Reviews
Hellraiser (2022)
Squarely Middle of the Road
There are moments in this new Hellraiser film that does inspire slight chills and for those brief moments, a better film is teased to the audience - a film that might have been as good as the first two films. After decades of mediocre to poor straight to video sequels, the Hellraiser series could use a little freshening up and this new one certainly brings the saga up to the present day. The gore is more playful and slasher-esque than the original films and there's some attempt at an eerie mood, but most of the film's attempts at atmosphere fail due to the scenes being so under lit that they're impossible to see.
Performances are fine, if unmemorable, and the whole thing feels 10 times longer than it really is. It's not a triumphant return to form, but it's better than most of the other sequels.
Halloween Ends (2022)
It Has A Few Interesting Moments
A sequel with a little more inspiration that the previous slash fest, but it doesn't fit in with the two films that came before it, making for an awkward ending to the trilogy. Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode appears to be even less traumatized than the woman we met in 2018 even after Michael Myers has proven himself to be a supernatural force that might not be able to be stopped. Plus, the iconic boogeyman has disappeared for the past few years since the events of the last film and Laurie doesn't seem as phased by this as she would have been in the first film of this trilogy.
A new character named Corey has been added and, while a lot of his material is interesting, it feels a little too late in the game to be giving most of the spotlight over to a brand new character.
Chi sei? (1974)
Ridiculous Exorcist Clone
A mostly cynical mash up of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby with less plot, less character development, and less interesting effects. There's some entertainment value to be had from how shameless of a rip off this is and the lead character's children, especially the profane mini-adult daughter, are hilarious at times. For a film so slight, it also runs incredibly long for no reason.
Parents (1989)
You Are What You Eat
Straddling the fine line between wacky and disturbing, Parents serves up a memorably bent view on 1950's suburbia and pre-teen paranoia. Quaid and Hurt give brilliant performances that put you right in the protagonist's shoes. You can never tell where you stand with them. Are they good or are they bad? There's a lot of moral ambiguity here. There's really nothing else like Parents and, to me, that's a major compliment.
The Baby (1973)
Absolute Insanity
The Baby is one of those films that you can't believe was ever made in the first place. It's part sleazy melodrama and part John Waters camp fest with a fully grown man in diapers being bossed around and tormented by his psychotic mother and sisters as a kindly social worker tries to help him. It's definitely sick and twisted, but something about the tone keeps it from being unpleasant and it turns out to be a real wild ride.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
A Good Send Off For Michael and Laurie
If they'd only wrapped things up here. 1998's Halloween H20 might occasionally reek of Dawson's Creek era teen angst drama, but the way it handles the character of Laurie Strode is somewhat realistic and well drawn and it gives Jamie Lee Curtis the chance to really showcase some acting chops and turn in a moving performance. The multiple masks for Michael look awful, the cinematography looks a little too slick, and it's almost completely devoid of any fall or Halloween ambiance, but it's got a good story and wraps things up in a very fitting and satisfying way.
The City of the Dead (1960)
Vintage Creeps
I'd avoided Horror Hotel for awhile for one reason or another, but I'm so happy I finally bit the bullet and gave it a watch, because it really brings the atmosphere. Everything is shrouded in fog like a Mario Bava film and there's an uneasiness for the entire runtime and a sense that anything can happen. Especially after a big twist midway through that pulled the rug out from under me. Don't avoid this one!
Halloween Kills (2021)
What Were They Thinking Here?
It seems as if people in charge were asleep at the wheel for the making of this movie. For all the talk about how this movie (and the previous one) were all about trauma and/or mob mentality, this has to be some of the most repetitive and heavy handed screenwriting I've ever encountered. Characters merely exist to spout a few cheesy catchphrases and die gruesomely. The effects are impressive, but who cares when the people dying are such unrealistic cardboard cutouts. Somehow, the pacing is both too fast to create any suspense and too slow every time someone stops the film cold to give another reminder of what they went through in 1978 or give a speech about the nature of Michael's evil.
Don't Breathe 2 (2021)
Mostly Reheated From the First
Some movies don't need sequels and Don't Breathe would be one of them. It was a clever, taut, and contained thriller that left things wrapped up in a satisfying way. Don't Breathe 2 attempts to humanize the Blind Man with very mixed results, but the film is well shot and paced even if it feels like going through the same motions as the original for most of the run time. The finale does at least bring a few thrills.
Dead of Night (1974)
Anti-War Horror
Before Bob Clark changed Christmas forever with the one two punch of Black Christmas and A Christmas Story, he created this strange oddity about a Vietnam war veteran who dies in combat and who's brought back to life by his grieving mother's wish. In classic Monkey's Paw tradition, when he returns, he's not quite the same and now requires human blood to stay alive.
Deathdream is an entertaining, if sobering look at the trauma of war and what it can do to a family.
Candyman (2021)
A Decent Sequel
Director Nia Da Costa has style to spare with her version of Candyman, but the script lets her down more often than it pulls her up. Many of the characters are underdeveloped or uninteresting and none of the major scare set pieces pack the wallop they should. It still has enough interesting ideas to make it worth watching and it's far better than the other sequels.
Malignant (2021)
Wan's Craziest Yet
What starts out as your average Insidious-style supernatural thriller eventually turns into a type of slasher/giallo hybrid before embracing more sci-fi and then totally going off the walls into something you've never quite seen before. It seems to be deliberately over the top and it's fun to try and guess just how wild this film will end up getting. The last act of the film is one of the most unique in recent memory.
Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave (1972)
Very Different Giallo
Sergio Martino goes for lurid melodrama this time with a few gory murders spliced in for maximum effect. It's mostly a tiny chamber piece involving a drunken writer, his fed up wife, and a mysterious young woman who comes into the house and causes everything to fall apart. There's a lot of sensuality, twists, and several nods to Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat.
Sette note in nero (1977)
Intriguing Mystery
Though a little slow and ponderous at times and lacking a lot of sleaze and gore of Fulci's other films, The Psychic has one of his strongest scripts to work with and the central mystery in an interesting and engrossing one and the music score is memorable and appropriately haunting.
Non si sevizia un paperino (1972)
One of Fulci's Best
Perhaps Fulci's best film about a murder investigation in a small village where superstition and religion has a hold on the community. There are several striking sequences and a brave anti-religion vibe throughout the entire film. Some of the scenes in this do stay with you.
I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale (1973)
Alright Giallo
Sergio Martino's Torso might be his most well remembered giallo due to the memorable marketed campaign and sleaze present, but it takes a little while to get going and can get a little dry at times. Things heat up in time for the big finale where one of the girls is trapped in a house with just the killer and the dead bodies of her friends. Martino does draw some great suspense from this sequence.
Ecologia del delitto (1971)
Trail Blazer
The films of Mario Bava have been influencing horror and thriller filmmakers for many decades now and it's easy to see why, especially after watching Bay of Blood. Its structure is almost exactly like most of the American slashers that wouldn't truly kick off for almost another decade from this film's release. Several of the film's gory murder sequences have been ripped off by entries in the Friday the 13th series.
Nightbirds (1970)
Realistic For Milligan
Considering this was made by Andy Milligan, it's refreshingly down to earth and "normal" Milligan wasn't usually one known for his realism or nicely drawn characters, but he does create a few memorable ones this time around with its two young transients living in a shabby attic in London and getting into all sorts of trouble. Some of the acting is better than what can be found in his other films as well. Unfortunately, the story meanders a little too often and doesn't seem to have much of a point.
Communion (1976)
Stylish 70's Chiller
Out of all the films that one could say influenced the slasher boom, Alice ,Sweet Alice is one of the best and most accomplished. It has some unsteady pacing at times, but it has more on its mind than many similar films with just as many nasty, gory surprises and a nice dash of uncomfortable religious themes and instances of horrifying child endangerment.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Beautiful To Look At
Edgar Wright was obviously influenced by the baroque and over the top style of European horror films from the 60's and 70's and crafts his own modern murder mystery to hang a series of impressive and visually stunning set pieces. Things are not always clearly explained and many plot threads don't hold up under intense scrutiny, but the performances, visuals, and soundtrack are so good that you can overlook them.
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Ocassionally Scary
When A Stranger Calls features a spectacularly thrilling opening sequence that brings the chills before turning into a lukewarm character drama for the next 45 minutes and ending back in horror land. It makes for a frustrating viewing experience at times, but the opening is so great that many flaws can be forgiven.
Black Christmas (1974)
Bone Chilling Perfection
Move over, Halloween! The scariest holiday is now Christmas. Coming a few years before John Carpenter turned trick 'r treating into a night of horror, Bob Clark told a similar story about an unknown psychopath killing sorority sisters and leaving them terrifying obscene phone calls as the police tries to track him down. It's boasts a likable and strong cast featuring the likes of Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, and John Saxon who keep everything grounded and increasing the horror around them.
Dolls (1986)
Great Killer Doll Entertainment
As killer dolls films go, Stuart Gordon's Dolls is one of the best with its rainy atmosphere, great pacing, and impressive special effects. There's a fun, dark fairy tale quality to the whole story and the performances are pitched in that elevated realm and it makes the whole film stick out from the more normal killer doll movies. Dolls embraces the unreality of the premise and has more fun with it.
In Search of Darkness: Part II (2020)
A Pleasant Stroll Through 80's Horror
In Search of Darkness: Part II might not offer much to the more seasoned horror fan, but it's entertaining nevertheless. It offers a nice array of talking heads to discuss a select group of popular (and not-so-popular) horror films from the 80's. The films included seem to have been selected randomly and some are discussed for a good chunk of time and some seem to only be talked about for 30 seconds. It can get a little frustrating at times, but this is a film made with a lot of enthusiasm and love and you can't fault them for something like that.
Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
Suspenseful
Jane, a television reporter, believes that a recent series of brutal murders are tied to a creepy loner who lives across the street from her. Without anyone to believe her, she starts trying to prove it herself and gets herself and her blind sister, Tracey, in trouble.
While appropriately gory and nasty as per the slasher films of this era, Eyes of a Stranger also has a nice flair for Hitchcockian suspense. If one were to edit out some of the bloodier moments, it could pass as a sophisticated adult thriller. Also notable for an early appearance by Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lauren Tewes' sister.