Elf

Buddy, an orphan raised by Santa’s elves, travels to New York City to meet his biological father. Elf can be somewhat of a polarizing movie, you either love it or you hate it. And, typically, it boils down to whether or not you can tolerate Will Ferrell at his most manic. I love the movie. I think it’s a modern-day Christmas classic. From the homages to Rankin/Bass’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the incredible supporting cast, which includes Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen and Peter Dinklage. It’s a charming movie that can be enjoyed by anyone from age eight to eighty.

Rating: Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree%

Secret Santa Rating: 80%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Manhattan Baby

aka Eye of the Evil Dead

On a trip to Egypt with her archaeologist father, a young girl is given an amulet by a strange woman. At the same time, while exploring a mysterious tomb, her father is blinded by some mystical lights. After returning home to New York, the young girl and her brother begin acting odd and people close to the family start to disappear. Lucio Fulci's Manhattan Baby isn't a particularly straightforward movie. The tone is all over the map and it's difficult to follow at times. It's also a little boring. The music is occasionally loud and discordant but will lapse into jazzy saxophone noodling from time to time to remind the audience that the movie is taking place in New York. There's very little blood and gore in the movie, except for a sequence where a man is attacked by some stuffed birds. Yes, you read that correctly, stuffed birds. It's actually kinda cool.

Rating: 52%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Vampire in Brooklyn

Maximillian, a centuries-old vampire, travels from the Caribbean to New York City to find Rita, a half-vampire. Rita, unaware of her lineage, is a Detective with the NYPD investigating a series of brutal murders connected to a mysterious ship that crashed into a Brooklyn dockyard. Maximillian has only a short time to find Rita, woo her and transform her into a vampire completely. Should he fail, Maximillian would be doomed to walk the Earth alone. Did I mention that this is also a comedy? Sort of. That might be the biggest problem with Vampire in Brooklyn, tonally it's all over the map. It's a horror movie and a comedy and a love story. The movie is constantly jumping from one tone to another. The horror parts work but aren't given enough emphasis. The comedy almost exclusively comes from the supporting characters played by Kadeem Hardison and John Witherspoon. Eddie Murphy only really has one comedic moment in the movie where he transforms into an alcoholic preacher and delivers a sermon about how "evil is good." The love story, more of a love triangle, doesn't really work because the relationship between Angela Bassett's character and her partner, Detective Justice (yes, you read that correctly), isn't set up very well. While the film has some redeeming qualities, including a great nightmare sequence and appearances from Mitch Pileggi and Zakes Mokae, it doesn't entirely work. Also, it should be no surprise that the movie didn't connect with audiences, because it commits two major cinematic sins: Eddie Murphy's character kills a dog and a cat. Nothing turns audiences off faster than killing dogs and cats. 

Rating: 63%

(Image from Wikipedia)

The Seventh Victim

Mary leaves her boarding school and heads to New York City to look for her missing sister Jacqueline. While chasing down clues, Mary begins to suspect that she never really knew her sister at all. And, the closer Mary gets to finding her sister, the more she begins to uncover about the dangerous people her sister was involved with. The Seventh Victim is another stylish and atmospheric horror film from producer Val Lewton. It's a sinister thriller with a curiously nihilistic undertone. And while it's not on par with Lewton's previous films, it certainly seems like elements from The Seventh Victim might have been influential on films like Psycho and Rosemary's Baby. 

Rating: 65%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Die Hard with a Vengeance

John McClane, the hero of Nakatomi Plaza and the Dulles Airport, is at an all time low in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Estranged from his wife, suspended from the force, and in the midst of an epic hangover, John becomes a terrorist's plaything. McClane and a reluctant good samaritan (played to perfection by Samuel L. Jackson) are sent on a series of missions, with an epic explosion awaiting them should they fail. Die Hard with a Vengeance probably has more jokes per minute than any of the other Die Hard movies, but I'm not complaining. Willis and Jackson play off of each other so well, it's a shame Jackson's character never returned in any of the other sequels.

Rating: 79%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Fun Fact: Colleen Camp, who played Kowalski, also played a cop, Corporal Kirkland, in Police Academy 2 and 4.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

A year has passed and the extended McCallister family are on their way to another destination Christmas vacation, this time to sunny Florida. However, their plans are sullied after a mishap at the airport sends Kevin to New York City, alone. And, it just so happens that a certain pair of burglars have managed to escape from prison as well. Home Alone 2 is not as good as the original Home Alone, which is hardly surprising. Lost in New York rushes the setup and repeats too many elements from the first film. The violence against the Wet Bandits has been amped up this time around, which still manages to delight. And the movie is really helped by the addition of Tim Curry as the hotel concierge. Watching him hold back tears after being slapped by Catherine O'Hara is amazing.

Rating: 70%

(Image from Wikipedia)

The Sentinel

Alison Parker, a fashion model with a troubled past, sets out to find a new apartment. Her search takes her to the gates of hell, literally. The Sentinel is a slow burn but when it feels like ramping up to some crazy shit, it really goes for it. The movie's supporting cast includes Burgess Meredith, John Carradine, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, Beverly D'Angelo and Jeff Goldblum.

Rating: 70%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Fun Fact: Alison's boyfriend is played by Chris Sarandon, who was in Fright Night and Child's Play.

Scream VI

Arriving in theatres a little more than a year after Scream (2022), Scream VI changes things up by moving the Ghostface action to New York City. The film is also set around Halloween, which allows for countless references to other horror movie characters and franchises. The characters that survived Scream (2022) are a little less likeable this time around, as almost every one of them takes some time in the film to acknowledge the trauma that they've been through. The legacy characters feel fairly unnecessary this time around. Fans might lament the absence of Sidney Prescott, but it's hard to say if she would have really added much to the story. The new setting allows for some variety in the kills and set pieces, which keeps the movie from feeling stale. But it also feels like the filmmakers played it safe this time around. It's possible that the quick turnaround between films didn't leave them enough time to really flesh out the plot. Maybe they're just holding back for the next movie. It feels pretty safe to assume that there'll be a Scream VII at some point.

Rating: 65%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Fun Fact: Early on in the film, one of the characters is seen watching Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.

Daylight

After a massive explosion, a group of people become trapped inside the Holland Tunnel. With the water levels rising and a rapidly dwindling air supply, it's a race against time to save them. Their only hope, a cab driver named Kit. Daylight is an underrated action/disaster film. The practical effects still look great today. The cast is really good as well, with a number of them giving really standout performances. Is it a realistic movie? No, not at all. But, if you're looking for verisimilitude in a 90s action blockbuster, you might be an idiot.

Rating: 73%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Fun Fact: One of the survivors is played by Danielle Harris, star of Halloween 4, 5, the Producer's Cut of 6 and the Rob Zombie duology.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Much like Spider-Man 3, the movie that killed Sam Raimi's Spider-Man series, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is overstuffed with characters and storylines. And even though there are three villains in the movie, none of them get a whole lot of screen time. The Rhino bookends the film, Electro gets sidelined for a good chunk of the movie and Harry Osborn doesn't even become the Green Goblin until the last forty minutes of the movie. Just like the first Amazing Spider-Man film, the sequel invests more time into the backstory of Peter's parents. Which, ultimately, has very little impact on the plot. There are some well acted dramatic scenes in the movie, which is to be expected given the high caliber of the cast. The movie's biggest flaw might be that there's just not enough action and excitement. The ratio of tears shed to punches thrown might be 1:1 and that's just not a good formula for a Spider-Man movie.

Rating: 61%

(Image from Wikipedia)

The Amazing Spider-Man

The least interesting part of any super hero film is the origin story. It's even less interesting in a reboot. The Amazing Spider-Man spends almost an hour, nearly half of the film, on Spider-Man's origin story. The movie also spends a lot of time on plot threads that don't really go anywhere, like the mysterious death of Peter's parents or the search for the man who shot Uncle Ben. It's hard to tell if the movie is setting things up for the sequel or if it's just working from a bad script. Also, the casting in The Amazing Spider-Man doesn't really work for me. No one delivers a bad performance but none of the actors feel particularly suited for their roles. Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker feels a little too cocky for my taste. That said, I think Garfield's performance in Spider-Man: No Way Home did a lot to redeem his version of the character. At the end of the day, The Amazing Spider-Man isn't a bad film, it's just underwhelming and forgettable. Not exactly a great launching pad for the reboot of a high profile character.

Rating: 62%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

In 1897, a young girl named Virginia O'Hanlon sent a letter to the editor of the New York Sun asking whether or not Santa Claus existed. The resulting response has since become one of the most reprinted newspaper editorials in the English language. The story of Virginia and her letter to the editor has also been adapted several times over the years, perhaps most notably in the 1974 Emmy Award-winning animated television special. The style of the special will be immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with the Peanuts canon of holiday specials as it was directed by Bill Melendez, who also directed A Charlie Brown Christmas. And despite some depictions of people of color which have not aged well, it is still a very charming special.

Rating: Stereoscopic Slides%

Brain Damage

Brain Damage is a wildly original and inventive horror/exploitation movie. It's goofy and gross. It's trippy and tragic. It's clever and crass. The special effects, which are clearly low budget, are fantastic. Some of the acting in the movie is bad and broad, but the performances from the lead actor and Elmer the talking parasite are quite good. There is, however, one scene in the movie (quite possibly the most infamous scene in the film) which features an act of sexualized violence that is so over the top and cruel that it honestly tainted my overall enjoyment of the movie. Caveat emptor.

Rating: 68%

(Image from IMDB)

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

A Muppet Family Christmas remains the gold standard of Christmas specials as far as I'm concerned. I still watch it every year. I am, however, always willing to make room in my heart for more Muppety goodness. It was in that spirit that I watched A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa, a Christmas special from 2008. While I enjoyed the special, it did not dethrone A Muppet Family Christmas from its place on high. If I had to criticize something about this more recent special, I would have to say that (much like some of the Muppet films) it leaned a little too hard on some of the human guest stars. Nobody watches the Muppets to see human celebrities. That said some of said humans totally crushed it. Nathan Lane, Jesse L. Martin and Whoopi Goldberg all did great work. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, not so much. So, while Letters to Santa won't be getting a yearly slot in my Christmas special lineup, it has earned a spot on the alternates bench.

Rating: Fish%

(Image from Muppet Central)

Q

aka Q - The Winged Serpent

The movie starts with a window washer on a high rise getting his head torn off by a giant flying lizard creature and it only gets weirder from there. Michael Moriarty is the main character, I think. He certainly gives the biggest performance. He plays a rambling ex-con, ex-junkie, piano playing screw up who stumbles out of a heist and into the nest of the monster. If you thought he was something in The Stuff, then you will love him in this movie. David Carradine's character is a sarcastic tough guy cop and Richard Roundtree is barely in the movie. It's a weird movie that really isn't focused enough but it's also an enjoyable watch.

Rating: 61%

(Image from IMDB)

A Very Murray Christmas

Your enjoyment of A Very Murray Christmas will depend on how much you enjoy hearing Bill Murray sing. Because that's pretty much the whole special. It's a fairly quiet, but thankfully not maudlin, special. Bill Murray and Paul Shaffer are supposed to be doing a live Christmas Special at a classy hotel in front of an audience packed with celebrities, except a massive snowstorm has caused them all to cancel. Without a show to do, Bill and Paul retire to the bar where they knock out a few Christmas songs with the staff and other hotel guests. There's even a dream sequence, after Bill does a few too many shots, where we get to see George Clooney and Miley Cyrus belt out some tunes on a sound stage with a full band backing them up.

Rating: Chris Rock in a Festive Sweater%

(Image from Wikipedia)

A Very Merry Cricket

A Very Merry Cricket isn't the easiest thing to explain. For starters, it's a sequel to an animated adaptation of the children's book The Cricket in Times Square. Both specials were made by Chuck Jones, the Looney Tunes guy. You may also remember his work on another Christmas Special How the Grinch Stole Christmas. From what I can gather, in the first special a Connecticut cricket named Chester ends up in New York and eventually becomes famous for his ability to play music. In this follow-up, Chester's old pals Harry and Tucker go to Connecticut to bring Chester back to New York so that he can play for the city folk and remind them to be kind to one another, or something like that. There really isn't a whole lot that happens during the special. It's definitely worth a watch if you're animation fan though. A lot of the animation is of the Looney Tunes variety (including some voice work from Mel Blanc) but it's combined with some distorted city imagery and grotesquely painted backgrounds that reminded me a lot of the work of Ralph Bakshi.

Rating: A One Cat Open Sleigh%

(Image from firstanimationart.com)

Maniac

Maniac has managed to achieve cult status among horror fans for two reasons: Tom Savini’s special effects and Joe Spinell’s unhinged performance as the titular maniac. Because much the film was shot at night without the proper permits, it presents an eerily spare New York City. Aside from the lovely Caroline Munro, most of the cast is made up of porno actors who had previously worked for the director. Famously, critic Gene Siskel walked out of a screening of the movie after one particularly gory effects sequence.

Rating: 62%

(Image from bloody-disgusting.com)

Maniac Cop

There's a killer on the loose in New York City, but this is no ordinary psycho, this maniac hides behind a badge and a gun. Maniac Cop isn't anything terribly original or outstanding, but it's a really good example of the kind of genre film making that more or less died with the 1980s. The film is set in a grimy, pre-Giuliani New York and all of the stunts and effects work are practical. Maniac Cop also features a number of classic genre vets: Bruce Campbell, Richard Roundtree, the ample-faced Robert Z'Dar, a cameo appearance from director Sam Raimi, and Tom Atkins playing a suicidal cop (where have I seen that before?). The film plays it straight for the most part, though it starts to go over the top in the second half. And judging from some stills I've seen, it looks as though the sequels continued with the over the top tone from the original's latter half.

Rating: Bigger than Robert Z'Dar's face%

(Image from moviecultists.com)

C.H.U.D.

The number of missing person cases is on the rise in New York, but no one wants to talk about it just so long as it's mostly the homeless people living in the sewers and abandoned tunnels under the city. But after his wife goes missing, Captain Bosch is having a hard time keeping all the missing person reports under wraps. Despite pressure from his superiors and the secretive jerkwads from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Bosch teams up with a photographer and the freaky guy who runs the local homeless shelter. Their mission: discover what happened to all those missing people and find out just what exactly C.H.U.D. stands for. Keep your eyes peeled for a young John Goodman as a cop in a diner.

Rating: Daniel Stern's Crazy Hair%

(Image from scrapetv.com)