TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Horror movies are not just for Halloween! Studios have figured out that summer is a great time to release scary movies due to a combination of factors: more audience availability, strategic timing, and the genre's consistent profitability. Demand for horror peaks in June, as moviegoers look for films that get them out of the summer heat and into air-conditioned theaters.  And summer 2025 is stacked with sequels, reboots, and bold original horror movies. Whether you're into slashers, supernatural stories, or high-concept psychological horror, these summer releases have something for everyone.  Weapons From Barbarian director Zach Cregger comes Weapons , a chilling new horror film shrouded in mystery . It’s described as "a multi-story horror epic," and early buzz says it will challenge genre expectations. Together Starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco , Together is a summer body horror film that explores themes of love, transformation, and co-depend...

This week, we’re taking the time to remember the life and career of Julian McMahon, the Australian actor and former model who made his mark with his magnetism and charm. The Australian actor died from lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer .  In our library, McMahon stars in the 1992 cult comedy Wet and Wild Summer! , a sun-soaked beach flick where he plays Bobby, the laid-back son of a powerful property developer. Sent to Australia under the guise of an exchange lifeguard, Bobby’s mission is to scout out land for his father’s next big resort deal. But things take a turn when he finds himself falling for the very woman who owns the beach his father is determined to take over. Wet and Wild Summer! is a snapshot of his early on-screen potential. Before his acting breakout, McMahon made waves as a model in 1987 with an iconic Levi’s campaign that turned heads and helped start his career . One particularly memorable ad, featuring him pulling up a pair of classi...

This week, we’re remembering the incredible career of Lalo Schifrin , who recently passed away at the age of 93 . Schifrin was one of the most influential film and TV composers of the last century. His music helped shape the sound of action, suspense, and horror, and he brought something iconic to every project he worked on. He’s best known for creating the theme to Mission: Impossible , one of the most recognizable TV themes of all time. But his work goes far beyond that. He scored films like Bullitt and Cool Hand Luke , utilizing a blend of jazz and traditional orchestral music to create tension, mood, and emotion in ways that still resonate today. You can also hear his work in the 1979 horror classic The Amityville Horror . Schifrin’s score is a big part of what made that film so scary. He used jarring, discordant notes to build suspense, especially during scenes involving the haunted house. The music made everything feel more unsettling and played a major role in the film’s lasti...