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Adult animation isn’t something that gets talked about enough. Paving the way for today’s movie were things like Fritz the Cat, Lord of the Rings which is not expressly adult of course, and Wizards. Let us know if we should talk about Wizards in some form by the way. Other movies that firmly tie into a similar vein of Heavy Metal are American Pop from the same year and Fire and Ice from a couple years later. While a bunch of the animated movies listed or even not listed fall under the sex comedy, fantasy, or recreation of modern life, Heavy Metal is something else entirely. It’s an anthology sci-fi, horror, comedy, action, fantasy that has a rocking soundtrack and earns its hard R rating. It was held back from being on video for a while due to licensing issues but has become an endearing cult classic 44 years later.

It was in 1985 that the Care Bears had their first big-screen adventure. Those colorful, fuzzy do-gooders had already made the move to television, after previously going from greeting cards to plushies, but now their unwavering message of love had reached a wider audience. That original Care Bears film encapsulated the fundamentals of this lucrative franchise; syrupy songs fill in for plot, the general tone is sweet enough to form cavities, and essentially everything amounts to one long toy commercial. However, beneath the treacle sits the antithesis of the empathetic heroes. The villain of this story is still hard to shake off, on account of how she hissed her way into the nightmares of children everywhere. For that reason and others, The Care Bears Movie makes for a surprising source of gateway horror.

The term “gateway horror” is commonly used to describe a lot of adult horror that was first experienced as a young age.

While Heavy Metal may not exactly be the first movie that comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving, it will always hold a special place in my heart around that time of year because of what happened the Thanksgiving of 2017.

You see, usually my family and I have Thanksgiving dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. It’s a cherished tradition that goes back years, something we used to do when my grandma and grandpa on that side of the family were still with us and something we still do to honor their memory and be thankful for each other’s company.

Before Covid, we gathered every Thanksgiving for this tradition… until 2017 rolled around. On that year’s Thanksgiving, my mom unfortunately woke up with a feverish cold that only got worse as the day went on. To ensure that she could rest and feel better as soon as...

Above: Juan Gatti’s original Spanish poster for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain).

After covering the posters for the very first and the current New York Film Festivals, I thought it might be fitting, in this last year of Richard Peña’s tenure as Program Director and Selection Committee Chairman of the festival, to gather all the posters from Peña’s very first Nyff, 24 years ago.

In the current edition of Film Comment—an essential souvenir of the history of the festival to date, complete with a list of every feature film to have played the festival in its 50 years—Gavin Smith writes that “The 25-film lineup of the 1988 Nyff was partly a reflection of the decade’s drift and uncertainty—two came from Nyff veterans (Sergei Paradjanov, Marcel Ophuls), two were post-Glasnost rediscoveries (Andrei Konchalovsky, Larissa Shepitko), and nine were bets that didn...

During Robert Rodriguez's presentation in Hall H today, the filmmaker revealed that he has acquired the rights to remake the 80's classic animated film, Heavy Metal, and has big plans. Take a look...

Click to watch Robert Rodriguez Announces the Return of Heavy Metal!

"Hi, this is Robert Rodriguez...

I recently acquired the rights to Heavy Metal to make a large-scale media project and an animated film. I've always been a fan of Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal magazine.

I think one of the ideas I always believed in, is international artists coming together to show their best work. And when I ask other fans what they think, they all want to work on it. So I thought it would be really cool if everyone got the chance.

So what I'm doing with this website is having you submit ideas for stories, characters, or worlds that we can use...

Rank the week of July 19th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Limitless

(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)

Flickchart Ranking: #1890

Times Ranked: 3217

Win Percentage: 51%

Top-20 Rankings: 12

Directed By: Neil Burger

Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard

Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller

Rank This Movie

Take Me Home Tonight

(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5722

Times Ranked: 1234

Win Percentage: 49%

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Michael Dowse

Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt

Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama

Rank This Movie

The Reef

(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #10667

Times Ranked: 152

Win Percentage: 47%

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Andrew Traucki

Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith

Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller

Rank This Movie

Tekken

(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #9314

Times Ranked: 332

Win...

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)

Directed/Written by: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Starring: Martha Plimpton, Peter Stormare, Aaron Poole, Jill Hennessy, Ari Cohen, Jackie Burroughs and Steven Eric McIntyre

Shot with stunning simplicity by Brendan Steacy, “Small Town Murder Songs,” the sophomore feature effort of 33-year-old Toronto native Ed Gass-Donnelly, finds its footing in a Mennonite Christian community. When a girl turns up dead on the banks of the local “beach,” the town’s police chief Walter Ruden has issues from his past dredged to light. Like fellow Canadian David Cronenberg’s “History of Violence,” “Small Town Murder Songs” explores the issues of how deep one can bury what is innate within each of us and whether faith alone is truly enough to maintain strength.

With a detective at the helm, Chief Walter does the rounds, from the religious community leaders to old-school farmers and the nearby strip club,...

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)

Directed/Written by: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Starring: Martha Plimpton, Peter Stormare, Aaron Poole, Jill Hennessy, Ari Cohen, Jackie Burroughs and Steven Eric McIntyre

Shot with stunning simplicity by Brendan Steacy, “Small Town Murder Songs,” the sophomore feature effort of 33-year-old Toronto native Ed Gass-Donnelly, finds its footing in a Mennonite Christian community. When a girl turns up dead on the banks of the local “beach,” the town’s police chief Walter Ruden has issues from his past dredged to light. Like fellow Canadian David Cronenberg’s “History of Violence,” “Small Town Murder Songs” explores the issues of how deep one can bury what is innate within each of us and whether faith alone is truly enough to maintain strength.

With a detective at the helm, Chief Walter does the rounds, from the religious community leaders to old-school farmers and the nearby strip club,...

Filmmakers in attendance for intro and Q&A’s for each screening.

Director Ed Gass-Donnelly, starring Peter Stormare, Aaron Poole, Jill Hennessy, Jackie Burroughs and Martha Plimpton.

“Haunting. Totally captivating” – The Huffington Post.

“a must see fresh take on crime and redemption” – Toronto Star

“A jem. Definitely a winner” – Ain’t It Cool News

A modern, gothic tale of crime and redemption about an aging police officer from a small Ontario Mennonite town who hides a violent past until a local murder upsets the calm of his newly reformed life.

Watch The Trailer here.

Official Small Town Murder Songs site here.

Screening Times:

Friday, February 18th at 7pm

Saturday, February 19th at 7pm

Sunday February 20th at 4:30pm and 7pm

Monday February 21st at 9:15pm

Tuesday February 22nd at 9:15pm

Wednesday February 23rd at 9:15pm

Thursday February 24th at 7pm

Tickets:

General Admission: $10

Students & Seniors: $8

Facebook Event Page here.

After a brief hiatus The Animated Series! is returning to the Toronto Underground Cinema with a 35mm screening of the Canadian cult classic Heavy Metal on Feb. 17th at 7pm.

Directed by Yellow Submarine animator Gerald Potterton and featuring a stellar cast of canuck voice talent (John Candy, Jackie Burroughs, Eugene Levy), this anthology film, based on the famous sci-fi and fantasy pulp magazine of the same of the name, has endured as both a cult attraction and as a highly influential slice of 1980s animated insanity. It is also responsible for many a fantasy of flying a 1960 Corvette through space.

Heavy Metal repeats the following Sunday at 9:30pm.

Tickets $8.

Facebook Event Page here.

After This Beautiful City, Canadian director Ed Gass-Donnelly comes back with another film called Small Town Murder Songs. The film will come out in Canada on February 18.

The film is about an aging police officer (Peter Stormare) who lives in a small Mennonite town of Ontario. Life in town is disturbed when the body of a dead woman is found by the local authorities.

The film also stars Martha Plimpton, Jill Hennessy, Aaron Poole, Jackie Burroughs, Sebastian Pigott, Ari Cohen, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Stuart Hughes and Alexandria Benoit.

So far, the film has been in many film festivals.

Year: 2010

Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Writer: Ed Gass-Donnelly

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: Marina Antunes

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

It doesn’t happen often but once in a while a film comes along that sweeps you off your feet from the opening credits. It plays, you enjoy it, it ends and you wish it were longer and that you had the opportunity to spend more time with the people, the places and the music. That’s what it felt like to walk out of Ed Gass-Donnelly’s sophomore effort Small Town Murder Songs.

I’m not familiar with Gass-Donnelly’s previous work (though you’d best believe I’ll shortly be getting acquainted with his debut feature This Beautiful City) but something about this trailer spoke to me. Part of it was the music, part of it was the setting and a whole lot of it was Peter Stormare, a man...

Cyndi Lauper performs at Rosie's Building Dreams For Kids Gala in NYC

Cheyenne Jackson will reprise his role as Danny on the October 14 live episode of 30 Rock. Canadian actress Jackie Burroughs has passed away at the age of 71. She's best known for the CBC series Road to Avonlea and for playing Mona 'Mother Mucca' Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City. Watch What Happens Live returned last week, and to celebrate Bravo put together this clip of Andy Cohen's multitude of expressions.

More words of wisdom from GoProud's Homocon host Ann Coulter. Below you can see Sir Elton John discuss his upcoming album The Union, a collaboration with Leon Russell.

Andrew Sullivan has weighed in on the Dadt debacle. It's official! Portia de Rossi is now Portia Lee James DeGeneres. Congratulations, but um ... James? Entertainment Weekly has three collector's edition covers of Modern Family this week,...

Filed under: TV News

Last night's big ratings winner also won big at the Emmys last month: The 'Modern Family' topped the night with its season 2 premiere, which nabbed 12.6 million viewers, a 19 percent increase from the series' debut last fall, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

ABC's other returning comedies, 'Cougar Town' and 'The Middle,' performed solidly too, with 8.3 million and 8.8 million viewers tuning in respectively, and the debut of 'Better With You' with 8 million viewers. The night's other winners included the series premiere of CBS's Jerry O'Connell/Jim Belushi law show 'The Defenders' with 12.1 million viewers, the second episode of 'Survivor: Nicaragua' with 12.5 million, the 'Hell's Kitchen' season premiere with 6.6 million, and a two-hour 'Law & Order: Svu' premiere with 10 million.

On the losing end of last night's ratings were the premiere of ABC's legal procedural 'The Whole Truth,' which only...

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

Stage and screen actress Jackie Burroughs, who played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey in More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 71.According to the CBC, Burroughs died at home in Toronto. The cause was stomach cancer.The British-born Burroughs was best known for her role as schoolteacher Hetty King on Road to Avonlea on TV. She appeared in more than 100 film and television shows, according to the CBC, which reported that she won two Canadian Film Awards, five Geminis (three for Road to Avonlea, one for Further Tales of the City, and the Earle Grey Award for outstanding contribution to Canadian Cinema) and three Genies (for The Grey Fox, A Winter's Tan, and The Wars).

In the spirit of Halloween '09, we're breaking out reviews (some new, some old) of some Fall Frights you may want to work into your monthly viewing.

Willard - Fangoria Archives: Originally Published 2/28/03

Willard is, of course, a remake of the 1971 cult classic, but it belongs equally to a just slightly older tradition—’60s movies like What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, which mixed grande dames with Grand Guignol to turn horror into high Gothic melodrama. Everything in Willard is heightened or exaggerated to some degree, but writer/director Glen Morgan never allows it tip over into camp, combining enough intentional humor with serious squirm-inducing moments to make it a scary/funny good time.

The not-so-secret weapon that holds it all together is Crispin Glover, who is so absolutely right for the title role that it’s astonishing to learn that the studio wanted anyone else.

Opens Friday, March 14

A reworking of the 1971 horror film about a boy and his rat (as opposed to a sunny biopic about the former "Today" show weatherman), "Willard" is alternately creepy and crappy.

In his debut as a feature director, Glen Morgan, who collaborated with James Wong on "Final Destination" and "The X-Files", proves he can choreograph the teeming vermin to maximum squirm-inducing effect, but there are also the annoying human performances which seem to have been encouraged to challenge the rodents in a race to the rafters.

The upshot is an unsuccessful mix of sci-fi horror and a highly exaggerated filmmaking approach that borders on unintentional parody.

That watered-down effect will likely result in only mild theater infestations, with its predominantly male target audience preferring to take the bait off the DVD shelves.

While there was already a strong element of Hitchcock's "The Birds" in place, writer-director Morgan has seen fit to graft on more than a bit of "Psycho", with central character Willard Stiles recast as Norman Bates.

With Crispin Glover doing the honors, Willard is a mess of tics and twitches and wrist-wringing angst, suffocating in the stuffy old house he shares with his controlling, infirmed mother (Jackie Burroughs), a fright of a woman with one foot in the fruit cellar.

Things aren't much better at work. Willard is as a clerk for Martin-Stiles Manufacturing, the company originally started by his late father who made Willard's employment there a condition of his partnership with the bullying Frank Martin (R. Lee Ermey).

But our Willard is about to discover empowerment through his odd relationship with the ever-growing legion of rats that have been invading his basement. Along with that association, however, is a struggle of Shakespearean proportions brewing between two of those rodents -- the sweet, benevolent Socrates and the imposing, unstoppable Ben.

In building up to the inevitable "ratsplosion," Morgan frequently delivers the unsettling goods, especially in a sequence keyed to Michael Jackson's crooning of "Ben" (which actually is from the 1972 sequel) as the rodents terrorize a cat by gnawing through the legs of a large dining room cabinet, sending it and the hapless kitty crashing down to their teeth-gnashing level.

As it turns out, those rodents aren't The Only Ones chewing the scenery.

The ever-jittery Glover is continually running out of top to go over, and the rest of the compact cast appears to be following his lead. Only Laura Elena Harring approaches subtlety as a co-worker who tries to strike up a friendship with the otherwise occupied Willard.

Where the original may have been lacking in any discernible style, there was a least a tangible pathos that made Rat Boy oddly sympathetic. Although the Morgan version has style to burn, his two-legged characters have been reduced to cartoon levels at the expense of the viewer's patience.

Too bad they couldn't have taken a cue from those rodents -- a mix of live, animatronic and CGI varieties -- who end up delivering the most convincing performances. The real deal, handled by stunt coordinator Boone Narr, are particularly persuasive in those earlier sequences not requiring computer-assisted swarming.

A ton of inside references abound -- both to the original film and Morgan's "X-Files" work. Photos of his father are actually of Bruce Davison, who was the original Willard, while the doomed housecat goes by the name of Scully.

WILLARD

New Line

New Line Cinema presents a Hard Eight Pictures production

Credits:

Director-screenwriter: Glen Morgan

Based on a screenplay by Gilbert Ralston

Producer: James Wong

Executive producers: Bill Carraro, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener

Director of photography: Robert McLachlan

Production designer: Mark Freeborn

Editor: James Coblentz

Costume designer: Gregory Mah

Visual effects supervisor: Stuart Robertson

Music: Shirley Walker

Cast:

Willard: Crispin Glover

Mr. Martin: R. Lee Ermey

Cathryn: Laura Elena Harring

Henrietta Stiles: Jackie Burroughs

Running time -- 100 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...