If you grew up watching movies in the mid-2000s, chances are you think of Liam Neeson as some sort of perpetually grizzled action hero engaged in a never-ending quest for vengeance. It's no secret that the Irish star has spent the latter part of his career fronting a series of middling actioners that, if you removed the names and flimsy plots, would basically all be the same film. (We've even ranked the 10 best "old man Liam Neeson action films" right here.)
It all began with 2008's "Taken," which began Neeson's action star makeover and was actually a pretty good movie that set a precedent for similar films moving forward. But there was a time when Neeson was known for much more than being the permanently upset badass dad. Prior to 2008, the man had some seriously impressive accomplishments to his name, such as a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his...
It all began with 2008's "Taken," which began Neeson's action star makeover and was actually a pretty good movie that set a precedent for similar films moving forward. But there was a time when Neeson was known for much more than being the permanently upset badass dad. Prior to 2008, the man had some seriously impressive accomplishments to his name, such as a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his...
- 3/17/2025
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Horror was in a bit of a funk in the late 90s. Then 25 years ago, in July 1999, The Blair Witch Project came along and changed everything.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
- 7/11/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
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