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Land of the Dead (2005) 20th Anniversary

George A. Romero returns to his Dead series with Land of the Dead. This is one of my favorite of Romero’s movies because for half the movie, we get to go on this zombie pilgrimage lead by Big Daddy. These parts play like a classic, horror movie with Big Daddy as the sympathetic monster who is leading his kind to the city of Fiddler’s Green. Romero is great at creating an entertaining horror movie and relaying social commentary. Here, it’s about how the 1% always finds ways to profit off the working class, even during a zombie apocalypse.

- Jose Barr (6/24/2025)

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"Golden" was suppose to come out today

The Pharrell Williams movie, Golden, was meant to be released today. I was super excited for this movie mainly because it’s a musical directed by Michel Gondry. However, it was reported in February that the movie was being cancelled, even after being shot in 2024. At first, I was devastated, especially after Warner Bros cancelling nearly completed films and labeling them as tax write-offs, I feared this was the same case. Et tu, Universal? But after reading the article from Variety, this was a unanimous decision from all parties involved. The movie was meant to be a coming-of-age- musical inspired by Pharrell Willams’ childhood. As it turns out, whatever was shot didn’t live up to his original vision. So it was the creative’s decision to cancel the movie and the studio backed them up. Still kind of unheard of.

There are no plans to ever release the movie in any way and I’m sure there were a lot of conversations on what they could do before they settled on just not finishing the movie, but I hope the whole project doesn’t die on a shelf. How many times has a movie changed throughout production and still gets released, for better or worse. I’m sure if they released whatever movie they had, it would’ve found its audience, even if it wasn't what they originally intended. I’m not even a fan of Williams, but after seeing his lego movie, Piece By Piece, I was surprised by his career and life and made me go “wait, he made that song?” Shame, a musical by Michel Gondry would've ruled!

-Jose Barr (5/9/2025)

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I may be the only one that cares, but today is the 10th Anniversary of the first Fantastic Four 2015 teaser. I just remember being hyped by this when it came out, I still think it’s a good teaser. Apparently, I was the only one. Everyone else was already writing it off, but I stayed excited and optimistic. Yes, it turned out to be a bad movie, but I still kinda like it.

- Jose Barr (1/27/2025)

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Big Eyes (2014)

A truly underrated Burton movie, one of his best.

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Happy 70th Birthday to Godzilla(1954)

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I went as Tim Burton for Halloween 2014. This was now 10 years ago. Excuse me while I go turn into dust.

- Jose Barr (10/31/24)

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Everybody say “Thank you, Brian Taylor”

-Jose Barr (10/30/24)

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Clerks(1994) turns 30!

Kevin Smith’s Clerks is the quintessential indie movie that looks at a day in the life of convenient store clerks, Dante and Randal. I first saw this movie when I was 17, in high school, and thought “that was pretty good, it’s funny”. Then I saw it a second time when I was 21 and had a bigger appreciation for it. By then, I had dropped out of college, had no profits and was faced with the realization that, like it or not, I’m not gonna be around forever, let alone stay 20. The conversations between Dante and Randal and convincingly well written and reflect the same talks I had with my friends as we slowly realized that we no longer have safety nets being teenagers and have to face our present and future. Dante definitely represents the hesitation of committing to something and Randal has the spontaneity and deep cuts we all wish we possessed from time to time.

The film is also a testament to independent filmmaking. With a budget of under $30K, Kevin Smith shows what a wordsman he is and how creative you can get with multiple characters in one set. The making of this movie has been covered extensively, especially by Smith himself, and I encourage anyone who’s interested in filmmaking to seek it out. It’s an absolute must for filmmakers. Though the colorful language certainly hasn’t aged well, it’s characterization of lost 20 year olds confronting the unexpected mundaneness of life and fighting to take control of whatever destiny they have still resonates. Shit or get off the pot.

-Jose Barr (10/19/24)

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Lisa Frankenstein - The Mystic Museum

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Dracula Untold(2014) 10th Anniversary

Dracula Untold turns 10! I don’t know if anyone remembers or even likes this movie, but I do and I do. It’s the origin story of how Vlad Tepes gained vampiric abilities to help save his people from the invading armies of Mehmed II and eventually becomes Dracula. Though it’s not the suave creature we’re familiar with, Luke Evans is pretty good as Vlad, playing him as a respectable leader who has tried to forget his violent past as a worrier. When his childhood friend turned rival, Mehmed, threatens to take Vlad’s only son for his expanding army, he’s faced with the decision to become a monster with incredible power in order to protect his family.

I’m no world historian, so I don’t know how much of real history was used to craft this story, but it does sound like a neat idea to take from the real Vlad Tepes and combine it with the Bram Stoker story. At the time, it was enough to capture my attention. Also, it’s a Dracula movie being put out by Universal. This was Universal’s first official attempt at recreating the Universal Monsters, which sadly never took off the way they intended. Still, it’s a much better attempt than Tom Cruise meets The Mummy(2017). While the movie is more action/ adventure than horror and does become a bit mediocre in the middle, you get big action set-pieces, a kick ass score by Ramin Djawadi, and a strong lead in Luke Evans, who single handedly carries the movie.

-Jose Barr (10/10/24)

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Happy Birthday to the Worst Director of All Time, Ed Wood. He truly was an inspiration for 12-year-old me.

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Ed Wood (1994) 30th Anniversary

My favorite Tim Burton movie. While it takes many liberties with the real story and depiction of the people involved, it does stay true to Ed Wood, himself, and his insane passion for making movies. It focuses on his struggled productions, his friendship with Bela Lugosi, and the making of Plan 9 From Outer Space(1959), one of the worst movies of all time! Johnny Depp portrays Ed Wood with a childlike whimsy and can-do attitude. No matter how many times reality beats him down, he finds a way to trudge forward and stay on top. I dare say, it’s Depp’s best performance. We also see Martin Landau play Bela Lugosi during a very dark and tragic time in his life. Gone is the fame and fortune of his luxurious career as he’s just left to wither away. It isn’t until he meets Ed that he feels rejuvenated and finds comfort and joy during his last few days.

Their friendship is what carries the movie and I find it fitting that Tim Burton would focus on it so much, because it mirrors his own relationship with Horror Icon, Vincent Price. Like all of Burton’s movies, it shines a light on the outcast as Ed is constantly being over looked by the Hollywood producers and misunderstood by his peers. Even this movie had its own trouble production, being passed from different studios. Disney ended up releasing it under their Touchstone banner because they had little faith and interest in the picture. How oddly fitting.

Next to The Invisible Man(1933), this was a formative film for me and inspired me to become a filmmaker, along with the actual Plan 9 From Outer Space(1959). When you see a real Ed Wood movie, you think to yourself, “If this guy can make it happen, then I got a better than decent shot”. Burton has made 20 movies. Some good, some bad, some super popular and others underrated, but we all have our favorites. This definitely has to be the best movie he’s ever made.

- Jose Barr (10/7/24)

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is great for a Tim Burton movie. In the grand scheme of Burton films, it’s got all his classic tropes and is one of his better movies that we’ve gotten in a while. Keaton, Ryder, and O’Hara slide right back into their old roles, the new characters are interesting and their actors fit into the world, the sets and designs are imaginative and the creativity helps expand what little lore we got in the first movie. I especially loved the Mario Bava nods all throughout, which I Burton is a big fan of. There’s a specific sequence that is taken straight out of Black Sunday(1960) and is probably my favorite bit. I definitely have some criticisms about the pacing, lack of full character development and resolution, which are common problems in a lot of Burton movies. In the first hour, everything in the Afterlife was so funny and engaging, but anytime we went back to the surface, it got slow and felt like all the episode one set-up of a tv show. However, I can’t deny that the movie is a fun watch. It knows what it is and exists solely to entertain.

Jose Barr (9/23/24)

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- Jose Barr (9/13/24)

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9(2009) 15th Anniversary

My hype for this movie was through the roof. On top of it already looking unique compared to other movies coming out at the time, I saw it was produced by Tim Burton, who I was obsessed with growing up. I was 12 and my best friend, Kal, and I went to see it after school on opening day. It was also the first time I went to the movies without an adult, which my Parents were hesitant about before agreeing to let me see it. Kal and I walked out really liking it, but I became obsessed with it. I loved the characters, voice acting, backstory, visual designs, and world building.

Over the years, I’ve heard some complaints, like the plot being too simple and having little to no character depth, but I think because I saw it at the right time, I was able to fill in those blanks and just appreciated the things it did right. While now, its kind of quaint, I do remember feeling it was more mature and creepy and I liked it. I categorized it under gateway horror, as around the same time, I started delving more into classic horror and monster movies. It’s not necessarily aimed at mature adults, it’s aimed at the kids who are ready to see something a little bit more scary. That’s why the plot is easy to follow and the visuals and tone are intense. Director Shane Acker has talked about making more dark animated movies like this, but nothing’s happened. I know he’s still around working on visual effects for movies and making shorts, but I’d really love to see another feature from him. Hard to believe it’s been 15 years, but It’s still nice to see the 9 fandom occasionally pop up and remind me of simpler times.

- Jose Barr (9/9/24)

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Hellboy (2004)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Injustice 2 (2017)

Hellboy (2019)

Hellboy: Web of Wyrd (2023)

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

-Jose Barr (8/4/2024)