The Worst 13 – Rat Race

Rat Race 2001 Directed by Jerry Zucker Same disclaimer as always: this list is entirely a matter of personal taste, shaped by what I happen to respond to and not respond to on screen. If Rat Race is a movie you genuinely love, I'm not trying to argue you out of that. I'm just explaining … Continue reading The Worst 13 – Rat Race

The Worst 14 – Babe: Pig in the City

Babe: Pig in the City 1998 Directed by George Miller Before we get into it, the standard disclaimer applies: everything below is my own opinion, shaped by my own viewing experience, and none of it is meant as a knock on anyone who genuinely enjoys this movie. If you grew up with Babe: Pig in … Continue reading The Worst 14 – Babe: Pig in the City

The Worst 15 – The Fly II

The Fly II 1989 Directed by Chris Walas Before we get into it, the standard disclaimer applies: everything below is my own opinion, shaped by my own viewing experience, and none of it is meant as a knock on anyone who genuinely enjoys this movie. If you grew up with The Fly II on cable … Continue reading The Worst 15 – The Fly II

The Rules of Horror: Scream and Its Meta Approach to the Genre

There's a moment in the original Scream — released on December 20, 1996 — that I remember hitting me like a cold splash of water to the face. It's not the opening scene, though that's genuinely one of the greatest sequences in horror history. It's not the reveal of the killers, either. It's a quieter … Continue reading The Rules of Horror: Scream and Its Meta Approach to the Genre

Before the Cape: Supergirl, Sincerity, and Why We Decided to Hate It First

Before Supergirl ever reached theaters, thousands of people had already decided whether it deserved to succeed. That's a strange way to experience stories. Somewhere along the line, we stopped letting movies surprise us and started treating them like arguments we were expected to win. I saw Supergirl this weekend. I thought it was very good. … Continue reading Before the Cape: Supergirl, Sincerity, and Why We Decided to Hate It First

Surviving the Night: The Friday the 13th Saga

There is a specific kind of commitment required to watch all twelve Friday the 13th films. It is not the same commitment demanded by, say, reading Tolstoy or learning a second language. It is more the commitment of a person who has looked at the weekend stretching out before them, sighed contentedly, and decided that … Continue reading Surviving the Night: The Friday the 13th Saga