Universal Pictures wanted a car chase spectacle that would appeal to fans of their FAST & FURIOUS franchise. What director Nicolas Winding Refn and star Ryan Gosling (long before he coined the phrase “Kenergy” in Barbie) delivered was something far from that. They made a fairy tale-inspired arthouse thriller with ‘80s vibes, a deliberate pace, and bursts of graphic violence. The film was the 2011 release DRIVE – and it’s time for it to be REVISITED.
“Drive,” directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling, is a mesmerizing neo-noir film that delves into the world of a stoic and enigmatic Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. Gosling’s character, simply known as “Driver,” navigates the criminal underworld while forming a connection with his neighbor Irene (played by Carey Mulligan) and her son. The film’s atmospheric cinematography, stylish direction, and pulsating synth-heavy soundtrack accompany the tension-filled narrative, marked by bursts of extreme violence contrasted with quiet, introspective moments. Gosling’s captivating and minimalist performance, coupled with the film’s distinctive visual style, amplifies the brooding and mysterious nature of “Driver” as he grapples with loyalty, revenge, and a longing for connection in a world marked by danger and moral ambiguity.
Those underappreciated, under the radar slasher movies that deserve more attention.
The slasher movie genre is a subcategory of horror films characterized by its focus on a relentless, often masked, and typically malevolent antagonist who employs a variety of weapons, such as knives or other sharp objects, to gruesomely dispatch their victims. These films frequently feature a group of unsuspecting, often young, protagonists who find themselves isolated and pursued by the relentless killer, often in an enclosed or remote setting. The tension builds through a combination of suspenseful pacing, creative death scenes, and a sense of impending doom. The genre gained prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s with iconic franchises like “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” establishing enduring archetypes such as the final girl, a resilient female survivor. Slasher films tap into primal fears of vulnerability, isolation, and the unknown, making them a perennial favorite among horror enthusiasts.
In/Frame/Out – “Grindhouse” should have been a sure thing. A collaboration between two of cult cinema’s most prized auteurs and a double-feature throwback full of schlock horror and tongue-in-cheek charm. So, was it any good, why did it fail, and what’s grindhouse?
The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes franchise is a humorous horror-comedy series that began with the 1978 film “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” and includes multiple sequels, a TV series, and other spin-off media. The premise of the franchise is that tomatoes have become sentient and are attacking and killing humans, often with comedic and absurd results. The franchise is known for its campy humor, satire of B-movies, and its use of practical effects to bring the killer tomatoes to life.
80s movies have what I call The 80s Movie Feel. But why? Why do movies from that decade feel so distinctly 80s? Why do 80s movies look different? Why do 80s movies sound different? Why do 80s movies FEEL different? Is it just nostalgia or is there something tangible behind it? In this video we dive into the topic of why 80s moves feel like 80s movies.
Prey comes along at a time when Predator fans are – rightly – wary of any new addition to the franchise. The Alien vs Predator movies were abysmal, while Predators, a promising entry, utterly lacked the horror that distinguished the series and featured bland leading characters. As for Shane Black’s The Predator – the less said, the better. Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey gets a Hulu debut this week after premiering at Comic-Con. Do we finally have a Predator film that can at least live up to the underrated second film, never mind the iconic original? We’ll give you the scoop with our Prey movie review!
CGI superheroes are more common than you think. The video above breaks down some surprising uses of digidoubles in superhero movies — and shows just how often they appear in modern movies.
