Walt Disney, part XLVIII: At the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine

POCAHONTAS

1995

Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg

Written by Carl Binder, Sussanah Grant, Philip LaZebnik, et al

Spoilers: N/A

Walt Disney, part XLVII: Stand out till you notice me

A GOOFY MOVIE

1995

Directed by Kevin Lima

Written by Jymn Magon, Chris Matheson, and Brian Pimental

Spoilers: moderate

O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on

OTHELLO

1995

Written and directed by Oliver Parker (based on the play The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare)

Spoilers: presumably inapplicable

Why must the show go on?

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

aka A Midwinter's Tale

1995

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh

Spoilers: moderate unto high

You're not fast enough for me

THE QUICK AND THE DEAD

1995

Directed by Sam Raimi

Written by Simon Moore

Spoilers: moderate

John Carpenter, part XXIII: Xenogenesis

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

In which we undertake a reappraisal of one of John Carpenter's lesser-regarded works.

1995

Directed by John Carpenter

Written by David Himmelstein, Steven Siebert, and Larry Sulkis (based on the book The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham and the screenplay by Stirling Silliphant, Wolf Rilla, and Ronald Kinnoch)

With Christopher Reeve (Dr. Alan Chaffee), Kirstie Alley (Dr. Susan Verner), Linda Kozlowski (Melanie Roberts), Michael Pare (Frank McGowan), Karen Kahn (Barbara Chaffee), Mark Hamill (Rev. George), Thomas Dekker (David McGowan), and Lindsey Haun (Mara Chaffee)

Spoiler alert: high

John Carpenter, part XXII: The man of Truth has learnt that Illusion is the only reality

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS

The greatest cosmic horror on film is also the greatest achievement of its director's career.

1995

Directed by John Carpenter

Written by Michael De Luca

With Sam Neill (John Trent), Julie Carmen (Linda Styles), Charlton Heston (Jackson Harglow), David Warner (Dr. Wrenn), and Jurgen Prochnow (Sutter Cane)

Spoiler alert: high

Putting the "list" in "miserablist"! (or, the films of David Fincher ranked, no. 3)

For going on twenty years now—my how time flies—David Fincher has been our preeminent auteur of gross, depressing tales of murder and mayhem.  Almost uniquely, Fincher has mastered a high-wire balancing act in the thriller genre, crafting films that are formally pristine, morally bracing, thematically insidious, emotionally devastating, and—most important of all—highly entertaining.  Though chiefly noted for this selfsame prediliction toward the pleasantly unpleasant, Fincher has tried his hand at other things, too—one time it was good, one time it was the worst thing ever.  On this episode: murder, murder, murder, murder, murder, murder, and murder (with about five, ten minutes of what I would feel comfortable calling mayhem).

Spoiler alert: I think we all know what's in the box