'80s Flashback: Trouble in Little China and Vampires in Santa Carla

Kurt Russell as Jack Burton.Big Trouble in Little China (1986). This fourth collaboration between Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter is a mildly diverting martial arts fantasy--which has nevertheless attracted a strong cult following. Russell stars as Jack Burton, a tough-talking truck driver ... Read full article

Monsters and Matinees: B-movie or kids’ film? ‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians’ is both

This is tough to admit, but sometimes horror and sci-fi B-movies don’t have a particularly scary monster. Sometimes, they are just … bizarre. That’s true in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Until I saw this infamous 1964 B-movie, I equated Martians with that creepy three-fingered hand wit... Read full article

Get Santa (2014)

UK, US, Sweden / 103 minutes / color / Scott Free, Ingenious, BFI, Altitude, Screen Yorkshire, Chimney, Lipsync, Film i Väst, Warner Bros. Dir & Scr: Christopher Smith Pr: Liza Marshall Cine: Christopher Ross Cast: Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Kit Connor, Ewen Bremner, Warwick Davis, Stephen Grah... Read full article

Lombard, Barrymore visit Santa Monica, and RIP Rose Marie

Carole Lombard's cinematic relationship with John Barrymore has elements of "What Price Hollywood?" or "A Star Is Born." While Lombard hardly was unknown in early 1934 when she co-starred with Barrymore in "Twentieth Century" (top), she had yet to establish a consistent screen identity and was bette... Read full article

25 Days of Christmas: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)

This review originally ran December 10th, 2012.  Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is my favorite Rankin-Bass production that has fun songs, and a memorable villain!   Tonight’s film is a television movie, but it’s an iconic Christmas film which holds a place in most people’s h... Read full article