The filmmaker, Ridley Scott is no stranger to sci-fi or action movies as the guy is responsible for the original "Alien", "Blade Runner", "Gladiator", etc. So, when his name shows up on a film, fans get intrigued. You have rising stars Jacob Elordi & Margaret Qualley with always reliable Josh Brolin, this is a film that at the very least, deserves to be seen. 

"The Dog Stars" is based of a novel off the same name from 2012, but hits close to home as the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a couple of random survivors at an abandoned airport create a living in a post-pandemic world and of course one (played by Jacob Elordi) seeks to find human connection and wants to venture of their base and risk it all to find other like-minded survivors. Josh Brolin plays the tough & hard survivalist who does not trust strangers and once Elordi's character takes off seeking human survivors, the film gets messy. The tone of the film is all over the place and while that's always not an issue, it seems Ridley Scott could not find a good balance tonal shifts. The build-up was slow, but that wasn't the problem. The first hour is mostly solid! Very sad & depressing for sure, but it was a solid start, but after Elordi's character leaves the base, the film just goes downhill from there unfortunately. 

The film flopped big time at the box office!  I think that the main reasons for the film flopping is the fact that this movie is difficult to market! It's a sci-fi action film, but marketing it as a "Mad Max" type film was a huge mistake. Also, the critics just tore it apart and the big issue was the "pandemic" plot! Audiences are just tired of hearing about pandemic stories! It's too intriguing to dismiss, but not good enough to recommend! There are some solid moments, but the second half of the film just goes off the rails in a bad way. With Ridley Scott being almost 90 years old, this could be one of his final films and even though the film isn't great, it's still interesting enough for a one time watch! 

Curry was a master of genre storytelling, widely celebrated for his dynamic range, theatrical charisma, and his unparalleled ability to bring eccentric, villainous, and campy characters to life. "Rocky Horror Picture Show", "It", "Annie" & "Home Alone 2" comes to most people's minds almost immediately. 

The best example of Curry's versatility came in 1985. He showed us his versatility and famously starred as the demonic Lord of Darkness in the fantasy film “Legend” and as Wadsworth the butler in the comedy mystery “Clue”. Fast forward five years later he memorably was cast as Pennywise in the TV min-series, "IT"! I could go on & on! Even if I didn't always truly enjoy the film or shows he was featured in, he would still captivate and steal the show! 

Let's not forget that Curry released three albums! ("Read My Lips" in 1978, "Fearless" in 1979, and "Simplicity" in 1981). His full musical discography is frequently cited as 4 albums, which includes his 1989 compilation album, "The Best of Tim Curry", alongside his iconic contributions to numerous original cast recordings and soundtracks.

Even though Curry had a massive stroke in 2012, he still remained dedicated to his craft, focusing primarily on voice acting and making memorable appearances at fan conventions. In October 2025, he shared his life story with the world by releasing his official memoir, "Vagabond." Upon the news of his passing, costars like Michael McKean and Lesley Ann Warren paid emotional tributes, praising him as a "magician of artistry" and a singular talent who brought immeasurable joy to audiences worldwide.

No human is immortal, but thankfully his performances were captured on film, so Tim Curry's genius lives on!!!

Watch how incredible he is in the fantasy cult classic, "Legend":

If you want to see the complete list, click here! I do agree with the choices of: "Bride Of Frankenstein", "The Godfather Part II", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", "Back To The Future Trilogy", etc. To me, "Kill Bill" is ONE FILM! The studio demanded Tarantino split the film into two parts, just to make more MONEY! 

See below for my "Greatest Film Sequels" picks (Yes some of them are the same as the list above):

"Sanjuro" (1962) Akira Kurosawa's masterful sequel to his 1961 masterpiece, "Yojimbo" is perhaps just as good and potentially the greatest sequel ever! That's what I said! 

"The Godfather Part II" (1974) Yes it's just as good as the first masterpiece (in my opinion). 

"For A Few Dollars More" (1965) & The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (1966)- These are the other two films in Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy"! These two "sequels" in particular outshine the first film, "A Fistful Of Dollars (1964) (which is technically a re-make of 1961's "Yojimbo).

"Oldboy" (2003) & "Lady Vengeance" (2005)- Park Chan-wook's entire "Vengeance Trilogy" are stunning masterpieces and I love all three films equally! 

"Before Sunset" (2004) & "Before Midnight" (2013)- Like "Back To The Future Trilogy" & "The Vengeance Trilogy", all three films are masterpieces! Perhaps the greatest work of Richard Linklater & Ethan Hawke's careers! 

"Back To The Future II" (1989) & "Back To The Future III" (1990)- The greatest films in award winner, Robert Zemeckis' career! All three are super and instantly re-watchable. 

This one is a real doozy and if you're staying in and beating the heat, this one I highly recommend!

"Strangers On A Train" was released 75 years ago and by now the plot sounds like something we've seen hundreds of times: two strangers that meet on a train and one discusses swapping murders, so neither gets caught! This plot device has been remade and parodied for years and has even been a couple of direct re-makes and even some of your favorite TV series: "Law & Order", "Castle" and even receiving the "Simpsons" spoof treatment! 

The film also kicked off Hitchcock's golden decade which would also include: "Rear Window", "Dial M For Murder", "Vertigo", etc.

If you'd like to hear our discussion about this film, then click the link below!

My first Martin Scorsese film experience was "Goodfellas" back in 1992 when I snuck the VHS tape into my parent's house (I got busted and the tape was taken away until my father deemed he was ready to share it with me). After that first viewing, I was hooked and wanted to see more of Scorsese's cinema. I believe "Taxi Driver" was my fourth or fifth Scorsese film! Like many, I saw the iconic: "You Talking To Me?" monologue in various film clips over the years and I was psyched when I was finally able to see it within it's context!

I've seen "Taxi Driver" countless times since and have been fortunate enough to see it on the big screen twice! I consider "Taxi Driver" Scorsese's third masterpiece and it somehow gets better, scarier & more relevant after each viewing! 

If you want to hear some of the crazy inspirations for the film, behind the scenes and more, then click on the link below!

The creepiness of Hitchhiker's is definitely not something new. "The Vanishing Hitchhiker" is an old folk tale, urban legend that may have roots in the medieval Europe or Roman times often appearing in tales of saints, and adapting from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles as transportation changed, becoming a widespread modern urban legend about ghostly figures who vanish after getting a ride, often revealing they died long ago.  The tales would often serves as a caution against picking up strangers and driving at night, sometimes reflecting on purity or "bad" behavior. There's countless stories out there for sure and this cult classic film combines many of the American Hitchhiker urban legend tales and most definitely inspired by film noir classics: notably 1945's "Detour" & "The Hitch-Hiker" from 1953. Interestingly enough, Eric Red, the screenwriter was inspired to write the screenplay after driving cross country and hearing The Doors classic, "Riders On The Storm". The lyrics, " there's a killer on the road" in particular struck him.

If you want to hear my in-depth analysis of the film, click on the link below!

 There are a number of factors: 20th Century Fox didn't market the film well (to say the least) as they didn't seem to know how to sell this movie as the genre combo was unique back in 1986! Because of this, the test screenings were an apparent disaster. Also, this film might've performed better if it was released in the Spring or Fall movie season, instead of 4th of July Weekend!

The true test for any movie is TIME! "Big Trouble In Little China" certainly has thanks not only to HBO but also home video. The film's highly quotable, the "leading man & side-kick" genre stereotype is turned on it's head, there's tons of laugh out loud moments and plenty of action for fans of the genre. 

This is my personal favorite film from John Carpenter. Most choose "Halloween" Or "The Thing", but for me this is the best film Carpenter's ever done! Listen to my analysis and history of the film below!

The novel was purchased by Hollywood as a vehicle for 20th Century Fox star, Tyrone Power! Power had just served in WW2 and was known for his swashbuckling, romantic leading man roles. He got his way and was the star of the film , which had a significant budget which was unusual for a 'film noir". The film unfortunately received mixed reviews and flopped big-time at the box office and wasn't even available on home video until 2005!!!

Fast forward to 2021, award winning filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro released his adaptation with an all-star cast including: Bradley Cooper (in the leading role), Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara & Willem Dafoe! This version didn't have the hopeful Hollywood ending of the original. This adaptation was just as bleak as Gresham's novel!  Like the 1947 film, this one bombed at the box office!

Both film versions released lavish home video releases courtesy of the Criterion Collection! If you want to hear me go deep into the history of the novel and the film versions, then click below!