Author Archives: Paul Gaita

About Paul Gaita

Paul Gaita lives in Sherman Oaks, California with his lovely wife and daughter. He has written for The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Variety and Merry Jane, among many other publications, and was a home video reviewer for Amazon.com from 1998 to 2014. He has also interviewed countless entertainment figures, but his favorites remain Elmore Leonard, Ray Bradbury, and George Newall, who created both "Schoolhouse Rock" and the Hai Karate aftershave commercials. He once shared a Thanksgiving dinner with celebrity astrologer Joyce Jillson and regrettably, still owes the late character actor Charles Napier a dollar.

Movies Till Dawn: More Quarantine Queens

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“The Invisible Man” (2020, Universal Home Entertainment) After fleeing abusive boyfriend Oliver Jackson-Cohen – a ruthless, Musk-esque billionaire in the “optics” field – Elisabeth Moss is convinced that the news of his subsequent suicide was a ploy to divert attention … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Scream, Saturday Morning Strange, Scream!

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“Marihuana/Narcotic” (1936/1933, Kino Lorber/Something Weird Video) Fake News as Your Grandparents Saw It: a double bill of rabid anti-drug films from notorious exploitation filmmaker Dwain Esper, which detail how pot and opium fueled a descent from middle-class contentment to eventual … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: More Spookshows for Shut-Ins

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“Tigers are Not Afraid” (2017, RLJE Films) For young Estrella (Paola Lara), orphaned in her unnamed Mexican hometown after her mother’s disappearance, death is not only a constant but tangible presence that takes many forms, from gun-toting cartel members to … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Other Realities

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“Valerie and her Week of Wonders” (1970, Second Run DVD) With the onset of her first period, certain notions (or hallucinations) are revealed to young Czech Valerie (Jaroslava Schallerova), including the possibility that the young man she fancies may be … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Welcome Distractions

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“30 Rock: The Complete Series” (2006-2013, Mill Creek Entertainment) Though current global circumstances seem to warrant it (demand, even), I’m not much for binge-watching TV. Even the most revered or critically acclaimed shows start to wilt after three or four … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: The Maltese Shut-In (Thrillers for Housebound Crime-Stoppers)

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“The Lineup” (1958, Mill Creek Entertainmentt) Pitiless mob hitmen Eli Wallach and Robert Keith and their dipsomaniac driver (Richard Jaeckel) prowl San Francisco in search of tourists who have unwittingly smuggled heroin from Hong Kong, with cops Warner Anderson and … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Almost Weirder Than Now

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“VFW” (2019, Image Entertainment) A gaggle of soused, AARP-age vets hold the line at the titular watering hole when a druglord and his zombified army lay siege to the joint in an attempt to retrieve stolen stash. Joe Begos‘ ultra-violent … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Comfort Cinema for Close Quarters

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“Sixteen Candles” (1984, Arrow Video) Her family’s failure to remember her 16th birthday is the first in a string of indignities endured by Molly Ringwald, who must also contend with her sister’s wedding, the attention of manic nerd Anthony Michael … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: The Saturday Morning Strange Stays Home

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“RoboCop” (1987, Arrow Video) In a future that bears alarming similarities to our present (though pandemic-free, it should be noted), a mega-corporation enlists a criminal gang to take over Detroit for re-development while also manufacturing a robotic super-cop – created … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Quarantine Queens

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Paul Gaita

“The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952, Warner Archives Collection) When producer Kirk Douglas calls on star Lana Turner, Pulitzer-winning screenwriter Dick Powell and director Barry Sullivan to join his comeback picture, each recalls to studio chief Walter Pidgeon how his … Continue reading →

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