asaharris

Six friends meet via a Zoom call in order to take part in a seance, with terrifying results. Made during the Covid pandemic, this was impressively put together under difficult conditions. Some of the effects are more convincing than most mainstream movies, and a great deal of tension is built up at various points. It's just such a shame the film is so derivative, with shameless lifting from horror flicks such as Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project in particular, not to mention Ghostwatch. That said, one still comes away from the movie genuinely impressed by the technical achievements on display, as well as a couple of genuine shudders.

Meandering, anachronistic and fatally overlong ode to the hedonistic climate of 1920s Hollywood. The film remorselessy rips off The Artist and Boogie Nights in its tale of starlet (Robbie) blazing her path through a hyperbolic vision of the industry during the silent period. Both stars are good as usual, but what are they doing in this movie? Doldrums set in after the 90 minute mark, but at least the set pieces look good, even if most characters look and sound like they've just dropped in from 2023. That said, if you loved Baz Lurhmann's The Great Gatsby and wondered what an X rated version would be like, this might be the film for you.

Unofficial biopic of Winsconsin serial killer Ed Gein (whose name here has been changed to Ezra Cobb) is morbid, grisly tale of a socially inept farmer who goes nuts when his domineering mother dies. While not as elegant as PSYCHO or as stylish as THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, DERANGED is more disturbing than both, thanks to an outstanding central performance by Roberts Blossom and a genuinely repellent recreation of the private world of a psychopath. Featuring some graphic early effects work by Tom Savini, this is well worth a look.