The Sacrament: Found Footage in Jonestown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM56RubwTHg The Sacrament. 2014. Directed & Written by Ti West. Starring Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Kate Lyn Sheil, Gene Jones, and Kentucker Audley. Magnet Releasing. Rated R. 95 minutes. Horror/Thriller ★★★★★ Previously I discussed The Sacrament in my 15 Found Footage Films Worth Watching. Here, I'll go much more in-depth on why I think this …

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The Guest is like a Young Terminator in Post-Blackwater Era

The Guest. 2014. Directed by Adam Wingard. Written by Simon Barrett. Starring Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser, and Lance Reddick. Picturehouse. Rated 14A. 99 minutes. Action/Mystery/Thriller ★★★★★ To begin, I've been a fan of Adam Wingard a long while. I think the first time I actually saw one of his …

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Prisoners: Guzikowski & Villeneuve Subvert the Usual Thriller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kWeHtI63jc Prisoners. 2013. Dir. Denis Villeneuve. Written by Aaron Guzikowski. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. Warner Brothers Pictures. 14A. 153 minutes. Drama/Mystery/Thriller ★★★★★ (Movie) ★★★ (Blu ray release) Denis Villeneuve has been on my radar ever since I was first able to see Polytechnique; a …

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Nightcrawler & the Vulture-like News Media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uP_8VJkDQ Nightcrawler. 2014. Directed & Written by Dan Gilroy. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed. Elevation Pictures. Rated 14A. 117 minutes. Crime/Thriller ★★★★★ Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler is a bit of an unusual film. First off, Gilroy has never directed a feature film, or anything else to my knowledge. His start came with screenwriting. …

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Late Phases is Modern Werewolf Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJgXfzSYehk Late Phases. 2014.  Dir. Adrián García Bogliano. Screenplay by Eric Stolze. Starring Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, and Lance Guest. Dark Sky Films/Glass Eye Pix. Not Rated. 95 minutes. Horror ★★★★★ Werewolf movies are a real hit or miss for me. That being said, I love a good werewolf flick. If it's done right. The problem …

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Dario Argento’s Deep Red: Vibrant Blood & Mystery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO8dtFwvu-Q Profondo Rosso/Deep Red.  1975.  Dir. Dario Argento.  Starring David Hemmings, Macha Meril, Dario Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Giuliana Calandra, Glauco Mauri, Clara Calamai, and Piero Mazzinghi.  Rizzoli Film.  18+.  126 minutes. ★★★★★ (Film) ★★★★★ (Blue Underground Blu ray release) Not having seen every single one of Dario Argento's films, but many, I can't necessarily compare …

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is Celluloid Terror

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgJQvyngAeM The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.  1974.  Dir.  Tobe Hooper.  Starring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, Wiliam Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen.  Vortex.  18+.  83 minutes. ★★★★★ Between a mix of Tobe Hooper's raw filmmaking style, and my ability to empathize fairly well, I was absolutely shaken when …

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Ken Russell’s THE DEVILS: Blood, Faith, Heresy, Sex

This infamous 1971 Ken Russell picture will forever live on in wonderful heresy.