.
Director Jack Starrett’s action/horror/thriller A Race With the Devil is everything you’d expect and more from a 1970s film of its sort—meaning that it’s both ridiculously creepy and strangely hilarious at the same time.
Imagine what would happen if you put two young couples in a top-of-the-line RV and then have them chased by a freaky cult after witnessing a secret ritualistic celebration in the woods. Just about every thing that could go wrong does go wrong. From broken awnings to dead dogs, it’s not a pretty picture.
However, when you combine the terror of the plot with the ridiculously macho actors Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, you’ve got yourself an instantly good time that’s nestled somewhere between hiding behind a pillow to laughing your but off. I’m not sure if it’s the film’s age or its storyline, but something makes A Race With the Devil more entertaining than it’s even trying to be.
They just don’t make movies like they used to.
| Recommended by Chelsey Grasso | Wednesday, July 29th, 2015 | No Comments » |
The Girl Who Flew Away, a graphic novel-in-progress by M. Dean, is a lush and fascinating story that spans decades, set against the backdrop of the beautiful but alien Key West, Florida.
Greer Johnson, a directionless secretary in 1976, has become pregnant by her boss. Desperate to keep her condition a secret, he exiles her to live with his wealthy older friends in Key West, the Benders. Isolated, sad, and longing for deeper connections, Greer is subject to the passive aggression and manipulation of her hosts. She retreats often into memory, and through her we see the complex tapestry of political, economic, and racial tensions that so deeply affected the youth of the ’60s and ’70s. Greer’s only sources of solace are the Benders’ Cuban gardener, Pablo, and a strange but sweet little girl from the 1920s that Greer dreams about.
| Recommended by Marie Anello | Friday, February 6th, 2015 | No Comments » |
