Hey, gang! Gather ‘round; it’s time for another roundup of, well, exactly what the title says—what I’ve been watching!
I didn’t get to watch many movies in August or even early September, so this is a smaller batch. It was a busy stretch, with a vacation in there, so time was limited and summer sort of flew by. Let’s begin with a movie that didn’t quite float my boat, even if its leading lady did—if you know what I mean, and I think you do.
Brute 1976 (2025)
Brute 1976 is your standard slasher homage that never rises above the level of subpar mimicry. It annoyed me because all I could think of was that this has been done before, and done better. Name the films that inspired Brute 1976—Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, House of 1,000 Corpses, X, etc.—and I guarantee you each one did it better. This ‘70s pastiche is nothing more than that—it falls short in every area when you compare it to the movies it’s slavishly homaging. The only aspect I really liked was Roxy, our central protagonist, played by Adriane McLean. Roxy is kind and radiates warmth, making her very easy to root for in this deadly game of survival, especially because the other characters are irritating or hardly register at all. It also doesn’t hurt that Roxy rocks a Pam Grier Afro and looks crazy-sexy running around in a very tight half-shirt and very tight cut-off jean shorts. Hey, I had to find something redeemable here, and she’s it!
Falling Down (1993)
Ah, now this is a film. Last time I did one of these roundups I had watched director Joel Schumacher’s ‘80s vampire classic, The Lost Boys. This time, it’s Schumacher’s extraordinary 1993 drama Falling Down. This movie has long been misunderstood, I think. I suppose the marketing didn’t help, but at the time of its release it seemed like many felt the movie was celebrating the Michael Douglas character. Referred to by cops as “D-Fens” thanks to his vanity plates, he rampages across Los Angeles after having a mental breakdown while stuck in typically horrific LA traffic. But people who thought he was a hero missed the point, and by several miles. D-Fens is a sad example of how this world can chew us up and spit us out, but contrast that with his opposite in the film—the LAPD detective trying to catch him, played masterfully by Robert Duval—and you see that D-Fens is also an abject failure at life. Duval’s Detective Martin Prendergast hasn’t had the easiest go at life either, yet he’s reacted not with disgruntled violence but steady, zen-like composure. The two men are on a collision course and their final confrontation is an absolutely gut-wrenching tour-de-force from both actors. Schumacher captured LA onscreen in the midst of historic unease—the 1992 LA Riots occurred during filming, and that combustible energy is palpable throughout. Falling Down is truly one of the great American films of the 1990s. It’s left me an emotional wreck every time I’ve seen it.
Obsession (2026)
And now for the “Get off my lawn” portion of this post…
I do not understand the overwhelmingly gushing response to this one from audiences and critics. It was aggressively average, yet all the cool kids seem to think it’s The Greatest Horror Movie of the Year—and Beyond! All I can say to that is, oh hell no it’s not. The film’s simple message—it’s bad to try to make someone love you!—is the basis for all that transpires, making it feel like we’re being hit over the head with a message that any moron should know already. Thankfully, the actors are good, and of course special praise goes to Inde Navarrette—who has since been hired to play Rogue in the new X-Men films—for delivering a fiercely committed performance. She’s phenomenal. The movie is not.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
This one’s a modern classic, in my eyes. I’ve watched it every autumn since it came out, some years multiple times. I basically kicked off my Halloween season viewing this year with it, and I might squeeze in another viewing closer to or on the holiday itself. Unlike the aforementioned Brute 1976, Late Night with the Devil is so much more than just an homage to prior horror films. Real life horror fanatic David Dastmalchian shines as late night host Jack Delroy, who just might’ve sold his soul for better ratings. Taking place over one tense Halloween night episode of Delroy’s show Night Owls, the film builds a continual sense of dread and impending doom as it moves towards a wild finish. It’s such a perfect Halloween night film. It nails that special cozy-horrifying combination that all the best horror movies possess. Speaking of possession, special kudos to teenage Australian actress Ingrid Torelli for a mesmerizingly creepy performance as a purportedly possessed girl named Lilly whose guest appearance on Night Owls sets the mayhem in motion.
Grease 2 (1982)
Every September, with Back to School season in full swing, I can’t help but think fondly of Grease 2. As you well know, I’m a longtime member of “The Cult of Grease 2” as someone on the internet once dubbed it. Grease 2 is indeed a cult classic, beloved by a rabid fanbase who will defend it with our lives, but we’re not mindless cult members being led astray by a false prophet. No, no, noooo. Grease 2 is the real deal, kids.
Let’s not bury the lede though, okay? Grease 2 holds a special place in my heart for a zillion reasons—“Back to School Again”! “Zmed! “Reproduction”! Hell, almost every single musical number!—but the biggie will always be that it’s a fabulous showcase for this here blog’s muse, Michelle Pfeiffer. We all know about her singing “Cool Rider” while straddling a ladder and ushering all of us Gen Xers into puberty. That scene, that moment, is iconic. To this day, I still nearly fall over and expire because it is so freaking cool—and hot! How can something be cool and hot? Well, my pfriends, watch Michelle singing “If he’s cool enough he can burn me through and through” and you’ll have the answer to that question.
