Faust (1926)

I know the term silent cinema is common but I couldn't pick a better word than cinema.

Needless to say I was heavily impressed, intrigued, and taken in by what many would claim to be F.W. Murnau's crowning achievement in filmmaking. To be honest I think I'm one of them even though I haven't seen even half his filmography mostly due to the fact that out of his 21 films only 11 still exist, but the power of Faust puts even modern films to shame in the simplest term for movies, imagery. This is a monumentally gorgeous film with so much special effects shooting it could be considered the Star Wars of it's day, where almost every frame is a painting filled with brilliant contrast of light and shadow, a wonderful mix of miniatures, cross dissolves, rear projection, and even animatronics that wouldn't be surpassed in cinema until 1933's King Kong. Concerning an old alchemist whose town is beleagured by plague, turns to the king of Hell itself to try to save people but is quickly snared by promises of youth and love as not only his life spirals but those he interacts with as well. The road to Hell is often paved with the goodest of intentions. For such a simple story it's told on a grand scale with drama to match, all the performances are big but not hammy or over the top. Gösta Ekman who plays the young and old versions of Faust does very good work and can convey a lot through facial acting, Camilla Horn as his love interest Gretchen honestly is my second favorite performance because she has so much range and dare I even say haunting moments which is amazing to witness, but the whole show is stolen in my humble opinion by Emil Jannings who plays Mephisto. I know, I know, praising the villain as per usual but you have not seen what I have seen. Dis guy, lemme tell you about dis guy! I have never seen a performance in silent movies so relishing in the part, I almost want to say he goes camp but that is not in a derogatory sense, gleefully indulging in vice, you can practically hear the hisses and groans when he's confronted with religious symbols, his natural instinct to backstab and lie. I am hardpressed in all of my years to think of a better devil character in fiction than this fella right here! Exquisite, definitive, iconic. Yet even with the lighter moments this movie can get dark man, with shots of people dying from pestilence, being stabbed with the most nonchalant grace, pretty much everything that happens to Gretchen after falling for Faust is horrific and depressing. I almost expected the movie to end on a seriously pessimistic if not even nihilistic note, but there is hope at the end with a message of love to help you fight through the darkness. I couldn't praise the visuals more and I'd be here all damn day if I tried, the direction is so tight and focused, you can tell this was a production that worked hand in hand with each department to craft the best movie possible. For an almost 2 hour movie it pretty much had me in a headlock before even the two minute mark hit, and it's got a solid pace to it. I loved it, I can fully see why it is lauded so much and has a special place in film history, I also can easily recommend it and hope that you enjoy it just as much if not even more than I did. Full 4 stars, 9/10, and I hopefully saved the best for last with one of the most influential movies of all time, Fritz Lang's Metropolis.

The Golem (1920)

How truly we are in need of a guardian these days.

Another year has come and it is time to begin again, kicking off with a small offering of silent cinema. The Golem is a classic character of folklore both of jewish and german history personified no better than here, with Paul Wegener not only directing but penned the script and played the titular character himself. A true period piece set in the 16th century a rabbi in a ghetto portends of great danger for the jewish people of his town and sets about constructing a guardian even at the cost of dabbling in black magic, as word from an oligarch condemns the jewish people for a list of "reasons", if they can even be stretched as such, to forfeit their homes and depart. For a film not even 90 minutes long and is the only surviving story of a Golem trilogy all directed by Wegener, I'm quite happy it was this one that survived acting as an origin story and it does a quite good job telling it. It's not an example of pure german expressionism like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, more expressionist lite with examples of architecture and lighting but mostly is shot conventional. For 1920 the special effects are fairly impressive cause I sure couldn't deduce how they pulled off certain things like the star studded night or the smoky appearance of the demon Astaroth, it looks quite nice and no doubt having such technical craftsmen behind the camera like Hans Poelzig and Karl Freund certainly helped bring this film to life. The performances are decent, obviously with silent cinema we can't get much inflection on dialogue but what is shown is easily understandable and the cast do quite well and I must give credit on the sheer scale of extras present. In true horror movie fashion it takes some time before the Golem is brought to life and even then isn't the centerpiece, but the look and imagery of what he does is what has kept this film from slipping into absolute obscurity. It's such a different tale that yes has some elements from other stories in the horror genre, the monster being in love with a girl, a creation that rebels against it's creator, but by far and away even after a century since it came out no movie is quite like this one. I wouldn't deem it a certified classic that simply must be watched at any cost but it is a very good movie where anybody who is a fan of silent cinema or indeed monster movies of all different types will get something out of it if they watch it. You can find the whole thing on a most trusted ally the Internet Archive, just look for the one that has both the english and german title, it has all the correct color tinting and everything. I give it a solid 3 stars, 7.5/10, and next time we're looking at F.W. Murnau's other classic of the 20s, Faust.

Top 10 Films Of 2025

10. Tron Ares – Now I know it was far from perfect but considering my relatively low number of new releases and my lifelong status as a fan, I knew I couldn't put it higher than this.

9. Wolf Man – Solid new approach to an immortal classic and I'm always on the lookout for what the Universal Monsters will return as next.

8. Nobody 2 – Basic but fun, a solid continuation in my books, and whether or not we get a third I'm quite happy with these two!

7. Ballerina – An interesting side story for the hardcore fans and an enjoyable watch for a casual like me, Ana you are a welcome addition to the action her pantheon.

6. Mickey 17 – Original moviegoing sci-fi with a solid cast, dark humor, and a fanbase that no doubt will sprout from the underground in years to come.

5. Predator Badlands – Almost ingeniously simple in terms of plot and yet very engrossing, and this is a story I would love to see have a continuation on screen.

4. Frankenstein – Yeah yeah Netflix original, well I saw it in the theater and it's my damn show so I'll do as I please! Far from super faithful but intensely engaging and the fan base could not be lovelier, so Guillermo you hit a home run yet again my friend.

3. Superman – Quite a kickstart to the new DC movies and firmly cements David as yet another great Superman, with tremendous heart and hope this is gonna be a beautiful addition to my movie collection.

2. Companion – I could not have fallen for this movie more, the twists and turns, the dark and yet liberating story, this was a damn hard movie to beat but ohh we got one more don't we....

1. Sinners – You're goddamn right. Holy fuckaroli people need to wake up and see this movie, and if you've already seen it well I guess it's about time to watch it again good buddy. It'll be an immense treat to talk about this movie again later down the road this year.

Well that about does her. Wraps it all up. I sure hope I can see significantly more movies this year but come what may I'm happy to have you all aboard for another year of ramblings and reviews. All my best wishes for a new year, be safe out there as always, and I'll be seeing you in the glow of the screens.

Santa Claus Conquers The Martians

Not as action packed as the title suggests.

Admittedly I liked it better than the '59 Santa Claus but I wouldn't say it's good still. Still made during a particular high of science fiction filmmaking albeit on a low budget, the story goes that a group of martians intend on kidnapping the big red man for their own children's joy as infighting breaks loose on the martian side, two kids get swept up in the story for some reason or another, and a robot is woefully underused. It's an odd mix without a shadow of a doubt and severely lacks any of the heart that was somewhat present in the last movie but has it's own niche and unique charm. The set design and costuming is basic yet inventive, the color grading though washed out and no doubt from a rough surviving print unmistakeably is very 60s, and I think that's why it's as memorable as it is. Aside from a catching title the look is why it's kinda stuck around in the underbelly of Christmas films. Hell I heard about the movie years before Mystery Science Theater came to my attention, and maybe some of you hardcore veterans of Cinemassacre remember James' review on it roughly around 2008. It's for younger kids without a doubt though there is a chance they might like it and it'll become one of those nostalgic guilty pleasures, a rite of passage all of us share. John Call looks spectacular as Santa, he really nails the look and the more hands on toy maker aspect of this beloved icon and it does kinda make me laugh hearing his accent come through making him the most New Yawk-er Santa's ever. And I gotta say for actor's wearing such outlandish costumes both Leonard Hicks and Vincent Beck play this shit deaaaad flippin' straight, dare I almost say bringing a touch of gravitas to playing people from Mars which is both admirable and surprising. The kids actually aren't half bad as well, Victor Stiles and Donna Conforti though not having much to do and are a farcry from the children empowering fantasy one might expect in a movie like this, they do okay. I love the robot design the martians deploy to kidnap Santa, this boxy itterly homemade yet endearingly classic design just puts a smile on my face but damn it we needed more robot in this! Of course I watched this movie riffing intact which made it quite fun, and blimey the last time I reviewed a movie with the MST3K treatment was Space Mutiny so this was a welcome little treat in a season I mostly detest. So I give it 2 stars, 5/10, and while I certainly wish I did far more for this month, tomorrow is another day or perhaps I should say another year. Time seems to be moving at warp factor 9 these days and I feel like I'm fading bit by bit, but my enjoyment to keep writing even if not at the stellar pace of my previous years hasn't dimmed. I sure hope the holidays haven't been as hectic for you as they have been for me, and that you are in good spirits. I'll definitely see you next year my friends and I hope I have more groovy things for you to watch and enjoy. So be safe, eat and drink and be merry, see you in 2026.

Santa Claus (1959)

Ooh boy, here we go.

Big strong apologies for not getting any new movies in this month, even I can't believe how busy this holiday season has gotten. But never dettered and with an itch to watch Mystery Science Theater of late, I have decided to give two strange cult Christmas movies a fair shake. Starting first with the 1959 film from Mexico purely titled Santa Claus, and now I am endlessly curious how other countries view Santa after this. Cause what in the literal nine circles of Hades was that?? I'm not even rightly sure how to explain what I saw, it is an odd tale and I feel like I've indulged in some hard substance abuse so bear with me. Okay, so Santa Claus lives up in the heavens in a castle on a cloud where he has children from every country on Earth as essential slave labor to make toys (Jesus wept, that is a bigger yikes than you can believe!), and on his nightly trip to deliver presents is hounded by a literal demon in service to Satan who not only wants Santa to fail but also to corrupt children to be eeeeevil! You got all that? Well it only gets weirder from there. Now I know, it's a lower budget movie and they had to work with what they got. The sets are basic but never feel empty, and in the case of Santa's castle in the sky (how I'd rather be watching that movie) is downright trippy yet albeit imaginative shall we say. The dubbing is...not very good and I feel watching it in it's native spanish would be a huge upgrade. The pacing is mutilatingly slow, I feel I could literally freeze to death like Jack Torrence faster and this movie is just a bit over an hour and a half, and if it wasn't for the talents of Mike and the Bots I would be hitting the booze hard to numb the pain. The actors kinda range but I feel every performance was directed to be a certain way, Santa has probably the creepiest laugh I've ever heard in my laugh but the actor José Elías Moreno still has the heart buried under all the wacked out weird stuff like robotic reindeer and being friends with THE Merlin, it has these little glimmers of heart when he interacts with kids and shows that he does care for them always and does want them to have happy lives. That's wonderful stuff but the rest of the movie is so try hard and just fails spectacularly at being cute and happy at every other turn. The demon Pitch played by José Luis Aguirre is so out there, practically pantomime in his evil performance and the makeup is even more outlandish, but I do have to admit he looks like he's having a ball prancing about being an infernal thorn in Santa's backside. The sorta kinda main girl we follow amidst all this Lupita played appropriately by Lupita Quezadas is so gosh darn, holy moly, cutest most precious little thing and she barely has to act, seeing her meager surroundings coming from a poor family and having concerns she won't get a doll, it gets me. It's such a clash of real world situations and moments of heartfelt emotions along with this saccharine weird ass nonsense. I feel this movie could be remade and it could kinda work, seeing Santa take up his Saint status to battle hellish evil while delivering gifts. That's not a horrible concept and frankly an original one! And the funny part is, the movie was fairly well recieved when it came out and got repeat showings on TV! But now it's just a curious oddity of the holiday season, 1.5 stars, 4.5/10. We got an equally weird one next time for you too, shifting from adversaries in the bowels of the earth to creatures from another world as Santa Claus Conquers The Martians!

Wicked For Good

Oh thank God. I liked it way better.

Now that we've shed the schoolyard nonsense this is soooo much more up my alley. I would boil the plot down to the machinations of the Wizard against Elphaba in a tug of war over Oz, but it's way way more about the muddied complicated relationship between our two main characters. With Glinda really trying to come to terms with everything that went down last film and finding out when you get everything you want how unhappy you can still be, while Elphaba is kinda figuring out just how far she wants to go in her crusade while still trying to make her own place in the world and her relationship with Glinda. It's fairly riveting stuff truth be honest and investing to boot, and I'm quite happy to announce they barely even touch the Wizard Of Oz story as they should though it did crack me up how they jab at the transitional ownership of the Silver Slippers. This is really the movie to showcase for award season regarding Cynthia and Ariana's acting chops cause not only do they get to really belt out some songs but my God they can do soooo much acting with their eyes alone. In fact near the end I was like a hairbreadth away from having an emotional breakdown, because at a certain point that's not acting. That's Cynthia and Ariana loving each other so much and knowing the end is near, it's hard not to feel something at that moment. I don't need to tell you about their performances but I will say they got even better. Jonathan Bailey was good as ever, able to convey a lot of conflicted interest even without an abundance of screen time and once again the man just knows how to make my jaw drop and my face blush. No spoilers here by a long shot, but gotdamn that was...yeah. Jeff, I love you to bits Jeff, you were still kinda out there but you know what? It makes sense for the character and even though he's still a bastard I kinda still like him! Michelle really got to embrace that villain role and never did I ever think I could hate one of her characters, but man that's good writing and acting to make someone so detestable. Production values are still at their high standard but even I'll admit the scale didn't seem larger, which makes sense cause it is a more personal drama but the spectacle is still strong. Songs were still decent, I think if I had to pick one it's probably Elphaba's villain song just cause it's been 84 years since I've heard a villainous song so automatic win there! It did absolutely address the questions I had in my In Retrospect, answered other questions I didn't even ask in the first place, and gave me an ending that had more twists than a pretzel. Now the only thing left to do is watch the whole damn thing in one go to give my final words on it but that'll come at a later point. Hell if I get really lucky I may see the stage play itself, that would be rad! But all in all, it's a better film in my estimation and I'm happy to have went to see it. I give it 4 stars, 8.5/10, and that is it for this week. Next week will be busy with the holiday and super special plans of my own but I'll have hopefully one more new release for you before the abysmal season which shall not be named rears it's ugly head from the frozen depths of Hell. Halloween gods I beseech you to grant me strength and guide me through the brightly lit wastes.

In Retrospect: Wicked

Wellll I still enjoy it. Kinda.

Now, admittedly I feel like I was off my rocker putting this in my top 10 of last year cause I'm so split on it. Production wise, stellar, phenomenal, 10/10 visually! Story, oooh boy does it still grate on my goddamn nerves and I know the movie is saying a lot about prejudice, questioning authority, and simultaneously mocking and yet maybe encouraging popularity and shallow people. I get it, I understand it, still just seems like a slightly mishandled story considering you know...we're in the land of Oz. Allegory in fantasy is nothing new, but not every fantasy setting has to do it you feel me? It's really just the bitchiness and flat out bullying poor Elphie has to put up with, like girl I'd be sick of that too! Cynthia my darling, my beautiful star, I can confirm on repeated viewing your performance is still strong as a mountain and I can't honestly wait to see where it goes this Friday! Ariana still simultaneously drives me nuts and makes me laugh my ass off, I never really gravitated towards ditzy characters regardless of gender but Glinda for some reason just works for me so well. Will however state none of the songs really grabbed me second time around, closest we kinda got was Defying Gravity but you know that's our big fuck off emotional catharsis song so of course it has a higher standing, and I can practically hear the theater kids lighting their torches in the distance due to that remark to which I say unto you, we got a whole other movie that could change my mind so chill out. And yeah that's something I really gotta take into consideration, it's not a complete movie or experience until credits roll on Wicked For Good. And yes even despite my grumblings on the story and characters, I am strongly curious to see what could possibly come next. Like how much of the Wizard Of Oz will we retread? Will we see Elphaba become a much colder, darker, malevolent force? How the hell are the Silver Slippers gonna come into play cause as far as I know they belong to Nessarose and Dorothy has them by the time she returns to the Emerald City soooo are they really gonna kill off the protagonist's sister? It would be ballsy. So obviously I have interest still, I no doubt will see many pairings of black and pink, green skin and plain skin which is marvellous. Make movies events, you only live once. Did I friggin' call it or what on the whole costuming and production winning Oscar gold? I mean fuck the Academy Award's straight to hell you no film watching hack twats, but I love when I'm right (which is often)! I'm getting way off track here but you want opinions, you'll get opinions. So bottom line the production is more what keeps it at an 8/10 overall, if we judged purely on story this would actually be skirting a 6/10, but who the hell am I to talk? We gotta finish the damn movie first so I will see you at the movies!