2023 Genre Movie Calendar (Part 2 of 4)
Need help in finding movies to check out? The 2023 Genre Movie Calendar provides titles that fit with that particular month. They may be new to you or familiar gems, but they are all worth watching.
If you missed Part 1, covering January through March, then be sure to catch up here.
APRIL
MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS
Ever since the release of PACIFIC RIM and the relaunches of GODZILLA and KING KONG in the US, there's been a vocal contingent of fans clamoring for the return of Suitmation Kaiju films. Referring to the "man in a rubber suit” technique that endeared many to the subgenre for years. Even though there's been a fair share of those movies sporadically, none have quite the zany and lovable spirit of MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS.
Rather than make a straight Kaiju film, director Minoru Kawasaki (THE CALIMARI WRESTLER) goes left of center, making a weird beast that's part Saturday Morning Cartoon, part social commentary, and part mockumentary. Based on an outline by original GODZILLA scribe Eiji Tsuburaya, straight-faced beats clash with all-out comedy, in the best of scenarios. All that helps add to a deliberate cheapness letting viewers know whatever jokes fly across the screen are most certainly intentional.
Years after a giant battle with sea kaiju monsters saw the Japan Self-Defense forces stem the tide, Tokyo braces for the day they return. When they do, it's up to a new joint task for, the "Seafood Monster Attack Team" comprised of young upstarts and grizzled old vets to save the day. Not to mention an underground black market comprised of old seafood monster meat that just may hold the key to what is happening.
There's silly, there's goofy and then there are the awe-stricken faces that are sure to be left in the wake of all who witness MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS. It's by no mean the best film on the list, but it IS the one that will leave you wishing more Marvel movies could pull off the pulpy zeal that this little gem contains.
ALTERNATE PICK: CRITTERS 2
You may notice a running theme that several of these alternate picks are technically holiday fare. This isn't by accident. Every year throngs of people search high and low for films to fit each special day under the sun. This is why the best choice for Easter is none other than Mick Garris' CRITTERS 2: THE MAIN COURSE.
For those not schooled in the goodness of the Critters universe, fret not. The second movie finds an organic way to weave in elements of the original. Mostly in people chiding Brad (Scott Grimes) for believing in furry ball-like aliens with razor-sharp teeth running amok. Thankfully it doesn’t take long for crite (the aliens) eggs to be found, painted like Easter eggs, and a church service interrupted for people to know something is amiss. Cue intergalactic bounty hunters and it's off to the races.
As far as ‘80s hybrids go, Critters 2 is a breezy watch. It doesn't take itself seriously The cries have their language and are hairier and less slimy than Gremlins. There are lots of explosions, some era-appropriate nudity, and a "yee-haw" attitude (it takes place in Kansas) to make it an easy recommendation for anyone.
MAY
THE LAST MATINEE
Each year the summer movie season starts earlier and earlier. The consensus still sees May as the time studios begin to offload their tentpole pictures to the masses. This also means it's the perfect time to watch movies that take place in theaters, from the comfort of your own home. After watching Maximiliano Contenti's THE LAST MATINEE, you might not want to head back to a theater very soon.
At a dilapidated tiny mom & pop theater (that simultaneously exists in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s), the afternoon matinee is just getting underway. The projectionist's daughter, Ana (Lu Grasso) takes over operations when her dad leaves due to ailing health. That's okay, as the stormy Montevideo afternoon hasn't drawn the biggest of crowds. Unfortunately, one of the people who did wander in just happens to be a serial killer with an ocular fetish.
What makes THE LAST MATINEE such an indelible watch, is how seamlessly it feels timeless and the perfect distillation of how to make a throwback film. The rustic look of the theater, showing a period piece film throughout the actual movie, as well as a haziness to the picture itself, create a unique atmosphere. The same goes for the gut punch that is the gore. Things may start slow, but once the blood starts to flow, it comes with a force. Not only does the killer creatively dispatch the patrons, but he then collects their eyes as trophies. In a manner that would make Lucio Fulci squee. Fans of Giallo and Italian horror from the late ‘70s and ‘80s will find a lot to love here.
ALTERNATE PICK: POPCORN
The most obvious pairing here would be DEMONS. The most difficult to get ahold of would be ANGUISH. Within that divide, POPCORN is almost the next best thing. It features a movie theater as the main setting. It highlights older films on the big screen (here it's B-movies of the ‘50s). Honestly, though, the biggest attribute this film has up its sleeve may also be the most surprising, that its main focus is entertainment.
A bunch of college students decide to put on a special movie marathon at a rundown old theater in hopes of saving the film department. For whatever reason, movies are never as concise as that description. The same goes for POPCORN, adding on a killer stalking all the students, as well as a side plot involving a cult and a fire that happened in the same theater.
As mentioned above, POPCORN just wants to entertain and it does so in spades. Director Mark Herrier allows there to be a looseness to scenes. Coming across as a hang-out film where people just happen to die here and there. Giant animatronic bugs, a latex mask system on the level of Mission: Impossible, and one of the wildest reveals help this film stay stuck in the mind long after you've watched it. See it with a crowd, so everyone can get in on the fun.
JUNE
SEA FEVER
Out of every genre that gets picked apart by the indie and arthouse crowds, science fiction often gets left in the lurch. Perfectly fine if it's grafted onto horror, it doesn't get a chance to stand on its own. An easy argument could be made that's its a budgetary issue, whereas others might say it's a creativity problem. Nessa Hardiman's SEA FEVER looks to be heading in that hybrid direction, before doubling back to something more akin to hard sci-fi and is all the better for it.
A small trawler operating off the coasts of Ireland gets an unexpected passenger when brilliant student Siobhan (Hermione Corfield) tags along, in desperate need of real-world experience. Shortly into their adventure, the ship, run by couple Gerard (Dougary Scott) and Freya (Connie Nielsen), sees a chance for a big haul. Doing so may put them in the eye of a massive storm. As luck should have it, it's what lurks under the sea they should be more worried about.
Teasing the audience with some sickness passing through the crew and an entity stalking the ship, SEA FEVER hues closer to THE ABYSS than LEVIATHAN. A movie where characters try to act logically, using deduction and smarts to get them out of situations. Brute force is still in the cards, as no matter how solid science may prove, there's always the person who wants to solve problems with a rock. This is the movie that shows you why you don't want to be that person.
ALTERNATE PICK: THE AMBULANCE
The summer is a time built best for kicking back, letting your hair down, and engaging in the weird. And when it comes to embracing the weird in the wide world of genre filmmaking, there's one king who, even after his passing, is still fighting to claim the throne. Argue however you will, yet Larry Cohen is among the greatest and wildest directors when it comes to B-movies. As many beloved films as he has though, the one that more than deserves attention and reappraisal is the 1990 gonzo romp, THE AMBULANCE.
Imagine if you will a movie where Eric Roberts is a comic book artist, who flirts with a woman who passes out and leads him to be embroiled in a conspiracy concerning a runaway ambulance stalking the streets of New York. That would be insane, right? Well, what if that movie also featured a gum-smacking (yes, that wording is important) detective played by James Earl Jones and a cameo by Stan Lee in his acting debut? You'd wonder then how you'd missed this little slice of genre heaven and need to rectify that lapse immediately.
Compared to the rest of Cohen's output THE AMBULANCE seems like your average ‘90s DTV fare. Lacking the insane flash or vibrancy that put him on the map with BLACK CAESAR and IT’S ALIVE. It makes up for that in terms of sheer gonzo lunacy and a surprising amount of thrill. That's because Cohen was incapable of making a truly dull movie. Ever the entertainer, he attempted to put his all behind every film and that shows there. The cinematography is gorgeous considering the limited budget and as always, the director manages to get career-best performances from his cast. Plus, how many films can say their main character gets to waltz down the (admittedly chintzy given the status of the studio at the time) offices of Marvel comics?
Come for Eric Roberts' supremely quaffed mullet, stay for the deliciously gangbusters chase sequences, a confounding but captivating story, and general madcapery. You may know Larry Cohen's classics (THE STUFF, Q THE WINGED SERPENT), but now it's time for his overlooked gem to get the time to shine that it so rightfully deserves. Get ready to have a new cult favorite after you treat yourself to a viewing of THE AMBULANCE.
