Ghoulish Grin Films

Back when I was a kid in the '80's I loved the films of Arnold Schwarzenegger. How I got away with seeing them as a child? Ask my parents. Anyway, when the film "Predator" came out in 1987 it was peak Arnold. Great filmmaking, acting (even Arnold with his cheesy one liners), and story. It remains a sci fi classic that stands on its own. I even enjoyed the follow-up, "Predator 2," which takes the Predator character to Earth to create chaos. This time Danny Glover took over as the lead and though this one was more far fetched (yes, I realize it's sci fi), it was highly entertaining.  Three more Predator films would be made in the 2000's and two Alien Predator crossovers (which I loved as a fan of both franchises). But they never really lived up to the original Predator (though debates about "Prey" are still ongoing). So when 2025's "Predator: Badlands" opened recently, I knew I was going to see it. I will always be a fan of thes...

 Back in 1985 a song featuring an all star group of singers and musicians came out in support of hunger relief in Ethiopia. It was called "We Are The World," produced by the late, great Quincy Jones. It was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. I was a massive fan of Michael Jackson, and he was riding high from his blockbuster album "Thriller." But this was my first time seeing another music titan. My first time seeing and hearing Bruce Springsteen. I was a bit thrown back by his aggressive style but of course thought he was super cool. Later on in my teen years I became more aware of his musical achievements through classic rock radio, though in the '80's you couldn't get away from "Born In The U.S.A." It was as big a hit as you can get in the '80's, and the '80's was the pinnacle of popular music. So seeing a preview of the new film "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," I was jazzed! The past couple of year...

  Around the time I was starting to obsess over Star Wars, there was an equally groundbreaking sci fi franchise...1982's "Tron." I knew of it through my cousin, who had action figures of Sark and Tron himself. I always enjoyed looking at the clear blue and red plastic figures. And I also experienced the Tron film when I rode the Peoplemover at Disneyland. It was perhaps the most exciting part of a 'ride' that was more of a resting vehicle for parents. Still...good times. As for the film itself, I always enjoyed its whimsical, fairy tale vibes as it existed not in a traditional fantasy setting but in a living video game/computer world. The effects absolutely look dated now, but back then they were pretty darn cool. This was the period in the '80's when the great Disney empire was struggling to maintain relevancy, believe it or not. And funny enough, some of my favorite Disney properties were made in this era..."Tron," "The Black Cauldron,...

 I have a hard time committing to a television show...especially if it contains multiple seasons that I have to catch up on. Having said that, when the first feature film based on the Downton Abbey series came to movie theaters, I was very much interested in seeing it. Normally, certain television series like "The X-Files" would release a feature film that was accessible to audiences who weren't fully steeped into the shows. I always appreciated that when it came to those type of theatrical releases. And the 2019 film was no different. Setting the cast of the show in a somewhat historical happening as King George V and Queen Mary toured Yorkshire (an event that actually happened in the late 1920's), the film was able to tell a standalone story that still managed to capture the charm of the show. Later on in 2022, a sequel entitled "Downton Abbey: A New Era" set the stage for newer characters to take the spotlight...all while a standalone story of a film crew...

 In 2013 I went to see James Wan's supernatural horror film "The Conjuring," based on the cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, based on real life events. Wan had made waves with 2004's "Saw," creating a whole new level of gore in horror. Though it was filled with it, the story wasn't just gore for the sake of gore. It was a very intriguing mystery film about the search for the Jigsaw killer. He would follow this modern horror classic with "Dead Silence" and "Death Sentence" before releasing 2010's "Insidious." This film would ultimately create a James Wan Universe, connecting characters and themes. What intrigued me about this film was that he was following up the ultra gory debut of "Saw" with a PG-13 supernatural film. This was rather exciting, since I grew up with classic horror that never really relied on blood and guts but on scares. It was a fantastic film that spawned some great sequels. So going into "...

 On June 20th 1975, audiences were treated to the cinematic adaptation of Peter Benchley's 1974's page turner "Jaws." As is the legend, a young Steven Spielberg (who only had a handful of films on his filmography) had a torturous time getting the mechanical shark to obey his directions. A troubled production that went over budget, he had thought that he would never make another film again. But the film was released to great acclaim and box office dollars and, as they say, the rest is history. This film celebrates 50 years. It's only one year older than I am. I grew up with not only this film but it's rather silly sequels. I have fantastic memories of the Universal Studios tram tour and the Jaws theme park 'ride' where you pass by the waters as Jaws jumps out at you. It's quite thrilling to experience in person. Sadly my baby brother was frightened by this mechanical beast. (It's okay, he's old enough to laugh now) As a guy born one year aft...

  I grew up loving the original Leslie Nielsen "Naked Gun" trilogy. They still are the pinnacle of stupid humor. Back in the '80's and '90's there were films like "Airplane" and "Hot Shots" that were so incredibly stupid that they will always bring a smile to your face. Later on there would be more spoof films that were good but they would end up dying off like any other genre of film. So what better franchise to resurrect in the modern age than the great Naked Gun trilogy. And what better actor to fill in the big clown shoes of the great Leslie Nielsen than the amazing Liam Neeson.  This film follows Neeson's Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., son of the original Frank Drebin. His questionable actions as a member of the Police Squad have endangered its existence and he needs a win, as he investigates an evil software engineer who has his P.L.O.T. Device intent on restarting the world in his image.  The jokes are indeed silly and absurd. It...