The Daily Beasts
For theme projects (like #Kaijuly, #Mocktoberfest, and #SeasonsBeatings—for example),
a new film/show is profiled every day by a different writer.
MOTHER TRUCKIN’ MAY: SPACE TRUCKERS (1996)
Stuart Gordon’s tale of trucking….in SPAAAAACE, with Dennis Hopper.
MOTHER TRUCKIN’ MAY: TWISTER’S REVENGE! (1988)
Regional cinema shines with this delightful comedy about a sentient monster truck.
MOTHER TRUCKIN’ MAY: SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT PART III (1983)
An attempt to retread in the steps of greatness has some diminishing returns.
MOTHER TRUCKIN’ MAY: BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
It was a long, strange road to get to John Carpenter’s trucker vs supernatural martial artists film.
Number 5 — TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION
The fourth TCM film poses such questions as: What is fear? Is it supposed to be funny? And is it smarter than we think it is?
Number 12 — ICE CREAM MAN
A delightfully deranged foray into horror for children of all ages.
Number 13 — CASPER
A muddled family film rises above nostalgia to have some shining aspects.
Number 17 — DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT
Mel Brooks’ fangtastic spoof harkens back to a meaningful relationship for our writer.
Number 18 — VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN
Wes Craven’s oft-overlooked horror comedy with Eddie Murphy deserves more fans.
Number 21—LEPRECHAUN 3
Director Brian Trenchard-Smith brings the ruckus with this uproarious bit of pop horror sequel.
ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1993)
A monstrous misfire highlights a sizable gender gap in kaiju films.
JCVD (2008)
In which the world discovers Jean-Claude Van Damme can act as well as he can kick…
Fourths Of July: SCARY MOVIE 4 (2006)
A beautiful mess of a barrage of jokes—some of the horror spoof still works, some doesn’t, but it’s all fascinating.
Fourths Of July: VEGAS VACATION (1997)
Even when the Griswolds lose at gambling, nothing is truly lost as long as they retained their life lessons.
Fourths Of July: THE BAD NEWS BEARS GO TO JAPAN (1978)
The underdog team of baseball ne’er-do-wells goes international in this disappointing sequel.
Fourths Of July: LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE (1996)
Brian Trenchard-Smith takes Warwick Davis’ tiny terror beyond the stars
Fourths Of July: SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)
Slashed budgets and a botched production effectively ends a franchise.

