Change Your Image
acidburn-10
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Aliens (1986)
Incredible Sequel that successfully expands the mythology
'Aliens' is the relentless action-packed sequel to the 1979 Ridley Scott classic 'Alien' that extends the premise of the first film by taking it into exciting new directions while at the same time it manages to build upon the legacy of the first film without diminishing it. From its fantastic storyline, sprawling locations, high octane action and the sheer amount of xenomorphs on screen, this sequel is bigger than its predecessor in every way possible which makes a more than worthy follow-up that's equally as iconic.
The Plot = Awakening after a long hibernation after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is sent back to the planet LV-426 to establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
There will always be that debate on which movie is better 'Alien' or 'Aliens', and there's perfectly reasonable arguments on both accounts. What you can't deny is that this entry is simply one of the best sequels of all-time, no scratch that it's easily the greatest horror sequel of all-time. A shocking combination of action, sci-fi, horror and even drama that creates a powerful experience that doesn't let up until the end credits. The direction by James Cameron is outstanding as he certainly puts his signature stamp all over the production as he not expands the universe but transports you to a frightening and lonely new world with an intense atmosphere with plenty of nerve-racking suspense and terror, along with some spectacular action set pieces with plenty of raw emotion that messes with your mind and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The visual effects, set designs and cinematography are all incredible here and adds a layer of class and sophistication to the production. The aliens themselves while retaining the look and horror of the original design, but here they have a different interpretation by acting more animalistic and its terror comes from its numbers. The alien queen herself is something truly to behold.
The performances here are outstanding with Sigourney Weaver well and truly coming into her own in this iconic action heroine role and an excellent protagonist for the ages with real human emotions and she's the key reason why this franchise became a success in the first place. The rest of the cast are also excellent with Michael Biehn giving an amazing and realistic portrayal of the cool calm and collected Hicks. Bill Paxton gives a fun and memorable performance as Hudson and is absolutely perfect for this role, Jenette Goldstein gives a fantastic performance as the stone faced and heroic Vasquez, Lance Hendrickson shines as the robot Bishop.
Overall 'Aliens' is a prime example of a sequel done right and dare I say it another firm sci-fi horror masterpiece.
Alien (1979)
Iconic Sci-Fi Horror Masterpiece
'Alien' is an iconic sci-fi horror masterpiece that manages to be both sensationally scary and completely riveting with its tightly focused story with an elegantly slow burn tone that's allowed to build tension and claustrophobia throughout with nail biting suspense, impressive special effects and of course that iconic creature design courtesy of H. R. Giger results in a prestige production that stands the test of time.
The Plot = The crew of a spacecraft "Nostromo" intercept a distress signal from a distant planet and set out to investigate it. However, upon their arrival the crew are attacked by an alien lifeform which later invades their ship.
The movie has been described as less a sci-fi horror flick and more a haunted house movie set in outer space, but it's the way Ridley Scott and the filmmakers draws you in from the start that guides this film into greatness with the structure and horrors of the script by pushing a simple yet effective story to it's limits with terrific results. This is one of those rare horror movies where everything was made the correct way as on its own and away from the franchise it later spawned, the movie delivered stunning cinematography that invites you directly into the ship with the crew with its sleek and futuristic vision of space and getting to know the warm dynamics of the excellent cast of interesting characters. For the first half of the film the tension and suspense purposely builds before the nerve-racking horror finally explodes and you're kept on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime.
One of the most frightening elements of this flick is the mystery element and that the xenomorph itself is never truly fully explained nor is the derelict ship the crew encounters and that's what makes this entry all the more chilling and yet engaging as you're never given answers to these questions. Although, all that would change with subsequent movies. But here the xenomorph is a singular monster from our nightmares and nothing about it abides by the laws of nature.
The ensemble cast here are incredible with fantastic performances from the likes of Tom Skerrit, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto and of course there's Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in a star-making performance that became beating heart of the franchise and irreplaceable, a heroine for the ages.
Overall 'Alien' is one of my all-time favourite horror classics through and through without a single misstep and still holds up incredibly well today as a masterpiece.
Manhunter (1986)
Intense and Underrated Visual Masterpiece
'Manhunter' is a tense, taut and chilling psychological crime thriller masterpiece with a twisted mix of style, substance and fascinating serial killer storytelling. Based on the 1981 novel 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris and directed by Michael Mann who creates a truly suspenseful and stylish thriller that was sadly overlooked at the time of its release but has since been recognized as a classic in its own right and rightfully so as it's simply brilliant that was perhaps too far ahead of its time.
The Plot = Former FBI agent Will Graham (William Peterson) is called out of retirement to catch a deranged serial killer known as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan), who randomly targets families during nights of the full moon. Will asks for the help of an imprisoned serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox).
Dark, dangerous and disturbingly scary the movie's eerie and decadent atmosphere evokes a true feeling of horror by using locations and imagery bathed in garish colours and a series of carefully composed shots that gives the production a cold unsettling feel and it works effectively with the narrative. This is something that may not be celebrated upon first viewing, but it adds to the mystique of the film that turned it into a cult classic. This movie may be forever doomed to live in the shadow of the other far more well-known Thomas Harris adaptation 'The Silence of the Lambs' but don't let that stop you from seeking this out as this is equally as great as that film and in some ways actually surpasses it.
The performances here are uniformly excellent with William Peterson giving a compelling performance with his multi layered character that is central to the success of the overall film. Brian Cox gives a masterful performance as the original on-screen version of Hannibal Lecktor and gives him a diabolical brilliance. Tom Noonan is fantastic in his twisted role as Dollarhyde and perfectly portrays him as a psychotic soul who is haunted by a desire to be normal. Dennis Farina is great as always as Jack Crawford and finally Kim Greist and Joan Allen offers strong supporting work in their respective roles.
Overall 'Manhunter' is an underrated, tense and well-paced crime thriller masterpiece that certainly stands alongside 'The Silence of the Lambs' as the best in the 'Hannibal Lector' franchise.
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Enjoyable Cheesy 80's Horror/Comedy/Sci-Fi Romp
'Night of the Creeps' is a brilliantly cheesy and highly entertaining comedy horror cult classic flick from the 1980's, with its tongue in cheek humour and an incredibly fun atmosphere that features a mish mash of different genres and styles. This is one zombie comedy with lots of laughs and gross out moments that aims to thrill its audience.
The Plot = An alien experiment goes awry and crashes on earth in 1959 and infects a young college student. 27 years later, his cryogenically frozen body is thawed out by fraternity pledges Chris (Jason Lively) & J. C. (Steve Marshall), and the campus is overrun by alien slugs whose victims comes back to life as zombies.
Another excellent film by director Fred Dekker that does more than enough to earn its status as a cult classic genre throwback that deftly combines classic horror and sci-fi elements with superb results and there's also an earnest sentimentality to it which thankfully never overwhelms the story or characters and instead knows how to resonate with it's intended audience. The zombies look fantastic and extremely imagined with their simple yet highly original style. The special effects across the board for this film are top notch and mixes perfectly with the tongue in cheek nature of the production.
The cast here does great work with the material with genre legend Tom Atkins giving an impressive performance and does an amazing job in bringing his character to life and becomes a total bad ass. Jason Lively and Steve Marshall each gives strong performances with their roles and together they made for a formidable team and their friendship is excellently displayed providing the very heart and soul of the film. Jill Whitlow gives a mesmerizing performance as the beautiful Cynthia.
Overall 'Night of the Creeps' is an enjoyable romp that never fails to entertain you right up until its bloody and action-packed explosive finale.
Phantoms (1998)
Clumsy and Mediocre Sci-Fi/Horror Oddity
'Phantoms' is a clumsy and mediocre sci-fi horror oddity that despite featuring an interesting premise and a somewhat intriguing mystery element, it's devoid of any sort of suspense or any semblance of horror and instead you're left with a rather tepid film with a runtime that plods along at a sluggish pace as well as fumbling ant sort of potential it had to be at the very least decent at almost every turn.
The Plot = An unspeakable evil has mysteriously wiped out the peaceful town of Snowfield. Two sisters Jennifer (Joanne Going) and Lisa Pailey (Rose McGowen) and a Sheriff (Ben Affleck) from another town try to piece together what happened.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz which by all accounts is supposed to be rather good, but obviously there were changes made to the source material, which is probably why this fell so flat, even though the author also wrote the horrible screenplay to this and that's a severe level of incompetence I must say. The flat direction by Joe Chappelle doesn't help matters either as he fails to muster an eerie atmosphere and lacks any sort of visual identity with its overall unflattering lighting and dull cinematography that gives the film a very made for tv look that doesn't mesh well with the horror elements.
Although, it isn't all terrible as once we get past the slow and boring first half the narrative does begin to ramp up quite a bit with some unintentionally funny moments and some gruesome monster deaths and even a couple of fun kills. But even these elements aren't enough to save this mess of a flick as everything that happens here has been done far better in other genre efforts before and after this which makes this unessential viewing.
The acting is rather a mixed bag here. Peter O'Toole gives the film a much-needed engaging screen presence and injects some life and gravitas into this otherwise lacklustre effort. Liev Schreiber is the only other actor to give a memorable performance here with plenty of scenery chewing moments that at the very least livens things up a bit. Rose McGowen gives a very bland and unconvincing performance. Joanna Going's very wooden in her role as the leading lady and Ben Affleck lacks any sort of charisma in his leading man role. Now these actors have been good in other things, but their bad performances here must be the fault of the director.
Overall 'Phantoms' is not a good movie at all plain and simple. Even the somewhat interesting aspects have been done far better in other flicks of the same genre. While this deserves its forgotten status as a box office bomb.
Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
Entertaining Style over Substance
'Thir13en Ghosts' is a dumb cheesy yet enjoyable supernatural horror flick from the early 00's packed with state-of-the-art effects, stylish visuals, fantastic ghost designs and a fun cast to go with all the madcap mayhem. A remake of the original 1960 film '13 Ghosts' by William Castle which substitutes the original's campy charm for escalating mindless mayhem, loud and overblown carnage and gruesome gory sequences that makes this a pure guilty pleasure viewing experience.
The Plot = Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) and his two children Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts), inherits his late Uncle Cyrus's (F. Murray Abraham) estate; a glass house that serves as a prison to 12 ghosts. The family along with a few others find themselves trapped inside and must do what they can to get out of the house alive.
The story itself isn't anything groundbreaking or original and there are a few plot holes and a few contrived issues thrown in for the sake of convenience, while other things are forgotten about, but none of this takes any of the fun elements away from this and its runtime is paced well enough for you to not stop and think about it. The opening sequence is awesome with some fun violent and vile scenes that does a good job of pulling you the viewer in and effectively sets the tone for what's to come. The movie manages to end on a high note and while it may be a bit too schmaltzy for some people, but for me it works well within the context of the rest of the film. The middle sequences are where the real meat of the story is as you're introduced to the ghosts themselves and it's a pure blast to watch with some well executed practical special effects, crazy character designs and plenty of over-the-top horror scenes that throws everything at the viewer including the kitchen sink. Okay the CGI effects hasn't aged well at all, and the fast edits and quick cuts does take the tension away from the horror scenes, but if you can look past this you can still have a good time.
The cast here are decent despite being not very well written or having any sort of character development. Tony Shalhoub gives a solid performance as the lead. Elizabeth Shannon doesn't have much to do here, but she gives a fine performance. Rah Digga has a few funny moments as the sassy nanny. Matthew Lillard gives an over the top and manic performance as the quirky ghost hunter. Embeth Davidtz gives as a decent performance and F. Murray Abraham also gives an entertaining performance.
Overall 'Thir13en Ghosts' is very much style over substance, but it's entertaining at the very least.
The Monster Squad (1987)
Outstanding 80's Monster Movie Cult Classic
'The Monster Squad' is a superb and highly entertaining horror comedy cult classic that combines the classic universal monsters with themes and central elements from 'The Goonies' which results in a profusely fun and wild cinematic experience that will satisfy audiences of all ages. The movie is balls to the wall fun and not only acts as a loving tribute to the past, but it stands on its own just as well.
The Plot = Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr) is transported 100 years into the present and teams up with the other classic monsters such as Frankenstein's Monster (Tom Noonan), The Wolf-Man (Jonathan Gries), Gill-Man (Tom Woodruff) & The Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay) to hunt down and seize an ancient amulet that will grant them powers to rule the world. The only thing standing in their way is a group of young kids who call themselves the monster squad and sets to stop Dracula and the other monsters once and for all.
This movie will forever and always be a nostalgic classic for me and when I first saw it at young age, I instantly fell in love with it and even now I still have that same feeling towards it. The movie is an excellent homage to those classic monster movies that transcends far beyond its simple yet effective plot thanks to its sharp script, stellar cast, tight pacing and excellent creature designs that look as good as they did back in their heyday. The direction by Fred Dekker is pitch perfect as he injects so much energy into the production with eye popping visuals and a glorious colour pallet. This is more than worthy to be considered as part of the classic universal monster movies as it's an incredible tribute to those films that actually works by bringing incredible versions of all the most popular monsters together in one story and simply having them together on screen. The story moves along at a breakneck pace with an engaging set up and an action packed second half filled with tension and scares that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The kid actors' performances are amazing with every member of the young cast feeling authentic and well written. Andre Gower as Sean the leader of the monster club tackles his demanding role with ease. Robby Kiger as Patrick Sean's best friend and Brent Chalem as Horace the chubby yet loyal kid both gives strong and focused performances in their respective roles. Ryan Lambert is a firm standout as Rudy the older one of the groups and a totally cool badass. Michael Faustino and Ashley Bank are both great as the youngest members of the squad and each of the group's personalities are diverse and well rounded.
The creatures in the flick are all wonderfully imagined and brought to life in breathtaking detail. Duncan Regeher's performance as Dracula is simply iconic as he manages to bring dignity, diabolic, savage velocity and confidence to the role and stands as one of the very best and criminally underrated portrayals of the character. Tom Noonan gives one of the most memorable performances of Frankenstein's monster and manages to give him plenty of heart and nuance. Jonathan Gries gives a wonderfully campy and over the top performance as the wolf man which fits greatly with the tongue in cheek nature of the film.
Overall 'The Monster Squad' is an outstanding and criminally underrated classic 80's monster movie.
Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
Solid Sequel that deserves more love and attention
'Fright Night Part 2' is the entertaining and highly underrated sequel to the horror cult classic original from 1985. While this sequel doesn't quite have the same magic as the first one it still manages to be a great flick that thrives with its dark sense of humour mixed with outstandingly vivid horror visuals that makes for one hell of a fun flick which acts as a perfect companion piece to the first 'Fright Night' film.
The Plot = Taking place three years after the events of the first film Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) has finally come to terms with the blook soaked incident that scarred his adolescence. Until a new mysterious vampire named Regine (Julie Carmen) arrives into town seeking revenge on Charley. So once again he teams up with Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to try and stop the carnage once and for all.
I do like the interesting approach that this narrative takes by showing the main character Charly dealing with the aftermath after taking on a vampire by struggling with PTSD and paranoia and combined with the comedic atmosphere of the film it adds an original and unique flavour to the production in a very unorthodox way. The movie also manages to return a lot of the elements of what made the first one so great such as the engaging cast performances, gruesome special effects and a series of events that outlays a brand-new adventure that contains plenty of campy horror fun while managing to be quite fresh and new at the same time. Despite missing that certain special something the previous movie had, this still manages to be a solid sequel.
The performances here are fantastic with William Ragsdale reprising the role of Charley Brewster and giving a more toned down yet compelling performance and simply nails the tone of the flick perfectly. Roddy McDowall once again shines here as Peter Vincent and brings that same charm and class to his role that made him so endearing the first time around. Traci Lind gives a solid performance as the new girlfriend Alex. Julie Carmen gives a sexy and provocative performance as the seductive new vampire Regine and manages to nail the tone of the film effectively.
Overall 'Fright Night Part 2' is a great sequel that deserves far more attention as it goes hand in hand with the first film.
Bordello of Blood (1996)
Fun and Campy Horror Comedy despite a few flaws
'Bordello of Blood' is a fun and campy horror comedy that acts as the second and final theatrical movie spin off from the cult classic TV series 'Tales from the Crypt' as well as acting as a follow-up of sorts to 1995's 'Demon Knight'. While this entry isn't nowhere near as good as the first entry, it still manages to be a bloody good time with a solid cast, plenty of laughs, lots of nudity and more than its fair share of gore.
The Plot = The Crypt Keeper (voiced by John Kassir) returns once again to tell the story of a funeral Parlor that moonlights as a vampire bordello run by a 1000-year-old vampire named Lilith (Angie Everhart).
The main difference between this and the first movie is that while 'Demon Knight' found a good balance between having a sense of humour while still being an effective horror movie, this one puts a much greater emphasis on comedy which doesn't always land all the way through, but a lot of it still works through even if it is at the expense of atmosphere or scares. However, the story itself is interesting and well-paced enough to keep you invested throughout its runtime with some exciting set pieces, cool special effects and bright and colourful gore sequences, which is fuelled by the clever direction by Gilbert Adler.
The cast here are strong with Dennis Miller giving a solid performance as the wisecracking private investigator and easily being the best thing about this movie. Erika Eleniak gives a fine performance as the female lead and has great chemistry with Dennis Miller. Corey Feldman was pretty good in his limited screen time. Chris Sarandon is a hell of a lot of fun as the televangelist and Angie Everhart provides a fun and campy performance as the seductive vampire.
Overall 'Bordello of Blood' is not quite a classic within the horror or comedy sub genres, but it manages to be just as entertaining as the TV series that inspired it, despite a few flaws.
The House of Seven Corpses (1974)
Campy Retro Obscure Delight
'The House of Seven Corpses' is a very unorthodox and slow-moving horror film which focuses more on atmosphere and a heightened sense of dread to tell its morbid story rather than relying on blood and gore which makes this rather refreshing in its own unique way and while it may not appeal to all horror fans it's still an entertaining old school feature with a great cast and solid production values.
The Plot = A film director named Eric Hartman (John Ireland) has secured the rights to film a low budget horror movie at the old Beal Manor where 7 murders took place much to the dismay of the old caretaker Edgar Price (John Carradine) who warns them that the place is still haunted and unknowingly the crew ends up summoning the undead that begins to kill them off one by one.
This is a rather charming retro oddity that I wouldn't call a lost classic or anything, but it is slightly underrated thanks mainly to its interesting and quirky set of characters that does at the very least helps keep the momentum going. However, the pacing is perhaps a bit too slow for its own good as there's way too much unnecessary padding and not enough suspense or thrills for the first hour. But once we get to the climax the pace picks up considerably with plenty of fun unsettling moments and even some surprising twists and turns which does manage to end things on a rather satisfying note. The combination of melding both the real-life murders of the home's past with the fictional take of the film crew in the movie is an interesting concept and manages to work for the most part but the wonky narrative structure lets things down slightly.
The cast here does fine work in their respective roles and helps make this movie an overall worthwhile experience. John Ireland is great as the determined no nonsense director and really transforms into the role with perfect ease. Faith Domergue is fantastic as the over the hill diva actress and even manages to create some genuine sympathy in her character. Charles Macaulay provides a fun performance as the drunken thespian actor. Carole Wells gives a charming turn as the drop-dead gorgeous actress Anne. Jerry Strickler is solid as the occult obsessed David and last but certainly not least John Carradine gives an outstanding turn as the creepy caretaker Edgar Price and pretty much steals every scene, he's in.
Overall 'The House of Seven Corpses' is a campy obscure delight that may take a while to get going but once it does, it's pretty entertaining.
The Puppet Masters (1994)
It's Okay, but nowhere near a forgotten classic
'The Puppet Masters' is an okay yet incredibly cheesy 90's sci-fi horror action flick that attempts to combine elements of a summer blockbuster with the 'X-Files' and it doesn't really work, but it does manage to produce some entertaining moments such as some fun action sequences, plenty of old school stunt work, decent special effects work and an interesting premise that at the very least had great potential, but it was such a shame that it was let down by such a lacklustre script.
The Plot = The Midwest USA is invaded by small alien creatures that takes control of humans and uses them as their puppets to spread their domination and eventually take over the world. Government agents Andrew Nivens (Donald Sutherland), Sam Nivens (Eric Thal) and Mary Sefton (Julie Warner) must stop the aliens before it's too late.
The movie's based upon the classic 1951 novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein, although I would have to say very loosely based as this leaves out large chunks of that story which leaves this feeling very disjointed with very uneven pacing and without any sort of deeper meaning. The movie starts out promising enough with one or two inventive moments and a couple of suspenseful and creepy moments, but then starts to fall apart during the second half and never fully recovers leading to a very basic and predictable climax. Most importantly this doesn't do the source material any justice whatsoever.
The acting here is very decent and if there's one reason to watch this then it's for the excellent performance of Donald Sutherland whose excellent performance and engaging screen presence simply commands your attention at every turn and without him this film would have simply sucked big time. Eric Thal and Julie Warner each gives fine performances in their respective roles, although not all that memorable. We also get decent turns from experienced actors such as Keith David, Will Patton and Yaphett Kotto and helps elevate this flick somewhat.
Overall 'The Puppet Masters' is quite fun, but it's nowhere near in the same leagues as other sci-fi alien invasions flicks.
Hausu (1977)
Beautifully Demented and Unique
'Hausu' aka 'House' is an utterly bizarre and Avant Garde Japanese horror film which defies any sort of logic and instead invites you into a world of unadulterated insanity from beginning to end. The movie's bathed in a hazy surreal atmosphere of wild horrific frights and dementedly odd delights. This experimental production often thrives in its weirdness and will baffle and yet thrill you in equal amounts. When it comes to cinematic oddities this flick is a prime example of how mind bending these genre flicks can get.
The Plot = A schoolgirl known as Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) decides to visit her ageing aunt (Yoko Minamida) at her remote country home and asks six of her friends to tag along. Upon their arrival the girls realize that the house is haunted.
The movie is strange and yet highly original that relies heavily on its outlandish quality and unusual approach which defies any sort of traditional narrative structure and instead just get lost in the nightmarish visual madness that escalates with every scene. Not only is this flick an unorthodox masterpiece but it's a rather beautiful experience as well. Everything's so vibrantly depicted and whimsically picturesque with its pulsating colour palette and eye-popping visual effects which serves to energize the film and push it into obscure cult classic status.
The direction by Nobuhiko Obayashi is breathtaking to say the least as creates a stunning spectacle of vibrant beauty of chaotic death and supernatural strangeness which sets it in its own unique realm and makes the most out of every frame of the film and injects so much inventiveness and wonder that you can never look away from the screen for even a single minute.
Overall 'Hausu' is good old fashioned weird Japanese entertainment and while it may not be to everyone's tastes, it's still a unique viewing experience that will forever stand the test of time.
Vamp (1986)
Fun and Enjoyable Romp that fully captures the magic of the 80's
'Vamp' is a fun and outrageous 80's horror comedy which embraces its campy weirdness and unusually wild premise to create something that honestly never fails to entertain with the energy and vibe of the era. This enjoyable romp is silly at times and altogether unpredictable the production thrives in its bewildering vampiric infused setting and off kilter goofiness that makes this an impressive entry within the iconic 80's vampire genre flicks.
The Plot = Two college frat boys Keith (Chris Makepeace) and A. J. (Robert Rusler) promise their fraternity house that they'll get a stripper for their upcoming keg party and travels to a sleazy bar called After Dark Club, unaware it's overrun by vampires.
The movie is an outstandingly morbid and wacky and yet delightful horror comedy romp with an electric group of interesting characters that blends fabulously into the expressive world of this film. This probably does play more into the comedy angle more than horror as the playful nature of the production takes priority over the more unsettling horror moments, but that doesn't make this any less fun as it relishes in its zany moments, strangeness and fully embraces every oddity that it throws at you. The creature effects are outstanding and highly effective, the direction is strong, and the cinematography is quite stylish with the whole film bathed in green, purple and yellow neon lights which makes the whole film look good. Although I wouldn't say that this is quite on par with other 80's vampire flicks such as 'Fright Night', 'The Lost Boys' or even 'Near Dark', but it's a damn solid effort, nonetheless.
The performances are great with Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler taking centre stage as the typical 80's frat boys and both do a fantastic job with the material with Robert providing a memorable screen stealing performance as the smooth, cocky and quick witted one. While Chris is solid as the more level-headed one and as the film progress's he fully takes the reigns as the unlikely hero that you want to root for thanks to his natural performance. Grace Jones delivers an engaging performance in her outlandish role as the head vampire, sexy, charismatic and lethal. Gedde Watanabe does fine as the comic relief Duncan and gets a few laughs in his limited role. Dedee Pfeiffer is fantastic as the sexy stripper with a heart of gold and Sandy Baron delivers a delightfully hammy and over the top turn as the sleazy strip club owner Vic.
Overall 'Vamp' is a hell of a thrill ride through and through that fully captures the magic of the 80's and just overall an enjoyable viewing experience.
Spookies (1986)
Ambitious, Imaginative and Messy Fun
'Spookies' is a dumb yet entertaining 80's supernatural horror flick that despite its disjointed narrative and bizarre tonal shifts it manages to work for the most part thanks to its eerie atmosphere, awesome creature effects, memorable characters and a few cool death scenes. There's also a twisted sense of humour to it with many random and absurd moments to keep you interested throughout its runtime. This pure guilty pleasure entertainment that only the 80's could deliver.
The Plot = A group of party goers find themselves stranded in a remote part of New England. After taking shelter in a spooky old mansion, they discover a Ouija board which unleashes all sorts of demonic creatures led by an evil sorcerer Kreon (Felix Ward) who wants to kill off the group and use their souls to keep his wife alive.
This is a rather confusing mess of a movie with sloppy writing and editing, but a lot of that is due to the troubled production history where they've basically added in another sub-plot into an already finished film (originally titled "Twisted Souls") and it shows as they don't really blend together that well. However, despite all the chaos this is one hell of a good time where the special effects easily steal the show here as they are ambitious and imaginative. The plot is nothing new and doesn't make a whole lot of sense and the acting is a mixed bag with some ranging from terrible to overacting.
There are moments where you can tell multiple filmmakers were involved and you can tell whether footage has been cut or added, and for the most part it isn't that distracting, but it does leave the film without a consistent vision or tone, thankfully the movie manages to move along at a brisk enough pace where you don't have to stop and think about it too much and just leave your brain at the door and have a good time.
Overall 'Spookies' is a hectic and chaotic mess where ambition outweighs its execution, but it's a solid 80's cult classic horror flick nonetheless.
Trampa infernal (1989)
Average Mexican Slasher/Action Flick
'Hell's Trap' or as it's known in its original language 'Trampa Infernal' is a decent and somewhat effective 80's Mexican slasher flick that starts off with a strong opening that does a great job of setting the tone for what's to come with all the usual fun genre tropes thrown in for good measure. But things take a turn for the worse during the second act when the filmmakers decide to go for a more action-oriented direction which comes across as an odd choice and doesn't entirely work in the film's favour resulting in something very uneven.
The Plot = Two rivals Nacho (Pedro Fernandez) and Mauricio (Tono Mauri), along with a group of friends intend to hunt down a bear in a forest that has been killing people but find themselves stalked by a deranged masked killer.
There are some decent elements to this flick such as a cool looking killer with an impressive amount of weapons at his arsenal and a few effective kills, and while there are plenty of fun moments, the film unfortunately falls flat in quite a few areas such as the pacing feels a lot longer than the scant 77 minutes as there's too much padding and the acting isn't all that great and it doesn't help that the film doesn't do a great job of setting any of the characters up. The off mixture of horror and action elements doesn't work as both genre aspects feel a little short changed and left me wondering why they didn't just go with one or the other.
Overall 'Hell's Trap' is a very average slasher flick that does have some entertaining qualities to it and does manage to maintain some interest due to it being so strange, but it's not something that comes highly recommended.
Full Circle (1977)
Powerful and Thoughtful Slow Burn Ghost Story
'The Haunting of Julia' also known as 'Full Circle' is a chilling yet undervalued supernatural ghost story with an unnerving atmosphere steeped in existential tension and dread and along with an engaging narrative presented in a deliberate slow burn pace which results in an in a restrained horror film that doesn't need to rely on jump scares to make something incredibly effective and thought provoking.
The Plot = After the sudden and tragic death of her daughter, American homemaker Julia Lofting (Mia Farrow) leaves her husband Magnus (Keir Dullea) and moves to London to start a new life. All seems well at first until she finds that her new house is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who died many years ago.
This is one of those types of movies that deals with loss and grief more than it does actual horror, but that doesn't make this any less effective as it does have its fair share of creepy moments such as the devasting opening sequence that perfectly sets the melancholy tone for what's to come with a more restrained approach that leans more on atmosphere which gives off a hazy nightmarish feel to the production with an underlying sense of palpable sense of menace running throughout. This is something that leaves you the viewer to figure out whether the supernatural elements are actually real or a figment of Julia's imagination which may frustrate some people, but personally I enjoyed this subtle approach thanks to the superb direction by Richard Loncraine whose created something quite unique for its time period as his use soft focus cinematography pulls you into a fever dream nightmare of trauma and regret.
The cast performances are incredible across the board with Mia Farrow delivering a powerful and captivating performance by playing her role with real emotional depth and believably fragility, she carries the weight of the movie on her shoulders fantastically. Keir Dullea plays the role of the smarmy and controlling ex-husband rather well with such smouldering intensity that makes him such an engaging screen presence. Tom Conti provides some much-needed light relief with his likeable character and solid performance.
Overall 'The Haunting of Julia' is a criminally underrated classic supernatural ghost story that although far from perfect, it surely deserves better than its rather obscure status.
Braindead (1992)
Surreal Epic Nightmare and a true cult classic for the ages
'Braindead' aka 'Dead Alive' is a spectacularly gross slapstick infused splatter flick that focuses on the goriest aspects of the horror zombie sub-genre and with fantastic results. Brimming in manic energized splendour and deranged style Peter Jackson is on top form here as he creates a surreal nightmarish world filled with decaying zombies, memorable characters and plenty of over-the-top bloodshed and stomach-churning sequences which makes this a wonderfully weird cinematic masterpiece.
The Plot = Set in 1957 and follows a young man named Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Blaine) who lives a sheltered life with his overbearing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody). One day Lionel meets and falls in love with a shop girl named Paquita (Diana Penalver). Lionel's mother follows them on their date and gets bitten by a Sumatran rat monkey and gets sick and dies, but then comes back to life and starts a zombie apocalypse.
Weird, wacky and strangely compelling this darkly comic movie is a thing of insane obscure wonder that goes far beyond most horror flicks and comedically out of control. The production thrives in its off-kilter sensibilities that makes you got WTF at what's going on at the screen while at the same time thrilling you at every turn with fast paced sequences that are totally gross and mind bogglingly cruel. Peter Jackson directs the hell out of this in his trademark manic and over the top way and delivers an epic deranged cult classic nightmare and something that you'll never forget.
The acting performances here are great with Timothy Blaine giving a brilliant performance as the reluctant hero Lionel whose strange, awkward, goofy and yet sympathetic character and he brings it together into a surprisingly compelling package and carries the movie effectively on his shoulders. Diana Penalver gives a standout performance as the beautiful and innocent love interest Paquita. Elizabeth Moody chews the scenery wonderfully with her over the top performance as the overbearing mother. Ian Watkin gives a fun and cartoonish performance as Uncle Les and finally Stuart Devenie gives a fun and outlandish performance as the priest who kicks butt.
Overall 'Braindead' or 'Dead Alive' is fun, deranged, demented and astoundingly fantastic, a true cult classic.
The Cat and the Canary (1939)
One of the finest Horror Comedies ever made
'The Cat and the Canary' is a highly entertaining Hollywood classic comedy horror film from the 1930's that acts as a remake to the 1927 film of the same name. This movie acts as a fun spoof of the old dark house murder mysteries and featuring all the classic tropes of the genres while at the same time manages to be a prime example of one thanks to its enjoyable narrative, spooky setting and an excellent cast that makes this a worthwhile viewing experience.
The Plot = Set in an isolated mansion in the Louisiana bayous when an eccentric family gathers for the reading of their late uncle Cyrus's will 10 years after his death, and soon murder and madness follows as there's an escaped lunatic known as 'The Cat' begins stalking the grounds.
The movie's familiar structure really enhances your enjoyment as you can just sit back and enjoy it for what it is an engaging thriller with a good sense of humour and boasts an equal share of laughs and frights thanks to its elegant direction by Elliot Hugent who keeps the runtime at an effectively brisk pace and takes full advantage of the genre cliches such as the haunted looking mansion, creepy shadowed hallways and secret passageways and makes clever use of them thanks to the southern gothic atmosphere and heightened moments of tension and suspense that leads to a chilling climax.
The cast here does wonderful work with the material they are given with Bob Hope delivering a fantastic leading man performance with his charisma and rapid-fire quips that gets plenty of laughs that makes him a great in the heroic role. Paulette Gooddard gives a fine performance as the beautiful yet plucky heroine and makes the most out of her role and shares tremendous on-screen chemistry with Bob Hope. Gale Sondergaard is great as the housekeeper Miss Liu and provides plenty of scene stealing moments with an underplayed balance of creepy and comical.
Overall 'The Cat and the Canary' is well and truly one of the finest horror comedies ever made.
After Midnight (1989)
Nowhere near the best Horror Anthology out there, but its an entertaining and brisk effort
'After Midnight' is a fun and entertaining late 80's horror anthology flick that features three interesting and well-made stories of spine-tingling terror in a rather weird and wild wraparound segment and features good production values and some genuinely creepy moments that even manages to take a few fun twists and turns and yet at the same time doesn't shy away entirely from the familiar formula.
The Plot = A college professor named Edward Derek (Ramy Zada) teaches a course titled 'The Psychology of Fear' and one night he invites a group of students to his house, where scary stories are told.
The first story "The Old Dark House" is about a couple entering an old abandoned haunted house where rumoured murders took place after their car breaks down. This first tale is a lot of fun that calls back to a more vintage era of horror and does a nice job of subverting your expectations with a mean twist at the end.
The second story "A Night on the Town" is another solid tale that involves a group of girls getting lost while out having a good time and ends up on the wrong side of town where they are attacked by a deranged man and his pack of killer dogs. This story features some great tension and suspense, a great cast and a few over the top moments that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The third and final tale titled "All Night Operator" is definitely my favourite out of the bunch that follows a telephone operator at an all-night messaging service being stalked by a crazed murderer. This may not be the most original storyline of the bunch, but it has a creepy realistic quality to it and features plenty of unsettling moments and an abrupt yet effective ending.
The professor storyline wraparound segments titled "Alison's Story" begins and ends the movie on a bizarre yet effective note.
The performances from the cast are decent all round with the standouts being Ramy Zada, Marg Helgenberger, Judie Aronson & Alan Rosenberg.
Overall 'After Midnight' is a decent yet quite underrated horror anthology film that moves along at a brisk pace and never comes off as boring. Although it's nowhere near a lost masterpiece or the best horror anthology out there, but's it's an entertaining effort.
Mirror Images (1992)
Sleazy and Entertaining Erotic Thriller
'Mirror Images' - A fun early 90's erotic thriller with slasher elements in this hazy dreamlike world of switched identities and seductive pleasures laced with political intrigue and murder and what could be more enjoyable than that. The movie is a rather entertaining and sleazy whodunit that features a fun cast, cheesy dialogue and plenty of deaths mixed with some classic T&A from the likes of Delia Sheppard and Julie Strain.
The Plot = Kaitlin Blair (Delia Sheppard), a bored and sexually frustrated woman adopts her twin sister Shauna's (also played by Delia Sheppard) identity when she goes out of town, but Kaitlin soon finds herself involved in a murder case.
Okay it would be a stretch to class this flick within the horror genre as it's more of a 90's sex thriller, but it does feature some light slasher elements within' its storyline and while it isn't the most original or exciting thriller out there, but the plot despite it's unoriginality is interesting enough to keep you invested and the erotic scenes are well crafted, even if the serial killer subplot and slasher elements isn't all that engaging and everything leads to a predictable and convoluted climax.
Delia Sheppard gives a convincing performance in the dual roles of the twins and proved to be good at playing both the naïve and innocent Kaitlin as well as the sexy and seductive Shauna. The rest of the cast were entertaining as well with John O'Hurley as the detective and fellow penthouse model Julie Strain as Gina and the real standout in terms of acting is Jeff Conaway as the sleazy and slimy husband.
Overall 'Mirror Images' is an entertaining and sleazy erotic thriller that features a lot of sex, some bad acting and an absurd plot that was fun if a little too ambitious to fully succeed.
Il mulino delle donne di pietra (1960)
Haunting and Surreal Italian/French Gothic Horror
'Mill of the Stone Women' also known as 'Drops of Blood' is a beautifully gothic and effectively haunting early 60's Italian/French horror film with a stunning picturesque central location that's overflowing with plenty of atmosphere, stylistic touches, unnerving tension and an interesting cast of characters to bring it all together in this rather brilliant and forgotten underrated gem of Italian horror cinema.
The Plot = Set in 19th century Holland, a young man named Hans (Pierre Brice) visits Amsterdam to do research on the famous yet reclusive sculptor professor Wahl (Herbert Boehme). But he is shocked to find out Wahl's horrifying secrets when women begin to disappear.
Vibrant, imaginative and macabre; this classy production boasts a mysterious and compelling storyline that it's time to build up the suspense and tension resulting in a well-crafted yet fully realized tale that feels genuinely creepy yet vividly surreal. Another strength of this flick is its gorgeous use of colours and cinematography that's presented in a dreamlike quality and blends beauty with the macabre with marvellous results.
The performances are solid as well and a does a remarkable job with bringing this morbid tale to life. Pierre Brice giving a strong performance in his leading man role. Scilla Gabel gives an alluring and captivating performance as the mysterious Elfie Wahl. Herbert Boehme is outstanding as the sinister Gregorious Wahl and finally Wolfgang Preiss rounds out the cast nicely as the shady and possessive Doctor Bohlem.
Overall 'Mill of the Stone Women' is a brilliant gothic horror production that relishes in the mystery that it presents in that classic approach and therefore creating a haunting and surreal Italian/French horror flick.
The Caller (1987)
Entertaining, Bizarre and yet Unique
'The Caller' is a classy yet well-crafted and suspenseful tale that revolves around an enigmatic mind game between two strangers with an intriguing narrative and deliberately off-kilter vibe this is something very difficult to describe without giving anything away and refuses to fall within any clearly defined genre for most of its runtime. However, that doesn't make this horror/thriller/sci-fi flick any less entertaining that works perfectly throughout most of its runtime.
The Plot = A woman (Madolyn Smith), living alone in an isolated cabin allows a mysterious stranger (Malcolm McDowell) to use her telephone.
This is a fascinating little thriller that can either thrive or fall flat on the strength of its performances; fortunately, it succeeds in that aspect thanks to the powerhouse performances from both Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith. Malcolm delivers a compelling yet largely restrained performance with calm demeanour and measured manipulation that drives the narrative forward relentlessly. Madolyn Smith more than holds her own as she creates an interesting character that goes through a variety of emotions throughout as more and more details at peeled back.
The movie's deliberate pacing, enthralling mystery and mannered yet interesting dialogue manages to grab your attention along with some taut sequences and intense twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the bizarre climax that does come as a total shock even if it isn't entirely successful and does fall apart quite a bit as the movie tries to explain what in the hell is actually going on, but I was totally surprised though as you think its gonna go one way and instead goes somewhere polar opposite.
Overall 'The Caller' is not quite a lost masterpiece and despite a couple of flaws here and there, it still manages to be a unique and effective viewing experience that deserves far more attention.
The Ring (2002)
Not only an excellent remake, but also an effective ghost story in its own right
'The Ring' is an eerie and atmospheric supernatural horror flick from the early 00's that simultaneously entices and yet disturbs you at the same time with its creepy imagery and chilling and melancholy atmosphere which gives off an unnerving sense of dread and an oppressive hypnotic tone that sears its way into your subconscious, which alone is good for several terrifying and spine-tingling moments that keeps you tenterhooks throughout its runtime. A remake of the classic Japanese horror film 'Ringu' and a fantastic adaptation to boot that kick started the American J-Horror craze of the 2000's, however this stands as the very best of a rather mediocre bunch.
The Plot = A journalist named Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they watch it.
The movie manages to take the terrifying original premise and grounded it into reality and the experience it provides and disturbs the audience on a psychological and subliminal level in way that very few horror films can attempt to especially for a remake which is astounding and even to this day this movie remains quite unique and memorable. Another aspect that works so well here is how it deftly puts its dramatic elements into its horror beats and balances these elements effectively and yet still manages to be creepy, intense and gut wrenching in equal amounts. The film's central mystery is incredibly intriguing and offers some fun twists and turns into its engaging narrative. The direction by Gore Verbinski is of course top notch as he gives the film a cool gothic and isolated look to the production and provides many intense set pieces that manages to sustain your interest right up until the final climax.
The performances here are strong with Noami Watts providing an excellent leading performance and proves more than capable of carrying the film on her shoulders. The supporting cast are well chosen with Brian Cox providing a memorable and engaging performance and Martin Henderson and David Dorfman both does fine work in their respective roles.
Overall 'The Ring' is not only a fantastic remake but an effective ghost story in it's own right that proves that filmmakers doesn't have to rely on cheap tricks and jump scares to make a good horror film just some good old fashioned great storytelling and a genuine sense of creeping dread.
D-Tox (2002)
Solid Underrated Action/Thriller/Slasher gem
'D-Tox' aka 'Eye See You' is a decent and well-made psychological crime thriller flick that features an interesting storyline with a great setting, exciting set pieces and plenty of gruesome entertainment along with its effective combination of action and slasher genre elements that makes this a good time overall. Yes, it's very much a been there done that type of movie, but the solid production value and impressive cast place it heads and shoulders above the usual direct to DVD crapfest.
The Plot = FBI Agent Jake Mallory (Sylvester Stallone) is devastated by the loss of his wife Mary (Dina Meyer) at the hands of a serial killer. He heads to a secluded rehab facility for treatment and finds that the same serial killer has followed him there and begins killing off the other patients one by one.
Criminally underrated and while this may not be perfect its an enjoyable little thriller that didn't deserve to be shelved for 3 years before being dumped on the video market. This had quite a lot going for it with its original concept of mixing together the original novel 'Jitter Joint' with quite a few horror sub genres and watching them mix together into something quite fun, although the originality did get a little lost amongst all this. The movie's tight paced narrative keeps you invested throughout as the first half of the flick plays out like an entire movie within' itself where a violent cat and mouse between Stallone and the serial killer before the isolated horror elements kicks in during the second half and that's where the real fun begins with its murder mystery slasher elements and makes for a joyful viewing experience. Okay, there are flaws such as it's predictable nature, boring kills and wasting a lot of the cast's potential, but the good does outweigh the bad here.
The cast here are great with Sylvester Stallone giving a strong performance in the lead role and handles his character's turmoil brilliantly. Charles S. Dutton does fine work as Stallone's best friend and partner. Kris Kristofferson is well cast as the tough, yet heartfelt Doc. Jeffrey Wright does okay in his role although like many felt underused. Tom Berenger is good as the quirky groundskeeper Hank. Stephan Lang is fun as the serious red herring character. Polly Walker provides a solid performance as the female lead Jenny.
Overall 'D-Tox' is a solid atmospheric slasher action thriller that may not be a classic of any of its genre, it's still a fun underrated flick that deserves more love and attention.
Cabin Fever (2002)
Absurd, Grotesque, Funny and Unique
'Cabin Fever' is a fun schlocky and weird no hold bars horror comedy that features a simple yet effective premise that serves as an homage to classic old school horror flicks with its mix of grotesque horror, bizarre humour, sexual tension and of course plenty of awesome over the top gore sequences which makes this an entertaining viewing experience and a rather solid directional debut from Eli Roth who manages to put a unique spin on the horror/comedy sub-genre.
The Plot = Five college graduates Paul (Rider Strong), Karen (Jordan Ladd), Bert (James DeBello), Marcy (Cerina Vincent) and Jeff (Joey Kern) rents an isolated cabin in the woods, but as soon as they arrive chaos ensures, and the group begins to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus.
The movie is something that you'll either love or hate, but personally I loved it, and you've got to admit that it's an experience that you'll never forget due to its absurd nature and lack of subtlety. While it's very lacking in the scares department which doesn't entirely make this a successful horror flick, but it does feature plenty of laughs and graphic violence which should satisfy fans of splatter movies. The direction by Eli Roth is incredibly strong and gives the film plenty of stylish visuals, excitement, tension and well-paced story telling that works to give the movie its own unique flavour. This is a solid offering that despite its flaws holds up pretty well despite being more than 20 years old.
The acting performances from the main cast members are strong and memorable with solid turns from Jordan Ladd, Rider Strong, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent and Joey Kern, all are equally good and does their part in serving the narrative.
Overall 'Cabin Fever' offers a fun unique spin on the tired splatter horror genre and while it may not be to everyone's taste, it's a hell of a fun ride from start to finish.