There are certain films that exist like fragments of a larger dream—half historical docudrama, half fever dream, and completely immersed in a singular mood. Ruby, the 1992 film directed by John Mackenzie, is one of those odd, uneven, yet strangely compelling entries. It’s a movie that reaches for meaning amid the madness of American conspiracy, … Read More “Ruby (1992): Conspiracy, Melancholy, and Sherilyn Fenn’s Glimmer in the Shadows” »
Diary of a Hitman, a 1991 neo-noir psychological drama directed by Roy London, is a film that slipped under the radar of most moviegoers when it was first released. Quietly nestled among the bigger and flashier thrillers of the early ’90s, this small-budget, stage-adapted crime film has since gained a kind of hushed reverence from … Read More “Diary of a Hitman (1991): A Bleak, Brutal Meditation on Violence and Redemption” »
There are some films that linger in the cultural imagination long after their release — haunting, inspiring, unsettling. Then there are films like Meridian, which linger for other reasons: confusion, regret, and the vague discomfort of wondering what, exactly, anyone was thinking. Directed by Charles Band and starring the captivating Sherilyn Fenn, Meridian is a … Read More “Meridian (1990): Beauty Meets the Beast, and the Beast Is This Movie” »
In the early spring of 1990, a strange show debuted on ABC. It had a murder mystery at its center, a dreamy-eyed FBI agent with a love for coffee, and a sleepy mountain town full of secrets. From the mind of surrealist director David Lynch and television veteran Mark Frost came Twin Peaks, a series … Read More “Twin Peaks: Where Dreams, Nightmares, and Cherry Pie Collide” »
If you’re going to make a steamy melodrama drenched in sweat, satin sheets, and slow-burning stares, you’d better cast someone who can carry it — not with dialogue, but with presence. Someone who can smolder on screen, make you forget the flaws in the script, and sell erotic longing with the tilt of a head … Read More “Two Moon Junction (1988): Southern Heat, Forbidden Desires, and the Untamed Magic of Sherilyn Fenn” »
In the pantheon of 1980s horror oddities, there’s a special corner reserved for films that had no business being bad — and yet managed to blow every opportunity they were given. Zombie High (1987) is one of those films. A genre mashup that squanders a promising cast, a juicy premise, and even the neon-soaked aesthetic … Read More “Zombie High (1987): How Do You Screw Up a Movie with Virginia Madsen and Sherilyn Fenn? Like This.” »
The 1980s was a decade that took genre blending to strange, often delightful extremes. It was a time when a teen revenge flick could fuse with supernatural horror, auto-racing action, post-apocalyptic fashion, and a love story powered by reincarnation. Into that beautifully chaotic cinematic stew came The Wraith, a 1986 film that bombed at the … Read More “The Wraith (1986): Death on Wheels, Love from the Beyond, and the Coolest Car You’ve Never Driven” »
When you think of the 1980s and skateboarding, a few iconic images come to mind — Tony Hawk and the Bones Brigade, Dogtown grit, and that freewheeling spirit that once defined the Southern California skate scene. What doesn’t come to mind, at least not fondly, is Thrashin’, a 1986 film that tried to cash in … Read More “Thrashin’ (1986): A Wipeout of a Skateboarding Movie” »
There are a lot of films from the 1980s that tried to crack the code of teenage life — its absurdities, awkwardness, and desires. Most followed a familiar formula: high school cliques, coming-of-age lessons, a crush or two, and a prom night crescendo. Some faded with time. Others became cult classics. But nestled somewhere between … Read More “Just One of the Guys (1985): A Smart, Funny, Gender-Bending Gem of the ‘80s” »
By all rights, The Wild Life should’ve been a hit. Written by Cameron Crowe, fresh off the success of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and directed by producer-turned-filmmaker Art Linson, the movie carried the promise of youthful debauchery, pop culture savvy, and California cool. Throw in a cast of up-and-comers (including a young Chris Penn … Read More “The Wild Life (1984): A Lukewarm Time Capsule of Teenage Recklessness” »
