This Roald Dahl adaptation features an all-star cast, as well as Wes Anderson's signature direction. Telling the story of a fox on the run from angry cider-makers, the movie has a storybook feel,
thanks to the stop-motion puppetry, which looks almost taxidermied.
In order to pad out the runtime, new characters were added, and they don't add much. But it's commendable that children are given an introduction to a more understated comedy, as well as a more sophisticated art style.
Available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B
Although "Good Burger" has a considerably larger cult following, it owes a lot of inspiration to "Fast Food". This comedy from the same production company as "Funland"
follows a mom-and-pop burger joint, which is competing with a mega-corporation. But when the small business puts a sex drug in the secret sauce, the evil CEO, known as Wrangler Bob, has a harder time
with running his competitor out of business.
Jim Varney of "Ernest" fame plays Wrangler Bob, wearing a cowboy hat and acting in a fake Southern accent. In one scene, he goes to the small burger joint to warn the workers, just like
Kurt in "Good Burger". A romantic subplot was added to pad out the runtime, which feels lifted from "Funland". But if you're hungry for low-budget comedy, "Fast Food" will satisfy your appetite.
Available on VHS and DVD
Grade: C
This lesser-known psychological drama is a hidden gem. Released by Paramount but unsuccessful at the box office, it features a divorced family, in which two boys witness their mother falling for
a seemingly charming man. But when his story keeps changing about what he does for a living, the boys suspect that something is up with him.
He turns out to be a drug dealer, and upon being confronted, he changes on a dime, becoming angry and violent. Peter Weller played the drug dealer, and you can really feel his rage. Apparently, he method-acted for the role.
The movie also has an understanding of the mechanics behind narcissism, as well as an understanding of how parental authority can be used to justify bad decisions. "Firstborn" doesn't have a particularly original story, but for what it is,
the elements come together really well.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: B+
"Flowers in the Attic" is based on the psychological horror novel by V.C. Andrews, but this adaptation is heavily neutered, with the incest-related subplot removed completely. This is an early example
of a studio pressuring a movie to be rated PG-13, so that it has the widest audience reach.
What's left is the story of three children being deceived by their widowed mother, who takes them to their grandparents' mansion, hoping that she will warm up to them and obtain their inheritance. What she doesn't
tell her kids is that their grandparents are abusive and fundamentalist, locking them in the attic as soon as they arrive.
Without the growing sexual tension between the two siblings, the attic scenes have little momentum. Also, without the incest theme, locking up the children and not their mother makes little sense. Still, the domestic abuse was largely left intact, and the visuals are translated from the novel to a tee.
"Flowers in the Attic" feels like an incomplete adaptation, but it's more comfortable to watch than the book is to read.
Available on VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C+
Of all the Bond movies, this one is decisively average. It features Roger Moore as James Bond, who is sent to recover a missile device from a sunken British ship, which Russians are also after.
While the plot is typical of an 80's action movie, the action sequences are well done, such as a skeleton sled chase. Moore delivers his typical comedic interpretation of Bond, but the setup is much better than "Moonraker".
"For Your Eyes Only" is the kind of movie that entertains you, but that you forget about quickly.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C+
Critics hated this movie, but they were wrong. "Freddy Got Fingered" is a laugh riot. It stars Tom Green as a struggling cartoonist who lives with his parents. He gets in constant trouble with his father,
who is fed up with his antics, such as tying a pulley system with sausages to a Casio keyboard.
In 2001, the meme-style humor might have seemed strange. In 2026, it's hilarious. There is an intentionally off-putting mix of dark and absurdist comedy, essentially a middle finger to Hollywood conventions.
The story is mostly secondary to the jokes, but the bottom line is, Tom Green made the movie he wanted to make. As a side note, there exists a PG version, but it's only three minutes long due to the profanity.
Available on VHS and DVD
Grade: B+
At this point, Freddy Kreuger is a cartoon character. Another batch of teenagers are murdered, but the deaths lean so heavily into absurdity that this doesn't even feel like a "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie.
The last 10 minutes are in 3-D, referred to as "Freddy-Vision", and depict the child-killer being slain for good. My best guess is that this was done to create a sense of finality, but it's a novelty at best. "Freddy's Dead:
The Final Nightmare" was followed by "New Nightmare" in 1994, where Wes Craven gave the series a much-needed restoration.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: D+
Although dismissed by critics as trash, "Friday the 13th" legitimately did some new things for the slasher genre. A group of teenage camp counselors try to reopen Camp Crystal Lake,
despite warnings from the townspeople that something is wrong with that place. One by one, the teens are slaughtered by a mysterious killer.
Unlike in John Carpenter's "Halloween", the characters are secondary to the kills, with few distinguishing characteristics. However, the gore effects by Tom Savini pushed the envelope, making
brutal deaths a mainstay in slashers for the first time. There is also a twist ending that is genuinely surprising, for various reasons that would give away the movie. "Friday the 13th" may not be
high art, but it brought slasher cinema into the mainstream.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B+
This sequel follows the same formula as the original, with another summer camp being set up near Crystal Lake, and teens being killed when they venture off to the abandoned site where the first film
took place.
The pacing is tighter this time around, with an 87-minute runtime, including a recap of the first movie. Without it, the runtime is barely 80 minutes. Jason makes his first appearance, and his reveal isn't
as shocking as the original villain's. However, Ginny is the best "final girl" in the series, using her major in psychology to her advantage. "Friday the 13th Part II" is no classic, but it's a solid sequel.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B
This is the only "Friday the 13th" movie to be in 3-D, as well as the first to feature Jason in his signature hockey mask. However, it does nothing to advance the lore of Crystal Lake.
Another group of teenagers arrive at a vacation home, where a wounded Jason starts killing again.
A biker gang was thrown in as an unnecessary group of villains, who only exist to be killed off. While you can essentially skip this movie and still understand the next, the 3-D is a fun gimmick,
which comes in anaglyph form on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C+
Critics dismissed this movie because it's a slasher, but it actually addresses what they complained about in previous installments. Corey Feldman plays a central protagonist, 12-year-old Tommy Jarvis, giving the audience
someone to care about. While Jason still goes on a rampage, killing another batch of teenagers, what stands out is that Tom Savini's gore effects were largely uncut. At this point, there is no suspense left in the series, but given that
this was supposed to be the last "Friday the 13th" movie, and provides the setup for the next two, there is a unique mix of finality and freshness. "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter" is the best in the series since the original.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: B
With Jason "dead", where does the series have left to go? Well, this installment follows a teenage Tommy Jarvis, suffering from PTSD and being sent to a rehabilitation center. There, a new killer
inspired by Jason goes on a rampage.
While fans have derided this movie for its lack of Jason, that's a moot point, considering that Jason wasn't in the first one. For the most part, this is a respectable continuation, with a wacky set of
victims. The ending, however, is atrocious.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: B-
How would you like to see a movie where you're promised a killer clown, and most of the movie is the clown planning to kill? That's "Funland" in a nutshell. Produced
on a shoestring budget, it follows Bruce Burger, a clown who has been laid off at Funland after mobsters kill the owner and take over the park. His descent into madness includes funny visions, such as
a cafeteria breaking out in song, or the ghost of the former owner telling him to take revenge.
He eventually does, but even the revenge is lame! One person gets killed...by accident. "Funland" is a misnomer, because aside from some strange moments, there's nothing fun about it.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, and DVD
Grade: D-
This Chevy Chase comedy takes him to the Vermont countryside, where he moves to a cabin, hoping to write a novel and start a family with his wife. As expected in this kind of movie, things don't go as planned.
Since much of the movie has the characters cooped up in the cabin, that limits the comedy, which more or less feels like a retread from previous Chevy Chase efforts. Still, there are highlights, such as when the protagonist
unknowingly eats 30 fried sheep testicles.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C