80s Archives - The Spool | The Spool

80s Archives - The Spool

Ranking Criterion’s High School Horror collection

The Criterion Channel dives into the unique hell of being a teenager & we’ll tell you which films not to miss.

“You’re not really a welder, are you?” Flashdance at 40

By: Peter Sobczynski

Forty years on, Adrian Lyne's tale of welding, dancing, dreaming, and cold-shoulder sweaters still leaves us all feeling like maniacs.

Ranking the Criterion Channel’s 80s Horror collection

Offering classics to slashers to B-horror to genuine obscurities, the best streaming channel you're not watching has something for everyone this Halloween season.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Remembering the touching & tender “Lucas”

The underrated teen comedy-drama about a lonely, lovelorn nerd turns 35 this year.

Sundance 2021: “Censor” is a video nasty throwback suitable for all rages

By: Clint Worthington

Prano Bailey-Bond makes her debut at Sundance with a chilling ode to the video nasty, featuring a killer turn from Niamh Algar.

Filmmaker of the Month

Joel Schumacher starts small with “The Incredible Shrinking Woman”

Schumacher's directorial debut is a silly, messy take on the restrictive gender roles of women in the household.

May’s Filmmaker of the Month: The Friday the 13th Series

For the first film's 40th anniversary, we hack and slash our way through the long, bloody saga of Jason Voorhees and his journeys from hell to Manhattan to space.

Filmmaker of the Month

Since His Debut, Jim Jarmusch Has Been on “Permanent Vacation”

We look back at Jim Jarmusch's film debut and the way its sense of experimentation ripples through the rest of his career.

Clint Eastwood: The Man, The Glare, The Movie Star

A tribute to one of the greatest icons in movie history.

CIFF Dispatch: “Jojo Rabbit”, “A Girl Missing”, “The Torch” and More

(This dispatch is part of our coverage of the 2019 Chicago International Film Festival.) Welp, CIFF keeps chugging along, and the weather just keeps getting colder. Still, there are plenty of cinematic offerings on display to keep you braving the cold, even as they offer some chilling portents for awards season moving forward. First up ... CIFF Dispatch: “Jojo Rabbit”, “A Girl Missing”, “The Torch” and More

David A. Weiner on ’80s Horror and “In Search of Darkness”

The director of the extensive '80s horror doc "In Search of Darkness" sits down to talk about nostalgia, gore, and the appeal of scary movies.

Fantastic Fest 2019

Fantastic Fest: Christopher Winterbauer on Youth, Grief, and “Wyrm”

Wyrm writer/director Christopher Winterbauer sits down at Fantastic Fest to talk about the analog appeal of '80s kitsch and adapting shorts to features.

In Search of Darkness Review: The Definitive ’80s Horror Documentary is Here

Just in time for Halloween, this monster-sized look at the most important decade in horror is thorough, affectionate, & endlessly entertaining.

Filmmaker of the Month

30 Years On, “Pet Sematary” Looked at Parental Anxiety and Little Else

Mary Lambert's 1989 adaptation of the Stephen King novel Pet Sematary doesn't dig as deeply into parental anxiety and tension as it would like.

Criterion Corner: “An Angel At My Table,” “The Koker Trilogy,” ’50s Ozu

Jane Campion's Janet Frame biopic, a trilogy of fables from Abbas Kiarostami, and one of Ozu's lesser-known melodramas fill Criterion's August slate.

Mindhunter Season 2 Review: Returning to the Scene of the Crime

David Fincher's haunting, revolutionary Netflix show returns for a sophomore glimpse into the dark core of the American soul.

Blinded by the Light Review: Moved by Mighty, Mighty Boss Tones

Gurinder Chadha's heartwarming tale of a boy and The Boss fumbles some chords, but charms nonetheless.

Criterion Corner: “Do the Right Thing”, “1984”, “Klute”, “The BRD Trilogy”

Race, control, and patriarchy reign in July's offerings from Criterion.

Stranger Things 3 Review: Mall Madness in Hawkins

Netflix's acclaimed horror-nostalgia series returns for a third season of high-stakes blockbuster television.

Ermanno Olmi: Standing in the Footprints of God

Over his decades-long career, the Italian neorealist crafted films filled with truth, empathy, and kindness.

Kiki’s Delivery Service: A Delightful Slice of Adolescent Magical Realism

Miyazaki's animated classic effortlessly blends magical realism with a relatable coming-of-age story about building community.

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