Some movies are merely good. Some movies are undeniably great. And then, a handful movies are so amazingly brilliant that, every time you watch, you’re reminded why you fell in love with cinema in the first place.
The Third Man is one of those brilliant films.
Directed by Carol Reed and scripted by novelist Graham Greene, The Third Man takes place in the years immediately following the end of World War II. Pulp novelist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) comes to Vienna to search for his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Upon arriving, Holly is shocked to learn that Harry makes his living selling diluted penicillin on the black market.
In the classic scene below, Harry and Holly have a clandestine meeting in a Ferris wheel and Harry justifies both his actions and the lives that have been lost as a result of them.
While Orson Welles’ performance is (rightfully) celebrated, I’ve always felt that Joseph Cotten’s work was even more important to the film’s success. While Welles made Harry Lime into a charismatic and compelling villain, it was Cotten who provided the film with a heart.
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.
Today, we celebrate the birth of the great British director, Carol Reed! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Carol Reed Films
Odd Man Out (1947, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)
The Fallen Idol (1948, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Georges Perinal)
The Third Man (1949, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)
Flap (1970, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Fred J. Koenekamp)
The Hidden is a guilty pleasure from 1987, a sci-fi action romp that barrels into B-movie territory with zero brakes and maximum glee. It’s the kind of flick you stash away for those late-night binges when no one’s judging.
Right from the explosive opener, a squeaky-clean bank clerk named Jack DeVries flips the script. He storms a Wells Fargo branch like a one-man apocalypse, gunning down guards and peeling out in a stolen Ferrari for a high-octane chase that leaves LAPD scrambling. Cops riddle him with bullets in a spectacular crash, but as he flatlines in the hospital, out slithers a pulsating alien parasite—a glowing, tentacled slug that prizes luxury cars, blaring rock anthems, and indiscriminate slaughter above all else.
It wastes no time hopping into fresh meat, turning an arms dealer into a walking arsenal, then a sultry stripper who turns deadly seduction into a bloodbath. Cue Detective Tom Beck, Michael Nouri’s world-weary LAPD vet with divorce papers and a pint-sized daughter sharpening his edges. He teams up with the enigmatic FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher, Kyle MacLachlan dialing up the eerie charm like he’s fresh off Blue Velvet. Gallagher’s no standard G-man—he skips the coffee, eyes suspects like prey, and knows way too much about this interstellar joykiller. Beck’s gut screams “weirdo,” but with bodies piling up, he’s along for the parasitic ride. Their mismatched partnership becomes the beating heart of this wild chase.
Diving deeper into why The Hidden earns its guilty pleasure crown, it’s all about that unapologetic mash-up of genres. Think Lethal Weapon‘s buddy-cop fireworks fused with The Thing‘s body-horror paranoia, wrapped in a low-budget package that punches way above its weight.
The alien doesn’t just possess—it corrupts with cartoonish vice. It blasts Metallica’s Master of Puppets while mowing down traffic, guzzles ice cream cones mid-rampage, and even puppeteers a German Shepherd into a jogger-shredding beast. Hosts shrug off shotgun blasts, car wrecks, and point-blank headshots, laughing through the pain like invincible demons. This cranks the tension during chases from neon-lit strip joints to posh art auctions gone haywire.
Picture Brenda Lee, played with fierce allure by Claudia Christian, grinding on a mark before ventilating him and trading bullets with highway patrol—it’s equal parts sexy, scary, and stupid fun. Then there’s the mannequin factory showdown, a claustrophobic bullet ballet with plastic dummies exploding in slow-mo glory. Director Jack Sholder, hot off A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2, keeps the pedal floored across 98 taut minutes. He blends practical effects that ooze tangible grossness—no lazy CGI, just squelching tentacles and slime trails that still unsettle on modern screens. The creature’s big reveal, bursting from a gut in a hospital bed? Pure visceral nightmare fuel that lingers like bad takeout.
But let’s talk about the real magic: Nouri and MacLachlan’s chemistry, which transforms potential cheese into something oddly heartfelt. Beck is the everyman anchor—tough exterior hiding a soft spot for his ex and kid. She clocks Gallagher’s off vibes immediately, hiding behind Dad during their first meet-cute awkwardness. Gallagher’s the alien hunter in human skin, pursuing his nemesis from the galaxy’s edge to Earth. MacLachlan nails the wide-eyed alien tourist act: fumbling forks at pizza joints, blanking on human etiquette, yet unleashing a phaser-like zapper with cold precision.
Their dialogue zings with natural friction—Beck barking “What the hell are you?” while Gallagher parries with vague cosmic lore. It builds to warehouse confessions amid flying lead. It’s 48 Hrs. with extraterrestrials, punctuated by hilarious side beats: Beck’s partner Cliff Willis (Ed O’Ross) biting the dust early, precinct captain Ed Malvane (Clarence Felder) getting briefly slimed into a foul-mouthed tyrant, even a senator’s rally turning into invasion bait. The supporting roster shines without stealing thunder—Christian’s tragic dancer, Richard Brooks’ scumbag john. They all flesh out LA’s underbelly as the perfect playground for alien anarchy.
Layer on the sly socio-satire, and The Hidden reveals sneaky smarts beneath the schlock. This parasite’s a yuppie id unleashed, embodying Reagan-era ’80s gluttony: crashing Porsches, bankrolling hooker sprees, amassing arsenals. All while plotting to hijack presidential hopeful Senator Holt for an Oval Office coup that’d summon its mothership armada. It’s a gleeful middle finger to excess, with the slug reveling in what humans suppress—pure hedonistic rampage from Malibu beaches to political podiums. Sholder doesn’t belabor the point; he lets the absurdity sell it. Like the arms dealer’s arsenal haul or the dog’s park massacre underscoring unchecked impulses.
Sound design throbs with synth-wave synths and guitar riffs that propel every stunt. Michael Convertino’s score swells dramatically for emotional beats. Dialogue veers from pulpy gold (“Pain? What’s that?”) to poignant, especially Gallagher schooling Beck on alien resilience versus human spirit.
Flaws? Sure—the third act rushes to a flamethrower climax and bittersweet farewell. Some effects betray the budget in brighter scenes, and plot holes gape if you squint (how’d the slug learn English so fast?). Yet it owns every imperfection, turning cheese into charm.
Ultimately, The Hidden endures as peak cult guilty pleasure, outshining flashier ’80s peers by blending brains, brawn, and balls-to-the-wall entertainment. It foreshadows Men in Black‘s fish-out-of-water agents and Venom‘s symbiote chaos. All while delivering practical FX wizardry that CGI eras envy. Nouri’s magnetic lead turn should’ve rocketed him higher; MacLachlan’s proto-Lynchian quirkiness fits like a glove. Stream it on whatever dusty platform hosts it, or snag a VHS for authenticity—pair with beer and zero expectations for two hours of adrenaline-spiked joy.
The finale’s sacrificial gut-punch lands because you’ve bonded with these oddballs, capped by Beck’s wry nod to humanity’s messy soul. It’s dumb when it wants, deep when it surprises, always a rush. Slug-slinging sci-fi doesn’t get guiltier or greater. Dive in, emerge grinning, no regrets.
The North Texas Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025! The winners are in bold!
BEST PICTURE Hamnet Marty Supreme One Battle After Another Sentimental Value Sinners
BEST ACTOR Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine Michael Jordan – Sinners Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
BEST ACTRESS Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Jessie Buckley – Hamnet Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value Emma Stone – Bugonia
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein Delroy Lindo – Sinners Paul Mescal – Hamnet Sean Penn – One Battle After Another Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value Amy Madigan – Weapons Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
BEST DIRECTOR Ryan Coogler – Sinners Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM It Was Just an Accident (France) No Other Choice (South Korea) Sentimental Value (Norway) Sirāt (Spain) The Secret Agent (Brazil)
BEST DOCUMENTARY 2000 Meters to Andriivka Deaf President Now Orwell: 2+2=5 The Alabama Solution The Perfect Neighbor
BEST ANIMATED FILM Arco KPop Demon Hunters Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Ne Zha 2 Zootopia 2
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams Łukasz Żal – Hamnet
BEST NEWCOMER Miles Caton – Sinners Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later
BEST SCREENPLAY Paul Thomas Anderson & Thomas Pynchon – One Battle After Another Ryan Coogler – Sinners Zach Cregger – Weapons Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident Josh Safdie & Ronald Bronstein – Marty Supreme Will Tracy – Bugonia Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet
GARY MURRAY AWARD (BEST ENSEMBLE) Hamnet One Battle After Another Sinners Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Weapons
The Makeup And Hair Stylists Guild has announced its nominations for the best of 2025. And here they are:
FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE
Best Contemporary Make-Up “Bugonia” (Focus Features) – Torsten Witte “Eddington” (A24) – Colin Penman, Lisa Hansell “Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures) – Jana Carboni, Charlie Hounslow, Nik Buck, Aisling Nairn, Lauren Baldwin “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Heba Thorisdottir, Mandy Artusato “Superman” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Alexei Dmitriew, LuAndra Whitehurst, Nicole Sortillon Amos, Amanda Sprunger
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up “Frankenstein” (Netflix) – Jordan Samuel, Oriana Rossi, Kristin Wayne, Patricia Keighran, Lizzi Lawson Zeiss “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Ken Diaz, Siân Richards, Ned Neidhardt, Allison laCour, Lana Mora “The Smashing Machine” (A24) – Felix Fox, Darah Wyant, Amanda Imeson, Harlow MacFarlane, Maiko Gomyo “Weapons” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Leo Satkovich, Mark Ross, Jason Collins, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher, Brie Bastianson “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) – Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbomio, Sarah Nuth
Best Special Make-Up Prosthetics “Frankenstein” (Netflix) – Mike Hill, Megan Many “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Arjen Tuiten, Jessica Nelson “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Mike Fontaine, Bailey Domke, Kelsey Berk, Kevin Wasner, Cristina Patterson “Weapons” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Jason Collins, Leo Satkovich, Mike McCarty, Mark Ross, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) – Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Stephen Murphy, Susie Redfern
Best Contemporary Hair Styling “Ballad of a Small Player” (Netflix) – Heike Merker, Alex Kwan “Bugonia” (Focus Features) – Torsten Witte “The Naked Gun” (Paramount) – Joyce M. Gilliard, Nadia Sobh, Tomica Sarver “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Ahou Mofid, Gina Maria DeAngelis, Sacha Quarles “Superman” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Peter Swords King, Lindsay McAllister, Magnolia Lowe
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling “Frankenstein” (Netflix) – Cliona Furey, Tim Nolan, Laura Solari, Tori Binns, Katarina Chovanec “Marty Supreme” (A24) – Kay Georgiou, Jimmy Goode, Michael Buonincontro, Mitchell Beck “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Shunika Terry-Jennings, Elizabeth Robinson, Tene Wilder, Jove Edmond, Sherri B. Hamilton “Weapons” (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) – Melizah Wheat, Monty Schuth, Nashi Tumlinson “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) – Frances Hannon, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes, Laura Blount
Cillian Murphy plays the title character in this rather downbeat British film.
Though Steve has a properly depressing British flat in a properly depressing British town, he still spends the majority of his time at the reform school that he struggles to manage. The students are rowdy and quick to fight but Steve insists that all of them can be reached if the teachers just try hard enough. Steve has taken a particular interest in a student called Shy (Jay Lycurgo). Shy alternates between moments of genuine insight and empathy and moments of pure rage. He’s practically begging for someone to take the risk to get close to him but, at the same time, he instinctively pushes people away.
Steve takes place over one 24-hour period. We first meet Shy while he’s getting high in a nearby field. Later, he takes a call from his mother and she promptly informs him that he’s no longer allowed to be a part of her life. As for Steve, he has to deal with not only a documentary crew but also the news that the building housing his school has been sold and that the school that he’s dedicated his life to will now be shutting down. Steve tries to hold back his temper, self-medicating his bad back with painkillers and alcohol.
Directed in a frenetic manner by Tim Mielants, Steve is a film that seems like it should be better than it actually is. It’s a film dealing with an important subject. Steve cares about his dysfunctional students but that’s not going to make much of a difference if his school gets shut down. Shy is intelligent but also only a few steps away from self-destructing. Cillian Murphy, who also produced the film, gives a committed performance. And yet the film is never quite as affecting as it should be.
The film itself is extremely British, which is a polite way of saying that the nonstop cursing got boring after about five minutes and the harsh lighting seemed to be designed to make sure that we understood that everyone was very, very tired. Visually, the hand-held camera work couldn’t disguise just how drab everything looked. Beyond that, though, I have to admit that, as the film reached the 60 minute mark, I realized that I was just tired of Steve. I was tired of his scraggly beard. I was tired of his constant back pain. I was tired of his stupid tennis ball. I was tired of the pained expression on his face. I was tired of his nonstop resentment and his complaining. I was tired of his inability to fight back. I was just sick to death of spending time with him. Murphy commits himself to the roll but Steve is not a compelling character. If anything, he’s a bit whiny. Seriously, Steve, don’t just lie down on the floor and talk about how much you resent things. Get out there and fight for your school, dude.
There are parts of the film that work but there are other parts that just fall totally flat. The use of the documentary crew feels unnecessary and there’s not really any payoff to their presence. A scene where a stuffy member of Parliament visits the school and talks about the importance of not allowing Britain to go communist is so poorly-executed that it almost feels like a parody of a Ken Loach film. Even when Steve finally does let go of his emotions, it feels like a false note.
In the end, I’ll give Steve credit for trying to deal with a real issue. The fact of the matter is that society — both in the UK and in the US — is far too quick to give up on those who have been deemed as delinquents. That said, the film falls flat. It’s a noble failure but failure nonetheless.
Hi, everyone! Tonight, on twitter, I will be hosting one of my favorite films for #MondayMania! Join us for 2019’s The Wrong Mommy, featuring Eric Roberts!
You can find the movie on Prime and then you can join us on twitter at 9 pm central time! (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.) See you then!
As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasionally Mastodon. I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie! Every week, we get together. We watch a movie. We snark our way through it.
Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1989’s Time Trackers!
It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in. If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, find the movie on YouTube and hit play at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag! The watch party community is a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.
Ever since Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans was first released in 2009, people have debated the symbolism of the iguanas on the coffee table. Are they just a sign that Nicolas Cage’s bad lieutenant is totally high or do they have a deeper meaning? Myself, I’m not even going to try to guess. All I know is that the lieutenant eventually came to appreciate their presence.
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
Happy birthday to the wonderful and iconic actress, Barbara Steele!
Through the Shattered Lens 