Michael Cavacini

An award-winning arts and culture blog.

Archive for the category “Movies”

28 Jan 2020

Movie Review: Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street

Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is the best documentary I’ve seen this year and in a very long time. This film sets the record straight about the controversial sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street, which both launched and ended Mark Patton’s acting career. This film is about him attempting to make peace with his past and embrace his legacy as cinema’s first male scream queen. Scream Queen! also finds Mark confronting the Freddy’s Revenge cast and crew for the first time, including co-stars Robert Rusler, Kim Myers and Clu Gulager, as well as Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund.

25 Jan 2020

Movie Review: The Fanatic

I just watched a movie that I feel compelled to review: The Fanatic starring John Travolta. Released on August 30, 2019, The Fanatic didn’t have much of a fighting chance. It had a limited theatrical run, followed by a release on digital platforms. Here’s the film’s description: “On the grimy streets of Hollywood, a celebrity-obsessed man feels slighted by his favorite movie star and embarks on an unhinged quest to get a response – leading to a home invasion and a very long night that changes both men irreparably.” This premise fascinated me, primarily because I’m a passionate fan of all forms of entertainment. Not only have I had the pleasure of attending countless concerts, movies, and star-studded events, I’ve interviewed almost all of my celebrity heroes and befriended a few of them along the way. So, a film starring John Travolta as a fan that takes things too far was something I couldn’t pass up. I’m glad I finally watched it because it’s the best film I’ve seen this year and, in my opinion, John Travolta’s greatest dramatic performance to date.

Posted in Movies, Review and tagged Fred Durst, John Travolta, Michael Cavacini, Movie, One Hour Photo, Review, Robin Williams, The Fanatic | Leave a comment

25 Nov 2019

Shudder December Highlights

Thanksgiving is almost here, which means December is right around the corner. With a new month on the horizon, Shudder is gearing up to end the year strong with a bevy of holiday gifts for one and all. Joe Bob’s Red Christmas and several of Wes Craven’s films—including the highly entertaining Shocker—will be available, as will The Lost Boys and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. And what would Christmas be without some holiday-themed slashers? You can enjoy Black Christmas, Christmas Evil, and Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, just to name a few. Below is the full rundown of what to expect from Shudder in December.

Posted in Horror, Movies, News and tagged Christmas, December, Horror, Joe Bob Briggs, Michael Cavacini, Mick Garris, Movies, News, Shudder, Tom Savini, Wes Craven | Leave a comment

05 Nov 2019

Movie Review: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep, the new movie directed by Mike Flanagan, is coming out November 8. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this is a sequel to The Shining. I was invited to attend an advance screening of this movie last night, so I jumped at the chance to see it.

Posted in Movies, Review and tagged Doctor Sleep, Horror, Michael Cavacini, Mick Garris, Movie, Review, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, Steven Weber | Leave a comment

29 Oct 2019

Movie Review: Holiday Hell

Just when I thought I had my fill of horror anthologies, Holiday Hell comes along. This Christmas-themed film stars the wonderful Jeffrey Combs as a shopkeeper who entertains a curious customer with the terrifying tales behind specific items he has for sale. Collectively, these stories comprise this entertaining movie. Aside from Combs, Joel Murray steals the show with his incredible performance as an alcoholic who is down on his luck in a variety of ways. I was completely enthralled by his performance, which was nuanced and emotive. Murray is an exceptional actor who deserves much more attention for his stellar work.

Posted in Horror, Movies, Review and tagged Halloween, Holiday Hell, Horror, Jeffrey Combs, Joel Murray, Michael Cavacini, Movie, Review | Leave a comment

28 Oct 2019

Movie Review: Nightmare Cinema

I’ve watched many horror anthologies over the past month or so, including Creepshow (the movies and the new Shudder series), American Horror Story: 1984, All Hallows’ Eve, and Nightmare Cinema, which is coming to Shudder on October 29.

Posted in Horror, Movies, Review and tagged Anthology, Horror, Joe Dante, Michael Cavacini, Mick Garris, Mickey Rourke, Nightmare Cinema, Shudder, Stephen King | Leave a comment

23 Oct 2019

Movie Review: Haunt

Debuting on Shudder on October 24, Haunt is written and directed by the team that brought us A Quiet Place and it was produced by Eli Roth. This 90-minute horror film is a Shudder exclusive, and it’s not for the faint of heart. This movie is about a group of young people trapped in a frightening haunted house, and it is replete with disturbing and gory imagery. It is a genuinely scary scenario, and the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. If you can handle the SAW movies or anything Eli Roth has done, then you’ll do fine with Haunt. The acting is solid, and the score is foreboding. The editing doesn’t hold anything back, so get ready to say to yourself or a friend, “What did I just see happen?” numerous times, as the deaths in Haunt are a punch to the gut. For big-time horror fans like myself, this is an enjoyable, pulse-pounding adventure that is worth watching.

Posted in Horror, Movies, Review and tagged A Quiet Place, Eli Roth, Haunt, Michael Cavacini, Movie, Review, Shudder | Leave a comment

21 Oct 2019

Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy

In 2003 Rob Zombie made his writing and directing debut with the gritty horror film House of 1000 Corpses. The success of this movie spawned a sequel, The Devil’s Rejects, and a third entry in the series, 3 From Hell, was just released on digital and physical video this month. Let’s take a look back at these films about the infamous Firefly family, including my thoughts and Rob Zombie’s insights on each of these twisted tales.

Posted in Horror, Movies and tagged 3 From Hell, Horror, House of 1000 Corpses, Michael Cavacini, Movies, Review, Rob Zombie, Sid Haig, The Devil's Rejects | Leave a comment

17 Oct 2019

2 Comments

Movie Review: Portal

Released just a couple days ago on digital and on demand, Portal is an award-winning supernatural horror film with an all-start cast. It features a rare appearance by iconic scream queen Heather Langenkamp, best known for her stellar work in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise. When an ambitious ghost hunter performs a risky ritual, opening a portal to “the other side,” he and his team quickly find themselves way over their heads in a fight for survival against an ancient demonic force. Read more…

Posted in Movies, Review and tagged Heather Lagenkamp, Horror, HorrorHound, Michael Cavacini, Movie, Portal, Review

14 Oct 2019

2 Comments

Movie Review: Gwen

Making its debut on Shudder this Thursday (October 17), Gwen is a strange film. I absolutely wouldn’t classify it as anything close to horror. It’s best described as an atmospheric period piece about a family that’s down in the dumps from start to finish. Throw in some strange disease that’s ailing the mother, as well as a ton of misfortune, and you have Gwen. While I was watching it my wife said, “What’s the point of this movie?” I don’t have a good answer for her because this film doesn’t seem to serve any purpose. It merely exists. Not a whole lot happens in this movie and there’s more silence than sound. It’s as if the viewer is simply watching a family fall apart. The ending isn’t satisfying either. In a word filled with real-life negativity and depressing predicaments, the last thing I want to do is watch a movie mired with them. With this in mind, I can’t recommend Gwen to anyone.