Sequart Organization » Harry Edmundson-Cornell

An Interview with Julian Darius on the Canals of Mars Kickstarter

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 13:00:24 +0000

Canals of Mars Kickstarter" title="An Interview with Julian Darius on the Canals of Mars Kickstarter" style="float:left;" />Julian Darius, the founder of Sequart Organization and Martian Lit, has been running a Kickstarter for his new Sci-Fi anthology comic series, Martian Comics. I got a chance to interview him about the world and… [more]

Victor Frankenstein is a Travesty

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 14:00:05 +0000

Victor Frankenstein is a Travesty" title="Victor Frankenstein is a Travesty" style="float:left;" />By semi-popular demand here is my long delayed review of that bloody terrible Frankenstein prequel that 2015 birthed to a resounding thud and general disinterest. Which is almost a shame, because it's a fairly special kind of terrible. As I'll cover. [more]

Naked Lunch: A Literary High

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:50 +0000

Naked Lunch: A Literary High" title="Naked Lunch: A Literary High" style="float:left;" />“It’s a literary high…. It’s a Kafka high. You feel like a bug.” Canadian director David Cronenberg’s film Naked Lunch is a hallucinogenic and hazy adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name.… [more]

My Twenty Favourite Films of 2015

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:00:06 +0000

Well, 2015 is long over and it’s time for me to put down my top films of the year. I always find this a fun task, although I also always find myself opening this list… [more]

On Altered States and the Art of Making a Science Fiction Cult Classic

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 14:00:23 +0000

Altered States and the Art of Making a Science Fiction Cult Classic" title="On Altered States and the Art of Making a Science Fiction Cult Classic" style="float:left;" />The science fiction film Altered States bears all the hallmarks of a cult film. For one thing, it’s about outsider topics, like psychedelic mind states, genetic memory, float tanks, and entheogens. For another there’s a… [more]

Creed Plays the Spin-Off Game Right

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:00:57 +0000

Creed Plays the Spin-Off Game Right" title="Creed Plays the Spin-Off Game Right" style="float:left;" />I wasn’t really anticipating enjoying Creed. I had heard some fairly positive response, but I sort of assumed I’d be able to appreciate it without being especially engrossed or involved in the proceedings. It’s not… [more]

Samuel Fuller’s Fraught Release: White Dog

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 14:00:19 +0000

White Dog" title="Samuel Fuller’s Fraught Release: White Dog" style="float:left;" />The American film White Dog was finished in 1981. It was released in Europe in 1982. It wasn’t released in America until 2008, when Criterion released the film on DVD. You can probably tell by… [more]

The Basic Competency of Spotlight

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 14:00:55 +0000

Spotlight" title="The Basic Competency of Spotlight" style="float:left;" />Spotlight is a fairly derivative film in a lot of ways. The movie, which deals with The Boston Globe’s investigation into the systemic sexual misconduct of the Catholic Church, owes an arm and a leg… [more]

Some Short Thoughts on Recent Theatrical Releases

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:00:57 +0000

As you may or may not have noticed I’ve been falling rather dramatically behind on reviews this past month or so. All I can say to excuse it is that I’ve been busy and I’m… [more]

Halloween Binge: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 13:00:35 +0000

Texas Chainsaw Massacre" title="Halloween Binge: Texas Chainsaw Massacre" style="float:left;" />Last year when my Halloween Binge came to a close, I decided to wrap it up with a classic – an essential horror film I had never seen before. That was, of course, The Exorcist,… [more]

Halloween Binge: The House by the Cemetery

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 13:00:03 +0000

The House by the Cemetery" title="Halloween Binge: The House by the Cemetery" style="float:left;" />I was planning from the beginning of this Halloween Binge to watch the two films I’d not seen in the highly thought of trifecta of Lucio Fulci horror films. I watched The Beyond last year,… [more]

Halloween Binge: The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:00:02 +0000

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" title="Halloween Binge: The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" style="float:left;" />I was pretty confident I’d have to watch a Dario Argento movie at some point during my Halloween Binge; it was just a matter of which one. The two of his films I’ve seen are… [more]

Halloween Binge: Inside

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 13:00:33 +0000

Inside" title="Halloween Binge: Inside" style="float:left;" />I like a movie with guts. Sorry, that was an abusively bad pun to start off this article. As a film fan I like a lot of different kinds of movies, obviously. There’s one style… [more]

Halloween Binge: The Howling

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 13:00:35 +0000

The Howling" title="Halloween Binge: The Howling" style="float:left;" />This movie is weridly about werewolf sex, so heads up on a NSFW image part way through. My very first thought about Joe Dante’s The Howling was: “Holy shit Slim Pickens is in this?” My,… [more]

Halloween Binge: House of 1000 Corpses

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:00:06 +0000

House of 1000 Corpses" title="Halloween Binge: House of 1000 Corpses" style="float:left;" />In the opening scenes of House of 1000 Corpses we’re introduced and reintroduced to a grimy, messy, horror themed, roadside attraction. It’s filled with mangled bodies and objects meant as references and reminders of murders… [more]

Halloween Binge: Braindead

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 13:00:24 +0000

Braindead" title="Halloween Binge: Braindead" style="float:left;" />Welcome back to the newest installation in my deliriously macabre Halloween Binge. Last year I used this binge as an opportunity to, in part, catch up on some supposedly essential horror movies I hadn’t seen… [more]

Halloween Binge: Tag

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 13:00:51 +0000

Tag" title="Halloween Binge: Tag" style="float:left;" />I said two reviews ago that one of my favourite parts of this binge is stumbling upon films that catch me off guard and surprise me. Last night I went to see Sion Sono’s Tag… [more]

Halloween Binge: Fiend Without a Face

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:00:15 +0000

Fiend Without a Face" title="Halloween Binge: Fiend Without a Face" style="float:left;" />The next movie I watched for my Halloween Binge came fairly highly recommended. It’s one of those films that generates cultural references, but few people have actually seen. Despite the relative obscurity (especially when compared… [more]

Halloween Binge: Dagon

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:00:33 +0000

Dagon" title="Halloween Binge: Dagon" style="float:left;" />The best parts of last year’s Halloween Binge were the surprises. Movies like Phenomenon and The Return of the Living Dead were all the more exciting for how little I knew about them. They were… [more]

Halloween Binge: City of the Living Dead

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 13:00:26 +0000

City of the Living Dead" title="Halloween Binge: City of the Living Dead" style="float:left;" />If you’ve paid any attention to my taste in horror you should have seen this coming. For those new here – “Hi, I’m Harry, and I like Italian horror, and Lucio Fulci in particular.” There’s… [more]

Halloween Binge: Peeping Tom

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:00:02 +0000

Peeping Tom" title="Halloween Binge: Peeping Tom" style="float:left;" />Last year around Halloween I decided to make a show out of my articles and review a pile of horror movies. Not a particularly novel idea, in fairness, but one I quite enjoyed. I watched… [more]

Halloween Binge: Goodnight Mommy

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 20:24:43 +0000

Goodnight Mommy" title="Halloween Binge: Goodnight Mommy" style="float:left;" />Goodnight Mommy was not what I expected. Which isn’t to say I had particularly in depth expectations for the film. The trailer had selected a few choice shots from the film that made me think… [more]

Ranking Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s Action Scenes

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 13:00:05 +0000

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s Action Scenes" title="Ranking Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s Action Scenes" style="float:left;" />So I saw Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation fairly late into its theatrical run. It was a random choice based on what was playing at the time. I’d heard it was a fairly good action… [more]

The Boy: A Portrait of a Movie Slasher

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:00:08 +0000

The Boy: A Portrait of a Movie Slasher" title="The Boy: A Portrait of a Movie Slasher" style="float:left;" />The Boy is another movie on my shortlist of new releases I felt like I should catch up on. An indie coming of age story that is actually a monstrous-themed serial killer’s coming of age… [more]

The Nightmare and Sleep Paralysis

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 13:00:38 +0000

The Nightmare and Sleep Paralysis" title="The Nightmare and Sleep Paralysis" style="float:left;" />This year, for the first time ever, I suffered a bout of sleep paralysis. It wasn’t anything particularly unique, as far as these attacks go, but that didn’t matter in the moment. In the moment,… [more]

Something’s Wrong: Queen of Earth

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 13:00:14 +0000

Queen of Earth" title="Something’s Wrong: Queen of Earth" style="float:left;" />So I just googled “Queen of Earth chronological order” on a faint suspicion, and sure enough I found something that confirmed one of my initial reactions to the film: “The shoot itself makes for an… [more]

Eiji Tsuburaya’s Death and the Changing Face of Kaiju Films

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 13:00:49 +0000

On January 25th in 1970, the landscape of kaiju films changed forever. Eiji Tsuburaya had started work on a new television series by this point, a horror anthology show known as The Unbalance Zone. The… [more]

Blood and Breath: Hannibal‘s Series Finale

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:00:36 +0000

Hannibal‘s Series Finale" title="Blood and Breath: Hannibal‘s Series Finale" style="float:left;" />Hannibal’s series finale winds to a close with an obvious note of hope. Much like the season two finale, no one is definitely alive, but no one is definitively done either. It ends with a… [more]

Silence Speaks Volumes: The Tribe

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 13:00:48 +0000

The Tribe" title="Silence Speaks Volumes: The Tribe" style="float:left;" />I wasn’t sure I’d like The Tribe. I certainly wanted too, because it sounded like the sort of thing that could be very interesting, but its particular brand of interesting also seemed like a double-edged… [more]

The Beast in the Pit: Hannibal Season Three Episode Twelve

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 13:00:01 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Twelve" title="The Beast in the Pit: Hannibal Season Three Episode Twelve" style="float:left;" />The penultimate episode of the third season of Hannibal, “The Number of the Beast Is 666”, likely the penultimate episode of the show, perfectly sets the show for the season’s endgame. It’s too soon for… [more]

The Essentials: Aguirre, The Wrath of God

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:00:56 +0000

Aguirre, The Wrath of God" title="The Essentials: Aguirre, The Wrath of God" style="float:left;" />If one were curating a definitive list of essential films, or even a muddled constantly changing one, you would be remiss to not include a film by Werner Herzog. To be honest Herzog would deserve… [more]

A Grim Thriller: The Gift

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 13:00:20 +0000

The Gift" title="A Grim Thriller: The Gift" style="float:left;" />So there’s a movie in theatres you should see. It’s called The Gift and if you haven’t seen it you might not want to read much about it. It’s a small little thriller directed by… [more]

The Summer of the Compromised Blockbuster Continues With Ant-Man and Fantastic Four

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 13:00:50 +0000

Ant-Man and Fantastic Four" title="The Summer of the Compromised Blockbuster Continues With Ant-Man and Fantastic Four" style="float:left;" />Tis the season of the confused blockbuster. I wrote an article back when Jurassic World came out about how that film felt like it was at war with itself. I didn’t bother writing about it… [more]

Inside Out: A Mostly Great Film

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:00:46 +0000

Inside Out: A Mostly Great Film" title="Inside Out: A Mostly Great Film" style="float:left;" />I did a pretty aggressive catch-up day in the theatres the other day. I’ve been trying to do a better job of keeping up on current releases this year. So I managed to cross off… [more]

Kill Them All: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eleven

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 13:00:18 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Eleven" title="Kill Them All: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eleven" style="float:left;" />Episode eleven of Hannibal’s third season, “…And the Beast from the Sea” is another good episode of the show, though at times it strikes me as a bit of a funny episode. Namely because every… [more]

The Essentials: Two-Lane Blacktop

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:00:15 +0000

Two-Lane Blacktop" title="The Essentials: Two-Lane Blacktop" style="float:left;" />So I’m field testing a new title for the series previously known as “Movies You Should Watch.” I have grown tired with that name! Or, more accurately, I’ve decided to take the series in a… [more]

Behind the Veil: Hannibal Season Three Episode Ten

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 13:00:40 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Ten" title="Behind the Veil: Hannibal Season Three Episode Ten" style="float:left;" />…I do not consider either the just, or the wicked, to be in a supreme state, but to be, every one of them, states of the sleep which the soul may fall into in its… [more]

Camerahead and Pistonhead: Hell on Earth

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 13:00:54 +0000

Hell on Earth" title="Camerahead and Pistonhead: Hell on Earth" style="float:left;" />This film is a campy entry in the Hellraiser entry that has a few good components. Sort of. If you squint. But these sort of good moments are mishandled by the generally terrible film. [more]

Ex Machina and the Art of Appropriate Stylization

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:00:20 +0000

Ex Machina and the Art of Appropriate Stylization" title="Ex Machina and the Art of Appropriate Stylization" style="float:left;" />I want to be perfectly clear about something right from the start: I really liked Ex Machina. I’d go so far as to call it a great film. When it’s end-of-the-year-list time I suspect Ex… [more]

Blood in the Moonlight: Hannibal Season Three Episode Nine

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 13:00:30 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Nine" title="Blood in the Moonlight: Hannibal Season Three Episode Nine" style="float:left;" />Hannibal is frequently a praise worthy show. It must be said, however, I found myself especially impressed by its latest episode. It’s not a particularly eventful episode, by Hannibal’s standards. There are no murders, no… [more]

Spring: Monsters and Romance

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:00:21 +0000

Spring: Monsters and Romance" title="Spring: Monsters and Romance" style="float:left;" />My overall reaction to Drafthouse Film’s new release, Spring, is definitely a positive one. I’ll be interested in what the directors, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, will do next. They’ve directed one movie together before,… [more]

The Ravishing Repertoire of Jean Rollin

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 13:00:18 +0000

This is a guest post by the fabulous horror critic Goregirl. You can keep up with her writing at 366 Weird Movies, Tumblr, and follow her on Twitter. Jean Rollin directed over fifty films in… [more]

Madness is Waiting: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eight

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:00:24 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Eight" title="Madness is Waiting: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eight" style="float:left;" />With episode eight of Hannibal’s third season, The Great Red Dragon, we’ve jumped ahead three years in time to the events of the first Hannibal novel, Red Dragon. It’s a dramatic jump, one that fundamentally… [more]

Hellbound: A Muddled Hellraiser Sequel

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 13:00:34 +0000

Hellbound: A Muddled Hellraiser Sequel" title="Hellbound: A Muddled Hellraiser Sequel" style="float:left;" />When I wrote about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser film for my Halloween Binge, I came to the conclusion that, as much as I like the film, it felt like the world implied by the film was… [more]

Where the Kaiju Things Are: All Monsters Attack

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:00:16 +0000

All Monsters Attack" title="Where the Kaiju Things Are: All Monsters Attack" style="float:left;" />After Destroy All Monsters, Toho took the Godzilla franchise in a controversial direction. The studio decided to throw their biggest director at their smallest film yet, birthing one of the least popular Godzilla movies ever.… [more]

We Are a Zero-Sum Game: Hannibal Season Three Episode Seven

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 13:00:32 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Seven" title="We Are a Zero-Sum Game: Hannibal Season Three Episode Seven" style="float:left;" />Hannibal comes to its midseason point with this episode, “Digestivo.” Not only does it essentially dramatically conclude the current storylines (before a jump forward multiple years into the events of Red Dragon), it also provides… [more]

You Dropped Your Forgiveness: Hannibal Season Three Episode Six

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:00:14 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Six" title="You Dropped Your Forgiveness: Hannibal Season Three Episode Six" style="float:left;" />For a show perpetually willing to spend its time ruminating intellectually on personal philosophies, psychology, and characters’ perspectives Hannibal is also never short on events. The show achieves this wonderful complimentary and contrasting balance between… [more]

It’s You I See: Hannibal Season Three Episode Five

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 13:00:19 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Five" title="It’s You I See: Hannibal Season Three Episode Five" style="float:left;" />Sorry for the delayed review of the fifth episode of the third season of Hannibal. Things have been busy and threw off my review’s already strange schedule. But I’ve caught up on what was an… [more]

The Gore of Lucio Fulci: Don’t Torture a Duckling

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:00:56 +0000

Don’t Torture a Duckling" title="The Gore of Lucio Fulci: Don’t Torture a Duckling" style="float:left;" />Sometimes I like to imagine I have the kind of loyal readers who would hunt through my back catalogue like the kind of completist that, well, that I am. Although at this point I’m not… [more]

Please God Let Netflix Save Hannibal

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 13:00:03 +0000

Hannibal" title="Please God Let Netflix Save Hannibal" style="float:left;" />It was inevitable that Hannibal would be cancelled. There’s just too much about it that defies the conventions of network TV. It’s gory and creepy, yet utterly sophisticated. The sort of middle America viewers giving… [more]

Maybe This is One of Those Friendships That Ends After the Disembowelling: Hannibal Season Three Episode Four

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 13:00:04 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Four" title="Maybe This is One of Those Friendships That Ends After the Disembowelling: Hannibal Season Three Episode Four" style="float:left;" />The fourth episode of Hannibal’s third season, “Aperitivo”, barely features the eponymous serial killer. Instead it focuses on a sick survivor’s club of sorts, dealing plainly with the aftermath of the season two finale and… [more]

The Surreal Structure of the Shaolin

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 13:00:40 +0000

I watched The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin and had lots of lengthy thoughts about it's structure in relation to modern action movies [more]

My Nakama Left Me With a Smile: Hannibal Season Two Episode Three

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Hannibal Season Two Episode Three" title="My Nakama Left Me With a Smile: Hannibal Season Two Episode Three" style="float:left;" />The murders on this episode of Hannibal revolve around technicalities. The episode opens on a seated Hannibal, discussing Will Graham’s admission of forgiveness. Hannibal seems almost visually shaken as he parses out this newly developing… [more]

Them Dancing Bones: On Alice

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 13:00:27 +0000

Alice" title="Them Dancing Bones: On Alice" style="float:left;" />There’s something delightful about a film that manages to create visuals you couldn’t have imagined. In a largely visual medium, one where, especially nowadays, the corner-most vestiges of anyone’s mind can be played across a… [more]

Jurassic World: A Good Idea Destroyed by the Studio System

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 13:00:54 +0000

I had a more complicated reaction to Jurassic World than I expected to. A lot of people seem to be writing off the film as another run-of-the-mill blockbuster unworthy of strong opinions in either direction.… [more]

He Left Us His Broken Heart: Hannibal Season Three Episode Two

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 13:00:18 +0000

Hannibal Season Three Episode Two" title="He Left Us His Broken Heart: Hannibal Season Three Episode Two" style="float:left;" />The hypocrisy of network TV is immediately obvious in this week’s episode of Hannibal as a subtly censored version of Botticelli’s Primavera fades into a macabre reimagining of the painting. Then later when a mangled… [more]

Tsuburaya and Honda’s Last Charge: Destroy All Monsters

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 13:00:40 +0000

Destroy All Monsters" title="Tsuburaya and Honda’s Last Charge: Destroy All Monsters" style="float:left;" />There was another big number coming down Toho’s pipe shortly after they’d celebrated their anniversary. Their next kaiju film would be the twentieth they had directed, something worthy of celebration. However the celebration was to… [more]

An Empire of Crime: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 13:00:28 +0000

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" title="An Empire of Crime: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" style="float:left;" />I’d only ever seen one Fritz Lang movie prior to watching The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and that was the film he directed immediately before The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, M. Other than being a… [more]

Ethics Become Aesthetics: Hannibal Season Three Episode One

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 13:00:02 +0000

Hannibal’s season two finale was a catastrophic cliff hanger that saw almost every single protagonist bleeding out on the floor, life fading. The first thing we see in season three is a series of elegantly… [more]

Metal Monsters: Tsuburaya Returns to Kong

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 13:00:30 +0000

1967 was a big year for Toho. Not because of the introduction of Godzilla’s son, but because it was their thirty-fifth anniversary. Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda reunited to work on their penultimate collaboration for… [more]

Community Season Six: “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 13:00:40 +0000

Community Season Six: “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television”" title="Community Season Six: “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television”" style="float:left;" />Lets talk about Community’s propensity for series finales. While it’s true that the continually reincarnated Futurama might actually have more finales if you factor in episodes designed to serve as finales in the event of… [more]

Mad Max: Fury Road is the Best Movie of the Year

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 13:00:43 +0000

Mad Max: Fury Road is the Best Movie of the Year" title="Mad Max: Fury Road is the Best Movie of the Year" style="float:left;" />“I never thought I’d do anything so shiny.” It might seem hyperbolic to claim Mad Max: Fury Road as the best movie of the year already, but I promise you it’s not. The chances of… [more]

Community Season Six: “Wedding Videography”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 29 May 2015 13:00:23 +0000

Community Season Six: “Wedding Videography”" title="Community Season Six: “Wedding Videography”" style="float:left;" />This season of Community has been utilizing very minor characters a lot more than ever before. The show has always had a cast of glorified extras that would pop into scenes when a random student… [more]

Giant Bugs, Children, and Hibernation: On Son of Godzilla

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 26 May 2015 13:00:18 +0000

Son of Godzilla" title="Giant Bugs, Children, and Hibernation: On Son of Godzilla" style="float:left;" />After Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, Toho decided to task Jun Fukuda and his crew with making another Godzilla movie set in the South Pacific. This one would capitalize on the trendy location in a… [more]

Why Avengers: Age of Ultron is One of the Best Marvel Movies Yet

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 25 May 2015 13:00:35 +0000

Avengers: Age of Ultron is One of the Best Marvel Movies Yet" title="Why Avengers: Age of Ultron is One of the Best Marvel Movies Yet" style="float:left;" />The first Avengers movie was magical. It’s almost indisputable at this point. The less analytical got a joyous and brilliant popcorn movie that featured big stars and entertaining and loved characters bouncing off one another.… [more]

Community Season Six: “Modern Espionage”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 22 May 2015 13:00:25 +0000

Community Season Six: “Modern Espionage”" title="Community Season Six: “Modern Espionage”" style="float:left;" />Last season Community decided to return to one of its better concept episodes – Dungeons and Dragons. The results were mixed, feeling like a slightly fruitless attempt at recapturing the glory days. When I heard… [more]

Movies You Should Watch: Decalogue One

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 21 May 2015 13:00:53 +0000

Decalogue One" title="Movies You Should Watch: Decalogue One" style="float:left;" />The 10 films are not philosophical abstractions but personal stories that involve us immediately; I hardly stirred during some of them. After seeing the series, Stanley Kubrick observed that Kieslowski and Piesiewicz “have the very… [more]

A Vengeful Statue: Daiei’s Daimajin Trilogy

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 19 May 2015 13:00:11 +0000

In the years after his death, the capital city was struck by heavy rain and lightning, and his chief Fujiwara adversary and Emperor Daigo's crown prince died, while fires caused by lightning and floods destroyed many of residences. [more]

Community Season Six: “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 15 May 2015 13:00:54 +0000

Community Season Six: “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”" title="Community Season Six: “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”" style="float:left;" />Well what do you know! It may have taken ten episodes but “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry” might just be the best episode of Community in a long time. Or at least in ten episodes.… [more]

You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive: On the Last Season of Justified

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 13 May 2015 13:00:43 +0000

Justified" title="You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive: On the Last Season of Justified" style="float:left;" />You have to watch Justified now; it’s no longer optional. I’ve recommended this series before, but any recommendation for an ongoing show comes with that big glowing asterix. How many hordes would’ve recommended Lost during… [more]

Godzilla’s Heartbeat: Sea Monsters, Chameleons, and a New Team for Toho

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 10 May 2015 13:00:44 +0000

Cancer. The Crab is said to have been put among the stars by the favour of Hera, because, when Hercules had stood firm against the Lernaean Hydra, it had snapped at his foot from the swamp. Hercules, enraged at this, had killed it, and Hera put it among the constellations. [more]

Community Season Six: Grifting 101

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 08 May 2015 13:00:25 +0000

Community Season Six: Grifting 101" title="Community Season Six: Grifting 101" style="float:left;" />So episode nine of Community is a bit…muddled. In my humble opinion. When the film started I was pretty instantly thrilled by an animated old west inspired opening shot. It immediately proved to be set… [more]

If I Cannot Inspire Love, I Will Cause Fear: More Frankesteins and Flying Turtles

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 05 May 2015 13:00:06 +0000

" The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. Such a man has a double existence: he may suffer misery, and be overwhelmed by disappointments; yet, when he has retired into himself, he will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him, within whose circle no grief or folly ventures.” [more]

Movies You Should Watch: Network

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 04 May 2015 13:00:08 +0000

Network" title="Movies You Should Watch: Network" style="float:left;" />Movie You Should Watch. In which the overly long motto is: The title of this article isn’t meant to be a command. It’s not “you” the reader so much as it is a proverbial “you.”… [more]

Community Season Six: “Intro to Recycled Cinema”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 01 May 2015 13:00:08 +0000

Community Season Six: “Intro to Recycled Cinema”" title="Community Season Six: “Intro to Recycled Cinema”" style="float:left;" />The sixth season of Community seems to be shying away from some of the high concept event episodes of seasons past. The latest episode, “Intro to Recycled Cinema” probably comes closest. The episode blends scenes… [more]

It Follows: A New Horror Classic

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 13:00:40 +0000

It Follows: A New Horror Classic" title=" It Follows: A New Horror Classic" style="float:left;" />If you have any interest in seeing the new horror movie It Follows just go see it. Skip my review and head out to watch it. It’s one of those movies that leaves an indelible… [more]

The Last Hurrah: Frankenstein, Baragon, and King Ghidorah

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 13:00:41 +0000

Good men, do not be afraid! You should all single-mindedly recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva bestows fearlessness upon living beings. If you recite his name, you shall surely be saved from these robbers, and if upon hearing that, the merchants all cry out together, Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, then they will immediately be saved because they recited his name. [more]

Community Season Six: “Advanced Safety Features”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:00:35 +0000

Community Season Six: “Advanced Safety Features”" title="Community Season Six: “Advanced Safety Features”" style="float:left;" />I want to say something right away about the latest episode of Community. Yahoo did not work as advertised for the first time. Maybe it wasn’t their fault, maybe it was Chrome, maybe it was… [more]

Sixties Cinema and Serial Killers: Violence at Noon

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:00:04 +0000

Violence at Noon" title="Sixties Cinema and Serial Killers: Violence at Noon" style="float:left;" />At some point while examining my stack of DVDs, many of which clearly display my Criterion addiction, I realized something odd. I own nearly fifty movies (not DVDs mind you, some of the DVDs have… [more]

A Voice Like a Bell: Godzilla as a Hero and the Arrival of King Ghidorah

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 13:00:01 +0000

It was not long before awful Yamatano-orochi came. Soon, it noticed the smell of sake and struck its eight heads into each gate. It drank up the sake and began to sleep with a incredibly loud snore. Susanoo-no-mikoto cut its necks and tails one by one with his sword..The water color of the Hi-no-kawa river turned to red with its blood. [more]

The Onslaught of the Mushrooms: Toho’s Serious and Silly Sixties

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 13:00:44 +0000

"I felt that I was now seeing plain, whereas ordinary vision gives us an imperfect view; I was seeing the archetypes, the Platonic ideas, that underlie the imperfect images of everyday life. The thought crossed my mind: could the divine mushrooms be the secret that lay behind the ancient Mysteries?" [more]

Community Season Six: “Basic Email Security”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 13:00:48 +0000

Community Season Six: “Basic Email Security”" title="Community Season Six: “Basic Email Security”" style="float:left;" />Community episode 6, “Basic Email Security,” self-identifies as the third entry in a trilogy consisting of “Cooperative Calligraphy” and “Cooperative Polygraphy.” Apparently they couldn’t match the “cooperative” moniker to this episode, which is pretty funny.… [more]

The New Tale of Zatoichi : The Blind Yakuza Goes Full Colour

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 13:00:38 +0000

The New Tale of Zatoichi : The Blind Yakuza Goes Full Colour" title="The New Tale of Zatoichi : The Blind Yakuza Goes Full Colour" style="float:left;" />After the success of the speedily produced sequel to The Tale of Zatoichi, Daiei realized what they had on their hands – the makings of a proper franchise. If The Tale of Zatoichi Continues was… [more]

Community Season Six: “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 13:00:39 +0000

Community Season Six: “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”" title="Community Season Six: “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”" style="float:left;" />Episode five of the sixth season of Community, “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”, might be the best episode of the season yet. I say “might” because it still has a few problems. Let’s get… [more]

A Countless Number of Small Items: King Kong vs Godzilla and Akira Ifukube Pt. 2

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 13:00:07 +0000

I visited temples in Rehe and saw numerous Buddha statues embedded all over the wall. Even though each statue was humble, seeing all of them together on the wall impressed me greatly. [more]

A Countless Number of Small Items: King Kong vs Godzilla and Akira Ifukube

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 13:00:30 +0000

Be done with rote learning and its attendant vexations; for is there distinction of a “yes” from a “yea” comparable now to the gulf between evil and good? What all men fear, I too must fear... how barren and pointless a thought! [more]

Such Beautiful Miniatures: Yasuyuki Inoue and a New Age for Toho

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 13:00:01 +0000

Earth Defence Force is the start of an important transition in Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya’s techniques, a transition that wouldn’t reach its peak until a new decade arrived. The bright and colourful space film required Eiji Tsuburaya to focus more on optical effects then he had to date. [more]

Community Season Six: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:00:03 +0000

Community Season Six: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”" title="Community Season Six: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”" style="float:left;" />So by this point in a season Community has normally had at least one great episode. Not this season though. It hasn’t had a bad episode either, just average episodes. Episode four, “Queer Studies and… [more]

Lesser Known Kurosawa: The Bad Sleep Well

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 11:00:24 +0000

The Bad Sleep Well" title="Lesser Known Kurosawa: The Bad Sleep Well" style="float:left;" />Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is best known for his samurai epics. Now I’ve only actually seen two of those: Yojimbo and Rashomon. Sometimes people are prone to forget that Kurosawa’s output ranges in genre and… [more]

Hasty Sequels: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 11:00:46 +0000

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues" title="Hasty Sequels: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues" style="float:left;" />After the unanticipated success of Zatoichi, Daiei Studios knew they had to capitalize on the suddenly popular property they’d created. They weren’t entirely sure how, but they knew they had to strike quickly while the… [more]

The First Kaiju Fight: Godzilla Raids Again

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 11:00:29 +0000

Godzilla Raids Again" title="The First Kaiju Fight: Godzilla Raids Again" style="float:left;" />As Nakajima himself put it, “I had to stand in the middle of the set while a huge amount of crushed ice came tumbling down on me.” The weight of the ice, coupled with the weight of the GyakushuGoji suit, broke the platform Nakajima and a cable operator were situated on. [more]

Community Season Six: “Basic Crisis Room Decorum”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:00:11 +0000

Community Season Six: “Basic Crisis Room Decorum”" title="Community Season Six: “Basic Crisis Room Decorum”" style="float:left;" />The third episode of the Yahoo hosted sixth season of Dan Harmon’s quirky cult show Community continues a trend seemingly put forward by the first two. “Basic Crisis Room Decorum” sees the show at both… [more]

Tsuburaya Does Colour: Rodan

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 11:00:03 +0000

Rodan" title="Tsuburaya Does Colour: Rodan" style="float:left;" />Rodan presented the special effects mastermind with a unique opportunity. Not only was Eiji Tsuburaya shooting in colour for only the second time but also he was allotted an unprecedented 60 percent of the film’s budget [more]

Community Season Six: “Ladders” and “Lawnmower Maintenance and Post-Natal Care”

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 11:00:28 +0000

Community Season Six: “Ladders” and “Lawnmower Maintenance and Post-Natal Care”" title="Community Season Six: “Ladders” and “Lawnmower Maintenance and Post-Natal Care”" style="float:left;" />Community was a little bit of a nerve-wracking affair this season. The show was running the risk of this particular reincarnation being more like the Leech Child than the behemoth of brilliance it was before.… [more]

On Seeing Persona in Theatres

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 13:00:32 +0000

Persona in Theatres" title="On Seeing Persona in Theatres" style="float:left;" />So Ingmar Bergman is one of those directors spoken of almost unanimously in apotheosized terms. He’s highly regarded by those film critics most driven by artistic pretension, and highly thought of even by his peers. [more]

Movies You Should Watch: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:00:07 +0000

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" title="Movies You Should Watch: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" style="float:left;" />The Treasure of the Sierra Madre came out in 1948, and was directed by John Huston. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt. Bogart and Holt play Fred C. Dobbs and Curtin respectively. [more]

Baptized in the Fires of the H-Bomb: Eiji Tsuburaya, Godzilla, and the Birth of Kaiju

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 13:00:08 +0000

Godzilla, and the Birth of Kaiju" title="Baptized in the Fires of the H-Bomb: Eiji Tsuburaya, Godzilla, and the Birth of Kaiju" style="float:left;" />With my eleven Gamera movies watched and reviewed and the last outlier on its way I decided it was time to delve into more kaiju films, specifically as many of them, in chronological order, as… [more]

Blind Swordfighting and Consumption: The Tale of Zatoichi

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 13:00:44 +0000

The Tale of Zatoichi " title="Blind Swordfighting and Consumption: The Tale of Zatoichi " style="float:left;" />So Amazon is telling me that Gamera the Brave might not ship for months. Months! So while I’m waiting to finalize that particular series I thought I’d start another series I’ve been planning to review.… [more]

Nikkatsu Noir: A Colt is My Passport

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 14:00:55 +0000

A Colt is My Passport" title="Nikkatsu Noir: A Colt is My Passport" style="float:left;" />Nikkatsu is Japan’s oldest movie studio. It was founded in 1912 but hit its peak from the fifties to the sixties. After that they started pushing pink films, basically Japanese soft-core. However before that slow… [more]

Honest Bees and a Critique of Capitalism: Jupiter Ascending

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 14:00:09 +0000

Jupiter Ascending" title="Honest Bees and a Critique of Capitalism: Jupiter Ascending" style="float:left;" />I loved the design of this movie. Jupiter Ascending feels like someone took Dune (the book) and mashed it up with every Tor book cover, then seasoned it with the kind of contemporary science-fiction design that rarely makes it into movies. [more]