke, is how I often explain why I enjoy watching Valley of the Dolls once every year or two. Based on the bestselling novel by Jacqueline Susann, Valley of…
Reprising his Tony Award-winning role as Lyndon Johnson in the HBO adaptation of Robert Schenkkan’s play All the Way, Bryan Cranston continues to show he’s one of the most talented actors working today. President Johnson was a big, physical man…
Back in 2014, Time-Life/StarVista released the legendary TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on DVD, over thirty years after it first aired. While I reviewed the three disc set back then, with the deluxe six disc set soon to…
A classically trained musical genius and Black Power icon, Nina Simone has influenced scores of other musicians, from John Lennon to Adele. Born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, N.C., Simone began playing piano at age 3. Showing talent from the start,…
While critics and audiences praised The Iron Giant when it arrived in theaters back in 1999, it wasn’t considered a box office success, with a budget of $70-$80 million and a box office take of $31.3 million. Through home video…
While Now You See Me wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, the film grossed $351.7 million, four times as much as its $75 million budget. It’s likely the film would have grossed more if they hadn’t filled the cast with such high priced talent. A sequel came as no surprise. With Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) taking over directing duties from Louis Leterrier, this is a flashier affair, reminiscent of the “Ocean’s” films.