Horrorfest: Happy Halloween

I'll update this post with what I watch tonight. 

I hit 92 movies this year, with 42 being rewatches - both of those my record.

Some things I wanted to watch this year but didn't get to (for various reasons): The Skeleton Key (DVD issues!) for its 20th, The Ninth Gate (DVD issues!), Altered States (will check out the Criterion in November or December), Copycat (DVD issues!), and I still haven't seen In A Violent Nature from last year. I also will make a promise to myself to finally do the Universal Monster Classics next year. Assuming the world exists. 

Anywho, Happy Halloween 2025!

EYES WITHOUT A FACE

(Georges Franju, 1960)

In this French chiller take on a fairy tale, a brilliant surgeon goes to extreme lengths after a car accident disfigures his daughter's face. She becomes a recluse forced to wear an eerie mask. The doctor and his assistant fake the daughter's death and attempt to find a beautiful young woman for a "face transplant". The surgery sequence is surprisingly grotesque for the era. It must have shocked the hell out of audiences 65 years ago. Nice move making the mad doctor so calm instead of so outwardly insane. With Pierre Brasseur, Édith Scob, and Alida Valli. GRADE: B+

HF: All horror and nothing else make Darren a happy boy.

First watches...

ALICE SWEET ALICE

(Alfred Sole, 1976)

This pretty crazy early slasher follows a troubled young woman believed to have killed her younger sister during her first communion. (The film is actually called Communion in some territories.) Bodies start piling up leading everyone to question if the young woman is a cold blooded killer. It's an American film but has that early giallo feel. I'm not sure it totally works, but the elevated camp feel and histrionic performances keep things entertaining. Quite a bit of un-PC stuff, too. With Linda Miller, Paula Sheppard, and a young Brooke Shields appears briefly. GRADE: B-

BLUE VELVET

(David Lynch, 1986)

Probably should have saved this for next year's 40th anniversary and did a double feature with Mulholland Drive which will celebrate its 25th. But, hey, who knows what the next year will bring? In a sleepy Northwest town, a college student (Kyle MacLaughlin, nice ass!) returns home to watch after his dad's business after he falls ill. He gets involved with a lounge singer (Isabella Rossellini) who is being abused by a criminal (Dennis Hopper) and his crew of Roy Orbison-crooning weirdos. This is the third Lynch film I've watched this year after Wild At Heart (liked) and The Elephant Man (loved!), I think it falls right in between those for me. I liked its dreamlike take on a 50's teen movie with flashes of a modern nightmare. With Laura Dern and Dean Stockwell. GRADE: B+

THE BODY SNATCHER

(Robert Wise, 1945)

In the 1830's, a young medical student is attempting to help a young girl who has lost the use of her legs. He studies with a doctor who he soon learns has a nefarious way of getting cadavers. Notable for being the final teaming of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, this chiller has some disquieting moments. Literally, the film's best scene is one where a woman in the street is heard singing off camera until she isn't. Wise, of course, would go on to be at the top of the horror game with 1963's The Haunting. (And eventually win two directing Oscars.) GRADE: B-

MIRROR, MIRROR

(Marina Sargenti, 1990)

A goth girl (Rainbow Harvest, great name!) moves to a new place with her eccentric mother (Karen Black, underutilized) where an antique mirror in their home causes her to develop supernatural abilities. She uses it to enact revenge on the mean, popular kids in her class. Carrie it's not. It's funny how she's stylized and even bears a resemblance to Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice. This was never boring, but doesn't totally work and there are so many other similar films that are much better. After watching, I discovered this had three sequels one of which had Mark Ruffalo. GRADE: C+

RED PLANET

(Antony Hoffman, 2000)

I tried to watch the other mars themed movie from that year first, Mission to Mars, but it was hard to get a copy of. Hopefully, I get it by year's end. In the year 2025, Earth is dying and Mars has been set up to be inhabitable by humans. (Well, weren't we optimistic?) A group of astronauts arrives attempting to set up the start of human life, but they crash land and find the engineered environment destroyed. It mostly looks great, but it's so generic and hard to care about anything happening. With Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Tom Sizemore. GRADE: C

SOYLENT GREEN

(Richard Fleischer, 1973)

In the dystopian future of 2022, a detective (Charlton Heston) investigates the murder of a ration manufacturer employee only to uncover a conspiracy. Featuring one of the most famous twist endings, it's not a surprise people only talk about the ending because the rest of it is pretty mediocre. Snowpiercer from a decade or so ago did similar themes much better. The final scene of Edward G. Robinson's character is easily the most memorable scene in the film, and that's not even considering that the actor died shortly before the film was released giving that scene even more weight. A bit surprised this has never been remade. GRADE: C

TRICK OR TREAT

(Charles Martin Smith, 1986)

A metalhead high schooler gains mysterious powers after finding hidden recordings on his recently deceased favorite rocker's records. A blend of horror comedy that isn't really scary or particularly funny, it nevertheless mixes the two so perfectly that it's fairly engaging for most of its runtime. It feels like something that could have been a classic, but settles for cult curiosity more than anything. It features cameos by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, the latter amusingly playing a priest trying to ban rock and roll from schools. With Marc Price and Tony Fields. GRADE: B-

Rewatches...

CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH

(Bill Condon, 1995)

Ok, no offense to "Your Sister Is A Werewolf" but "Farewell to the Flesh" might be the better subtitle. Before he was an Oscar winning screenwriter, Condon directed this follow-up to the 1992 classic. I haven't seen the original in some time, but I remember it being mostly elegant with some third act problems. I don't think this sequel is as good, but it is bit more consistent. After her brother is put in jail for murder, a teacher in New Orleans investigates the Candyman legend and discovers a shocking link to her family that puts her and everyone around her in danger. It dives into the legend and adds a nice layer that makes the hooked menace a bit more sympathetic. Tony Todd returns, just as sexy and scary as he was in the first. GRADE: B

DUEL

(Steven Spielberg, 1971)

Just realized this is the third Spielberg film I watched this fest, but this is a fitting one because it was his first film. It debuted in the states on television, but they added scenes and it was released theatrically internationally. I watched this 20 or so years ago and really liked it. The road thriller is one of my fave horror subgenres and its easy to see the influence this film had on later films. A very simple premise: a working man (Dennis Weaver) driving in California crosses paths with a trucker hellbent on killing him. No reason is ever given. Spielberg had the magic touch from the beginning as this is essentially one long chase film and remains suspenseful and beautifully shot for its entire brief runtime. Funny note: I watched this with my parents and they didn't like it at all. GRADE: B+

FRIGHT NIGHT

(Tom Holland, 1985)

Not that Tom Holland. Fun mix of vampire horror and comedy in which a horny teenager (William Ragsdale) discovers that his new neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a bloodsucker murdering people at night. He enlists the help of a cheesy late night horror movie host (Roddy McDowell) to put the bloodshed to an end. I have a enjoyable time with this but I'm not totally in love with it the way some people are. It's definitely a cult favorite. I've never seen the sequel which is hard to track down, but I found the 2011 remake to be average. The small ensemble is excellent, also featuring Married With Children's Amanda Bearse. GRADE: B

HOUSE OF WAX

(Jaume Collet-Serra, 2005)

A group of college friends on a road trip have car trouble and end up in a desolate small town where a wax museum holds some deadly secrets. Released at the height of the horror remake trend of the aughts, this is one of the better ones. It completely abandons the storyline of the Vincent Price original. Not without its flaws, the first act drags on too long and the characters are mostly assholes. It picks up tremendously once they actually get to the title location, leading to a spectacular final act showcasing the jaw dropping production design. Decent kills, too! I loved that movie theater playing Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. With Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray and his delicious nipples, and yes, you get to see Paris Hilton die. GRADE: B

LORD OF ILLUSIONS

(Clive Barker, 1995 - Director's Cut)

I haven't seen this since watching in on VHS sometime in the 90's. I thought it was fine, but I decided to watch the recent 4K of the Director's Cut. It adds about 13 minutes back into the film. I liked it this time, but I'm officially in Barker's corner for the way he filmed Scott Bakula in this. Love have mercy. It's been awhile since I've seen a horror movie where the male lead is so blatantly sexualized. More of that please. Bakula plays a private eye hired to investigate the disappearance of a magician. Bodies start piling up, and it leads to a cult surrounding an illusionist who died years before. Good mix of potboiler noir and fantastical horrors. With Famke Janssen and Kevin J. O'Connor. GRADE: B

SE7EN

(David Fincher, 1995)

Hey, that's the title card! I thought about watching this outside of Horrorfest so I could do a double feature with Showgirls. They both opened the same weekend - the original "Barbenheimer". The 90's had a lot of influential films and this might lead the pack. Every serial killer film and TV police procedural since probably owes a lot to Fincher's classic. Two cops, one about to be retired and the other a young hotshot, investigate a killer claiming his victims using the seven sins. It builds wonderfully to the final 20 minutes - an absolute gut punch of an ending. Some of the earlier grisly scenes probably aren't as shocking thirty years on, but that ending is still a doozy. And it works despite the presence of that actor. With Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Gwyneth Paltrow. GRADE: A-

THE SHINING

(Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

It's been ages since I've watched this the whole way through. It's a movie that's always on TV especially this time of year, so it's mostly been bits and pieces over the years. With the snowy Colorado setting, that gorgeous hotel, Hollywood's biggest star, and one of its most acclaimed directors, this is horror on  a grand scale. It also proves that the best King adaptations make significant changes to his stories. A writer (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker to the Overlook Hotel, where his wife (Shelley Duvall) notices changes in him and their psychic son. Nicholson leans heavily into his inherent "off-ness" while Duvall is perfect as the emotionally dwindling wife. Her Razzie nom for this, along with Kubrick's, is proof why that organization is a joke. Another one with one of the best Treehouse of Horror parodies. With Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers. GRADE: A

TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT

(Ernest Dickerson, 1995)

I was so excited to see this back in the day I think I rented it the day it came to VHS. And I was disappointed. I wasn't quite a horror fiend just yet. I've seen bits and pieces over the years and my opinion of it grew. It's well directed and the ninety minutes just fly by. A mysterious drifter (William Sadler) checks into a hole in the wall motel while on the run from a demon (a seductive Billy Zane) who wants to unleash the apocalypse. The design of the demons is unsettling, while the deep cast comprised mostly of great character actors nails the tone. Easily the best of the two theatrical (and an additional direct to DVD one that I watched a few years back) sequels, though I'm not sure if I'll be revisiting Bordello of Blood next year. With Jada Pinkett, Thomas Haden Church, and CCH Pounder delivering all her lines to perfection. GRADE: B+

TALES FROM THE HOOD

(Randy Cundieff, 1995)

Outside of the two sequels - which I haven't seen - I can't think of any other anthology horrors with an exclusively Black angle. Executive produced by Spike Lee, this follows a mortician who tells four tales of terror to a trio of young drug dealers. The first involves police corruption and the murder of an activist, the second follows a young man facing a vicious domestic monster, the next is about a Southern politician haunted by the ghosts of the slaves in his plantation estate, and the last is about a criminal learning the consequences of his actions. The third is the most memorable one, certainly the one that I vividly remembered after all these years. Not entirely sure the fourth one works as its supposed to, though. This is a solid anthology dealing with themes that are sadly still relevant decades later. With Clarence Williams III, David Alan Grier, and Corbin Bernsen. GRADE: B 

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE

(Tim Burton & Mike Johnson, 2005)

A Victorian man practicing his wedding vows accidentally marries an undead bride after she rises from the dead thinking he proposed to her. Pretty simple plot and only 77 minutes, this didn't quite get into the zeitgeist the way The Nightmare Before Christmas did. That's a bit of a shame because this is just as good. I appreciate that the directors chose the make the undead world so colorful with the regular world having that dreary grayscale look that Burton so loves. Good musical numbers and a stacked cast, featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emily Watson. GRADE: B+

HF: Blog of the Damned

First watches...

THE BLACK PHONE 2

(Scott Derrickson, 2025)

I watched the original for HF2022. I did not care for it, but this sequel is even worse. Stretching its story thin over just under two hours, the film follows the forgettable characters from the original as they go to a youth resort in the snowy mountains because the sister is now psychic and some kids were murdered by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke, wasted) are trying to contact her. Ugh with the grainy footage. It semi-worked in Sinister but is overused in this and doesn't make anything scarier. Another sad reminder that I haven't liked a single one of Derrickson's films. With Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Demián Bichir. GRADE: C-

BODY PARTS

(Eric Red, 1991)

Using a groundbreaking procedure, the body parts of a killer are transplanted to various men including a criminal psychologist (Jeff Fahey) who lost his arm in an automobile accident. Initially happy he's able to have an arm, he soon realizes that the arm still very much belongs to the killer as it has violent tendencies of its own. Surprised to learn this wasn't adapted from a Stephen King story, this has that feel of the early 90's horror with its suspicion of technology and aspects of body horror. Engaging, and a bit of an underseen little gem. With Lindsay Duncan, Kim Delaney, and Brad Douriff. GRADE: B

CHERRY FALLS

(Geoffrey Wright, 2000)

Yes, there are horror films from that era I'm still catching up with. I guess I held off so long with this one because I thought they would someday release the uncut version that allegedly exists. This had a long, troubled history with the MPAA and was eventually dumped on USA Network. In a sleepy Virginia town, a serial killer begins targeting virginal teens leading to the already hormonal teens to try and lose their virginities as soon as possible. Equal parts horror and comedy, I'm happy to say its a solid mix even if the whodunit aspect (already overused at the time) has an obvious conclusion and most of the kills are standard. Some great writing, with Brittany Murphy making a terrific final girl. With Michael Biehn, Gabriel Mann, and Jay Mohr. GRADE: B

GOOD BOY

(Ben Leonberg, 2025)

A terminally ill man retreats to his grandfather's old home in the woods and soon loses his sanity as a supernatural presence takes over. Did I mention that this all is told from the perspective of his dog? It's a big risk, but it works. Though in my experience with dogs, I think that dog probably would have freaked out and barked a lot more. Indy the Dog gives a compelling and sentimental performance. I like the joke several people have made that if this were from the perspective of a cat, the movie would have ended after several minutes because the cat would have just been like whatever.  GRADE: B

HELL OF A SUMMER

(Billy Bryk & Finn Wolfhard, 2025)

Pretty obvious this was written and directed by a bunch of early twentysomethings, and even the tongue in cheek Gen Z skewing is eye rolling to this older millennial. As camp counselors arrive for the summer season, a killer starts killing them off one by one. We've seen that countless times and outside of its young viewpoint, it offers nothing new. Humor and horror both fall flat. With Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, and both directors also co-star. GRADE: C-

THE KEEP

(Michael Mann, 1983)

The first of two horror films Mann directed, the other was the great Manhunter. This also had a troubled production history, apparently there was a three hour original cut. Perhaps that might have made a bit more sense, as this 90-ish minute version is rather murky. However, the score by Tangerine Dream and visuals are stunning and create an enticing dream-like atmosphere. In World War II Romania, a group of Nazis find a hidden stone fortress and unleash an ancient evil. With Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, and Ian McKellan. GRADE: C+

MOTHER'S BOYS

(Yves Simoneau, 1994)

Jamie Lee Curtis stars as a woman who returns to her husband and three sons after leaving them three years earlier. The husband (Peter Gallagher) is now seeing an assistant principal (Joanne Whalley), and the psychotic mother will do whatever she can to get her family back. Yes, it's a mid 90's trashy thriller. Curtis is very good, one of the few times she's played an all-out villain. It's not a good movie, but it is pretty entertaining for most of its runtime. I wish they had fleshed out Jamie's character a tad more, there's only hints of why she is the way she is. They also don't really explain what drew the husband to her to begin with. You might remember this movie's poster hanging in the background of the video store scene in Scream. Luke Edwards, as the oldest son, is also very good. Vanessa Redgrave also appears. GRADE: C+

ORCA: THE KILLER WHALE

(Michael Anderson, 1977)

One of the umpteen Jaws knockoffs from that era, this leans heavily into the man vs nature existentialism. The main problem is Orcas are just too non-threatening to be as scary as a great white. I mean, they look like they're smiling? In Newfoundland, a fisherman (Richard Harris) becomes the target of vengeance by a killer whale after killing its mate. Orcas are monogamous, we learn from a whale expert played by Charlotte Rampling (sexualizing every line like only she can). Standard killer animal fare, but there is some jaw dropping cinematography. All those foggy mountains in the sea town were gorgeously captured. GRADE: C+ 

RACE WITH THE DEVIL

(Jack Starrett, 1975)

Two couples on a cross country road trip in an RV witness a cult making a human sacrifice and must go on the run from the dangerous sect. This stars Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, two actors known for iconic road movies; the former was in Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and Easy Rider, while the latter was in Two-Lane Blacktop. The cult sequences are really disquieting, and the film ends in a thrilling big road race stunt show. The two genres blend well together, surprisingly. I'm shocked this was never remade, especially given the glut of car movies and horror remakes from twenty or so years ago. With Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. GRADE: B+

Anniversary rewatches...

DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT

(Mel Brooks, 1995)

I saw this when it came to VHS back in the summer of 96 and thinking it was fine, but I'm strapped for comedies at this time of year. (Hence, the next film on this post.) Probably the weakest of the Brooks' films I've seen, it stars Leslie Nielsen as Dracula. That should be promising enough, but most of the film adheres to the Bram Stoker storyline so closely that it never really finds any comedic groove or originality. A cute gag here and there aren't really enough. Co-starring two Wings co-stars, Steven Weber (working that longer hair) and Amy Yasbeck. GRADE: C

THE RING TWO

(Hideo Nakata, 2005)

Haven't revisited this since seeing it in theaters. I think I sorta liked it then, but it doesn't hold up. Reviews from critics and audiences weren't good. The film quickly drops the cursed videotape angle and finds Samara trying to possess Aiden thus making Rachel her new mommy. Samara has mommy issues, clearly. The story doesn't really work and feels like a thin link between horror set pieces. The brief appearance by Sissy Spacek is the film's best moment. Interesting to note that Nakata directed the Japanese original and its sequel, but I'm not sure how close this sticks to the original sequel. Naomi Watts and David Dorfman return from the first. GRADE: C

SCARY MOVIE

(Keenan Ivory Wayans, 2000)

After re-watching this for the first time since it first came to VHS, I can safely say I think 3 and 4 are probably the best of the franchise. I fully expected some gags didn't age well, but most of it still works. Anna Faris and Regina Hall were comedic geniuses from the beginning, though I forgot how little the latter is actually in this. Her Scream 2 parody sequence is probably the film's highlight. A masked killer stalks teenagers in this sendup of the recent slate of slasher and horror blockbusters, most notably Scream. I'm going to assume you all know the obvious gag here is that Scream was originally titled Scary Movie. Fun cast! With Marlon and Shawn Wayans, Cheri Oteri, and Shannon Elizabeth. GRADE: B-

WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

(Steve Box & Nick Park, 2005)

The 2005 Animated Feature Oscar-winner finds the pest controller and his loyal dog accidentally turning one of their captured rabbits into a "were-rabbit" which wreaks havoc in their small community. The creature threatens to ruin a vegetable festival happening in a few days. A fun time with cute gags, there's even some more adult-aimed gags. Not sure I picked up on them when I saw this theatrically when it first opened. I do remember the rabbits stealing the show. Voices by Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, and Helena Bonham Carter. GRADE: B+

WAR OF THE WORLDS

(Steven Spielberg, 2005)

Can't say I've had the "pleasure" of watching the recent Amazon update of this. I do remember watching the TV series in the late 80's and it scaring the shit out of me. I might have to see if that's avabilable anywhere and do a full watch. Spielberg's sci-fi blockbuster came at the height (nadir?) of TomKat, and used 9/11-esque imagery to update the Orwell classic. Oh, the mid aughts! Tom Cruise stars as a dockworker asshole who finds himself and his estranged children in the middle of an alien invasion. The visual effects for the most part have aged very well, and there are some spectacular set pieces. It's a bit too exposition heavy, particularly the ending. I think its the better of the two Spielberg films from that year. With a terrific Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, and Tim Robbins. GRADE: B+

And now my watch of the franchise of the damned...

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

(Wolf Rilla, 1960)

Adapted from the book "The Midwich Cuckoos", the film follows the small village of Midwich. One day, every in the town passes out. After waking up, they find that many of the women in the town are pregnant. Several years later, their  young children all look alike - with similar hair and eyes and appear to be telepathic. This was my first watch of this, and its a solid little horror. I don't know how well it stuck to the book, but the '95 remake follows pretty closely to this with much added violence. I saw the remake numerous times but I guess took seeing this to pick up on the Aryan metaphor. With George Sanders and Barbara Shelley. GRADE: B+

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED

(Anton Leader, 1964)

A sequel only in spirit, this follows a British psychologist and geneticist who study six children from all over the world who have powers and were born from a blackout. The most amusing thing about this might be how hard it goes out of its way to tell us the two lead characters aren't gay, when it's so obvious. It also depicts the children in an interesting gray area, where they claim to not be aliens but advanced humans. Surprisingly eerie ending! The kids are also not just white with white hair and glowing eyes, but are actually diverse. Hey, sequels in 1964 were woke, too! With Ian Hendry and Alan Badel. GRADE: B

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

(John Carpenter, 1995)

This is exactly the sort of film a preteen like myself used as a stepping stone to other horrors. Despite an R-rating, it would probably pass for PG-13 now even with considerable violence. It follows the storyline of the original 1960 film very closely, with Christopher Reeve (his last theatrical release before his accident) as the doctor and Kirstie Alley (playing a character who could have easily been out of The X-Files) as the secretive government agent observing the children. I recently found out that this was shot in some of the same locations as The Fog. I'd love to live in a place like that. The first 40 minutes are really good, but it loses steam once the children are shown. I was shocked to learn that those weren't wigs, but hair dye. I kind of hate the overall styling of the children, as they look straight out of the black and white original. There was a recent miniseries adaptation called Midwich, it seems like something that work well in that format. With Linda Kozlowski, Mark Hamill, and Thomas Dekker. GRADE: B

Recently Watched Movies (July 2025 - )

Eyes Without a Face (Franju, 1960) - B+

Se7en (Fincher, 1995) - A-

The Body Snatcher (Wise, 1945) - B-

The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) - A

Soylent Green (Fleischer, 1973) - C

Blue Velvet (Lynch, 1986) - B+

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Burton & Johnson, 2005) - B+

Mirror, Mirror (Sargenti, 1990) - C+

Trick or Treat (Smith, 1986) - B-

Red Planet (Hoffman, 2000) - C

Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (Dickerson, 1995) - B+

Fright Night (Holland, 1985) - B

Candyman: Farewell To the Flesh (Condon, 1995) - B

Tales From the Hood (Cundieff, 1995) - B

Alice Sweet Alice (Sole, 1976) - B-

Duel (Spielberg, 1971) - B+

Lord of Illusions (Barker, 1995 - Director's Cut) - B

House of Wax (Collet-Serra, 2005) - B

The Ring Two (Nakata, 2005) - C

Mother's Boys (Simoneau, 1994) - C+
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Box & Park, 2005) - B+
The Black Phone 2 (Derrickson, 2025) - C-
Tron: Ares (Rønning, 2025) - C

One Battle After Another (Anderson, 2025) - A-

Good Boy (Leonberg, 2025) - B

The Keep (Mann, 1983) - C+

Body Parts (Red, 1991) - B

Orca: The Killer Whale (Anderson, 1977) - C+

Race With the Devil (Starrett, 1975) - B+

Scary Movie (Wayans, 2000) - B-

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (Brooks, 1995) - C

Cherry Falls (Wright, 2000) - B

War of the Worlds (Spielberg, 2005) - B+

Village of the Damned (Carpenter, 1995) - B

Hell of a Summer (Bryk & Wolfhard, 2025) - C-

Roofman (Cianfrance, 2025) - B+

Casper (Silberling, 1995) - B-

Species (Donaldson, 1995) - B

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Condon, 2025) - C+

Nightmare Alley (Goulding, 1947) - B+

Psycho IV: The Beginning (Garris, 1990) - C

The Stepford Wives (Forbes, 1975) - B+

Psycho III (Perkins, 1986) - B

Lost Souls (Kominski, 2000) - C

The Changeling (Medak, 1980) - B

The Phantom of the Opera (Little, 1989) - C-

Eaten Alive (Hooper, 1976) - B-

The Smashing Machine (Safdie, 2025) - C+

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (Berlinger, 2000) - C+

Perfect Blue (Kon, 1997) - B

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (Sholder, 1999) - D

Psycho II (Franklin, 1983) - B-

Cursed (Craven, 2005) - B-

Dracula 2000 (Lussier, 2000) - B-

Dial M For Murder (Hitchcock, 1954) - B

Jacob's Ladder (Lyne, 1990) - A-

Dolores Claiborne (Hackford, 1995) - B+

Black Sunday (Bava, 1960) - B

The Conjuring: Last Rites (Chaves, 2025) - C

The Strangers: Chapter 2 (Harlin, 2025) - D

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Kogonada, 2025) - B-

George A Romero's Land of the Dead (Romero, 2005) - B+

Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) - A

Tremors (Underwood, 1990) - A-

Misery (Reiner, 1990) - B+

Day of the Dead (Romero, 1985) - B+

The Tenant (Polanski, 1976) - B+

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Sharman, 1975) - B+

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (Francis, 1965) - B

Deep Red (Argento, 1975) - B-

The Senior (Lurie, 2025) - C

Him (Tipping, 2025) - C

The Long Walk (Lawrence, 2025) - B

Toy Story (Lasseter, 1995) - B+

The City of Lost Children (Caro & Jeunet, 1995) - B

Children of the Damned (Leader, 1964) - B

The Watcher (Charbanic, 2000) - C-

The Addiction (Ferrara, 1995) - B

Jaws: The Revenge (Sargent, 1987) - C-

Village of the Damned (Rilla, 1960) - B+

Howling 2: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (Mora, 1985) - C

Humanoids From the Deep (Peeters, 1980) - B

Weapons (Cregger, 2025) - B+

Sunset Boulevard (Wilder, 1950) - A

The Stuff (Cohen, 1985) - C+

Lifeforce (Hooper, 1985) - C+

The Cell (Singh, 2000) - B-

Shivers (Cronenberg, 1975) - C

Monkey Shines (Romero, 1988) - B-

Jaws 3-D (Alves, 1983) - C

Psycho Beach Party (King, 2000) - C-

The Roses (Roach, 2025) - C-

The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) - A

Splitsville (Covino, 2025) - B+

Lurker (Russell, 2025) - B+

Jaws 2 (Szwarc, 1978) - C-

Nixon (Stone, 1995) - B

The Hearse (Bowers, 1980) - C+

Black Death (Smith, 2010) - C

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (Henkel, 1995) - C-

Wolf Creek (McLaen, 2005) - B+

Caught Stealing (Aronofsky, 2025) - C+

The Toxic Avenger (Blair, 2025) - C

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Kubrick, 1964) - A-

Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) - A

Red Eye (Craven, 2005) - B

Pitch Black (Twohy, 2000) - B+

Doctor Zhivago (Lean, 1965) - B

Clueless (Heckerling, 1995) - A

Miller's Crossing (Coen, 1990) - B+

After Hours (Scorsese, 1985) - B+

Wild at Heart (Lynch, 1990) - B

Barry Lyndon (Kubrick, 1975) - A-

Nurse Betty (LaBute, 2000) - B+

Before Sunrise (Linklater, 1995) - A

Honey Don't! (Coen, 2025) - C-

Americana (Tost, 2025) - C

Congo (Marshall, 1995) - B

Batman Forever (Schumacher, 1995) - C

The Two Jakes (Nicholson, 1990) - B-

The Crossing Guard (Penn, 1995) - C

Love & Basketball (Prince-Blythewood, 2000) - B

Fletch (Ritchie, 1985) - B

Clockers (Lee, 1995) - C+

Reversal of Fortune (Schroeder, 1990) - B+

Snatch (Ritchie, 2000) - C

Eli Roth Presents: Jimmy & Stiggs (Begos, 2025) - C-

East of Wall (Beecroft, 2025) - B

Tron: Legacy (Kosinski, 2010) - C+

My Brilliant Career (Armstrong, 1980) - A-

Miami Rhapsody (Frankel, 1995) - C+

Restoration (Hoffman, 1995) - C

Final Destination (Wong, 2000) - B+

Fame (Parker, 1980) - B

Nobody 2 (Tjahjanto, 2025) - B-

Freakier Friday (Ganatra, 2025) - B-

Strange Harvest (Ortiz, 2025) - C+

Tron (Lisberger, 1982) - C+

Smoke (Wang, 1995) - B

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Dante, 1990) - B+

Rob Roy (Caton-Jones, 1995) - C+

Rebecca (Hitchcock, 1940) - A-

The Naked Gun (Schaffer, 2025) - B+

Sketch (Worley, 2025) - C+

The Bad Guys 2 (Perifel, 2025) - C+

The Elephant Man (Lynch, 1980) - A-

Leaving Las Vegas (Figgis, 1995) - B

Space Cowboys (Eastwood, 2000) - B

St. Elmo's Fire (Schumacher, 1985) - D+

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Morris, 2025) - B-

Together (Shanks, 2025) - B

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Shakman, 2025) - C

Eddington (Aster, 2025) - C+

The Postman (Radford, 1995) - B

Performance (Cammell & Roeg, 1970) - B

Melvin and Howard (Demme, 1980) - B+

Winchester '73 (Mann, 1950) - A-

Before Night Falls (Schnabel, 2000) - A-

The Blues Brothers (Landis, 1980) - B

But I'm a Cheerleader (Babbit, 2000) - B

House on Eden (Collins, 2025) - C

Smurfs (Miller, 2025) - C

I Know What You Did Last Summer (Robinson, 2025) - C+

Dead Man Walking (Robbins, 1995) - B+

All About Eve (Mankiewicz, 1950) - A

Total Eclipse (Holland, 1995) - C-

Weird Science (Hughes, 1985) - B-

Real Genius (Coolidge, 1985) - B

Tommy (Russell, 1975) - B+

Elio (Molina, Sharafian & Shi, 2025) - C+

Superman (Gunn, 2025) - B-

Avalon (Levinson, 1990) - C+

Prizzi's Honor (Huston, 1985) - B-

Toni (Renoir, 1935) - B

Strange Days (Bigelow, 1995) - A-

Dead Man (Jarmusch, 1996) - B+

M3GAN 2.0 (Johnstone, 2025) - C+

Paranthu Po (Raw, 2025) - C

Metropolitan (Stillman, 1990) - B+

The Contender (Lurie, 2000) - B-

Biutiful (Iñárritu, 2010) - C

9 to 5 (Higgins, 1980) - B+

Spartacus (Kubrick, 1960) - A-

Jurassic World: Rebirth (Edwards, 2025) - C

F1 (Kosinski, 2025) - C

Horrorfest: Shower Time

First watches...

EATEN ALIVE

(Tobe Hooper, 1976)

Hooper's follow-up to his masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre takes place again in Texas where the deranged owner of a scummy motel feeds some of his customers to his giant crocodile. With the production values of a 70's porno (compliment!), redneck characters, and lurid cinematography, you might feel like you need a bath after watching it. The cast is all solid, knowing exactly the type of film they are in, though the croc effects are a little too low budget. I'm surprised no one has ever remade this because the film doesn't quite get to its full potential. With Marilyn Burns, Neville Brand, Robert Englund, and Mel Ferrer. GRADE: B-

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

(Edmund Goulding, 1947)

A drifter takes a job at a carnival where he becomes the apprentice to a charlatan psychic. He starts a new show among the high society of Chicago where he becomes entangled with a dangerous psychiatrist. Sadly, I didn't get to watch this before 2021's solid remake. I guess that was more of an expansive adaptation of the book. This was my first film with Tyrone Power and he's quite delicious. He had more personality than Bradley Cooper did in the same role. The supporting women (Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, and Helen Walker) are all aces. I need to watch more old noirs. The women were so great. GRADE: B+

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

(Dwight H. Little, 1989)

I hadn't realized how many remakes there have been, this was actually sandwiched between another horror version that came out in 1988 and a TV movie from 1990. I'd say we're due for a new horror version, but apparently there is a new musical adaptation in development. Robert Englund plays a man whose appearance has been facially scared and makes wisecracks as he stalks a young brunette. So... Bland and dull, the film might have been better if they hadn't made Englund do his Freddy routine. Jill Schoelen - a genre fave - is charming as Christine. Bill Nighy and Molly Shannon (in her first role!) also appear. GRADE: C-

PERFECT BLUE

(Satoshi Kon, 1997)

Hey, a horrorfest first: an anime! I'm not a huge fan of that genre. I can admire the art behind it, but it's just not my thing. This was given a theatrical re-release a few weeks ago, so I checked it out and liked it. A pop star turned actress might be losing her grip on reality after discovering a website that traces her every move and taking a role in a sexual and violent drama. Black Swan was said to be influenced by this, which was originally supposed to be a live action film. Voices of Junk Iwao and Rica Matsumoto. GRADE: B

Anniversary re-watches...

CASPER

(Brad Silberling, 1995)

A young ghost haunting a mansion in Maine befriends the daughter of a medium hired to get rid of the apparition and his ghostly relatives. A top 10 blockbuster from the year it was released, watching this again was a welcome reminder of the days when studios would release live action films aimed at families and they were huge hits. The latter portion of the film is a little too busy, but the sentimental ending works. With Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, and Cathy Moriarty, who gets to drop "bitch" twice in a PG-rated movie. Icon! GRADE: B-

THE CHANGELING

(Peter Medak, 1980)

Having watched numerous interviews in the late 90's with Neve Campbell, she frequently cited this as her favorite horror movie. It's a good, old school ghost story. George C. Scott plays a music professor who after suffering a personal tragedy (trauma!) takes a job in Seattle, renting a historical home with a haunted history. The genre elements work much better than the central mystery. The actual reveal of why everything is happening is a bit of a yawn, though so many films have done similar things since. Scott remains one of the best to ever do it. His real life wife (Trish Van Devere) plays his love interest, and she was also the lead of The Hearse. She's better here. GRADE: B

LOST SOULS

(Janusz Kaminski, 2000)

Haven't seen this since I saw it theatrically in the fall of 2000. Another one of those where I was the only person in the theater, and another one of those that got an "F" Cinemascore. Maybe my own personal screening made me like it more at the time, or maybe I hadn't just been exhausted by the wealth of  apocalyptical antichrist movies that were popular at the time. This is the first film Kaminski (Spielberg's frequent cinematographer) ever directed. Stylish - but now a bit dated - cinematography can't make up for a cliched story where a man (Ben Chaplin) finds out on his 33rd birthday he's about to become the antichrist. I guess an Ikea gift card wouldn't cut it. With Winona Ryder and Elias Koteas (yum). GRADE: C

SPECIES

(Roger Donaldson, 1995)

Funny story about this: my brother had just gotten his license and took me to see this, but we couldn't get in because we were too young. So we saw Clueless instead, which he hated and I loved. I've pointed out before that back in the 90's so many films were "Movie X" meets "Movie Y", and here we have Alien meets Basic Instinct. After getting DNA code from an outer space signal, a human-alien hybrid is created. She (Natasha Henstridge) eventually escapes and sets out to mate, leading a crew of scientists, security experts, and an empath on her trail to stop her from procreating. It has the feel of a big budget version of the type of movies Roger Corman would make - equal parts sex and gore. It's fast paced and entertaining, though some of the effects are now a little rough. With Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, and a young Michelle Williams as the youth version of the alien. GRADE: B

THE STEPFORD WIVES

(Bryan Forbes, 1975)

I'll just die if I don't watch this for its 50th! Haven't watched this in over 20 years, but I had a handful of viewings just before the ill-fated 2004 comedy remake. Kind of odd that this is rarely on cable and has no Blu or 4K release. The term "Stepford" has been embedded in our culture, and the popularity of Get Out should have given it some new life. I have to wonder if there will ever be another remake (it wouldn't be the first horror film to be remade more than once) given we're in the age of the tradwife. A photographer (gorgeous Katharine Ross) moves to a small affluent town in Connecticut where the women seem way too perfect. Based on the book by Ira Levin, it has the same slow burn paranoia as his Rosemary's Baby and a dreamy score. Paula Prentiss is a hoot as the new best friend. GRADE: B+

And the Psycho franchise. The sequels are new watches. I reviewed the remake two years ago here.

PSYCHO

(Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

I first saw this in the mid/late 90's when I was consuming almost every horror movie in sight. I didn't know that this was the "shower movie" until it occurred. Between that and the ending, I remember thinking that this must have shocked the hell out of people back when it was released. (Even was I saw the remake in theaters, I remember people gasping at the twist reveal.) A woman (Janet Leigh, iconic) steals money from her employer thinking its a way out of her current predicament with her lover, goes on the run, and ends up at the Bates Motel. There, she meets its caretaker, Norman (Anthony Perkins, also iconic), and his deadly mother. I'm not sure if this is Hitch's defining masterpiece, embarrassing to say I still haven't seen Vertigo. Easily one of the defining films of the genre, and perhaps one of the most studied and dissected movies ever made. In this rewatch, I noticed how all of these actors were around 30 and yet seem so much more mature than their similar aged contemporaries. With John Gavin, who I would steal money and get murdered at an old motel for any day of the week. GRADE: A

PSYCHO II

(Richard Franklin, 1983)

Picking up after Norman is released from the psychiatric hospital decades later, he takes up residence in his old house where Mother is still taunting him. He helps a young co-worker (Meg Tilly) at the diner he now works at, while Lila Crane (Vera Miles) returns from the first hellbent on ending his release. This has two big twists, the latter is silly but doesn't totally derail the film. The best scenes involve Perkins and Tilly, though its worth noting the former's performance remains wildly inconsistent across all three sequels. I don't know if it was Hitchcock's deft touch or if he lost some of his skill as he aged, but he doesn't have grasp on the character the same way he did in the original. GRADE: B-

PSYCHO III

(Anthony Perkins, 1986)

Perkins stepped behind the camera as well for this, which seems to immediately follow the events of Part 2. The Motel has been reopened, and thriving, as a former nun (Diana Scarwid) on the run stays there. Norman develops an obsession with her, while a nosey reporter (Roberta Maxwell, terrific) looks into the murders that keep occurring. There's also a sleezy drifter (Jeff Fahey) who starts working at the motel. The best of the sequels with some occasional sharp writing, decent kills, and that 80's slasher feel. GRADE: B

PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING

(Mick Garris, 1990)

I didn't know until after watching that this was a Showtime original movie. In fact, Janet Leigh hosted the premiere. I didn't even know that network existed in '90. It seems to disregard the storylines of the past 2 movies, and picks up where Norman Bates is living with a psychiatric hospital nurse and about to expect a child. He calls into a radio show (hosted by the great CCH Pounder) to tell the story of his upbringing and his obsession with his mother (Olivia Hussey). Henry Thomas plays the younger Norman. I guess this is the sequel/prequel that the TV series "Bates Motel" took most of its inspiration. It's easily the worst of the sequels, clunkily told and generating almost no suspense. Boy, do those flashbacks NOT look like the 40's & 50's. GRADE: C

Horrorfest: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Blog!

New watches first...

BLACK SUNDAY

(Mario Bava, 1960)

Hey, this is my first Bava! After being executed for being a witch, a woman returns centuries later to take possession of a young princess. A lot of gothic atmosphere and hot Italian men (some played by Brits), the muscle studs at the beginning can burn me at the stake anytime! Barbara Steele plays dual roles. I've seen her in several things over the past couple of years, quite a distinctive look. GRADE: B

THE CONJURING: LAST RITES

(Michael Chaves, 2025)

Final installment - until the inevitable reboot with younger, sexier stars - in which the Warrens (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) go to Pennsylvania to get some York Peppermint Patties to expel a demon that attached itself to a family through an antique mirror. The sequels have all been a significant drop off from the original, trying too hard to replicate Insidious and its parade of demons/loud sounds. And the whole mirror angle was done so much better in Oculus. Overlong, but I did enjoy the cameos at the end. GRADE: C

DEEP RED

(Dario Argento, 1975)

A psychic is murdered and its up to a pianist and a journalist to find out who did it. The whodunit aspect ends up being a bit of a letdown (and probably hasn't aged well), and at 126 minutes this is too long. But there is some great directing and cinematography, and I liked the journalist character. She's played well by Daria Nicolodi, who as it turns out co-wrote Suspiria and is Asia Argento's mother. The random humorous gags involving her car work well. With David Hemmings and Gabriele Lavia. GRADE: B- 

DIAL M FOR MURDER

(Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)

If they hadn't remade this in 1998 with A Perfect Murder, would a new version be called "Text M For Murder"? A tennis player arranges the death of his adulterous wife, but the murder doesn't go as planned. The "murder" sequence is Hitchcock at his best, but this was very stagey. It made perfect sense when I found out it was a play, as it's basically a single setting and very talky. It must have been nice to live in a time when you wore evening attire during the seemingly never ending cocktail hour. With Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and the yummy Robert Cummings. GRADE: B

DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS

(Freddie Francis, 1965)

On a train, five passengers are told their fortunes by a mysterious tarot card reader (Peter Cushing) in this anthology horror. I found the best one to be about the art critic who is haunted by the hand of an artist he killed. I was not aware younger Christopher Lee was such a snack. The one about the musician stealing voodoo music was silly. Overall, though, this was mostly fun with a predictable but eerie ending. Also with Donald Sutherland. Also, a snack. GRADE: B

HIM

(Justin Tipping, 2025)

A young athlete goes to the desert compound of a soon-to-retire NFL player where he goes through nightmarish training from a cult. I guessed from the trailer that this would be an over-the-top mess, and it mostly was. Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans do what they can, but it was rather predictable and the ending was just like "...okay?" Not suspenseful, and the visuals just seem like an ad for a new season of American Horror Story. Can Hollywood please stop it with Julia Fox? GRADE: C

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2

(Renny Harlin, 2025)

Probably the worst movie released this year and I'm totally gonna see the last installment when it opens whenever that might be. I'm nothing if not a glutton for punishment. The three masked strangers continue to hunt for Maya, the survivor from Chapter 1. She wakes in a hospital, runs through the small town, steals some vehicles, hides out with people who may or not want to kill her, and...oh boy...wrestles with a wild boar. Because when I think of Strangers films, the one thing lacking was a sequence that ripped off the bear scene in The Revenant. This whole trilogy was so ill-conceived., and I knew from the trailer from the first film that they were gonna explain who "Tamara" was. It worked because it was random! That's the problem with these endless sequels - they have to fill in holes that aren't really holes. Madeline Petsch's acting in these films is obnoxiously Theater Kid 101. GRADE: D

THE TENANT

(Roman Polanski, 1976)

Starring Roman Polanski. No Roman Polanskis were harmed in the making of this film, but some teen girls might have been. (Okay, that was a bit much.) A French bureaucrat rents an apartment in an old building replacing the previous tenant who leapt to her death. Slowly, he begins to psychologically deteriorate. Polanski was so good at this moody, slow burn, paranoid suspense, and he was a capable actor. Not sure what his aversion to city apartments were. With Isabelle Adjani and Shelley Winters. GRADE: B+

WISHMASTER 2: EVIL NEVER DIES

(Jack Sholder, 1999)

I rewatched the first one last year, which I mostly enjoyed. Not sure I'm gonna get to the next 2 this year as this one tried my patience. In particular, Andrew Divoff's performance was just awful. I complained about him in my post about the first film, but he's just goofy grinning through the role. The character could have been semi-iconic. The djinn is released during an art gallery robbery and wreaks havoc on the thief and a hot priest. He also spends a lot of the movie in jail trying to get people to make wishes so he can steal their souls. Gore and makeup effects are decent, so there's that. With Holly Fields, Paul Johansson, and Bokeem Woodbine. GRADE: D

Some anniversary rewatches...

BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2

(Joe Berlinger, 2025)

I mostly liked this when I saw it the day it was released, but this is my first revisit. It's an odd duck, completely different from the original and doing its own thing. (I revisited the first last year, and still loved it. I guess I can rewatch the 2016 sequel next year for its 10th.) The problem is for long stretches it doesn't really work. This was Berlinger's first fiction narrative as he was an acclaimed documentary filmmaker, and it shows. The acting is uneven, the meta aspect becomes a little distracting, though the structure is occasionally compelling. Mostly by accident, the director and the studio had massive disagreements. A local leads a witch, a goth girl, and two writers though the sites of The Blair Witch Project in Maryland where they might be haunted by what they thought was only a fictional presence. I liked Jeffrey Donovan's character's home, that's exactly the type of place I'd like to have. He's got a nice ass, too. With Erica Leerhsen and Kim Director. GRADE: C+

DRACULA 2000

(Patrick Lussier, 2000)

It's very 2000. Matrix-y stuff! Vitamin C! Linkin Park end credits song! Dracula (Gerard Butler, pre-beefed up) is unleashed in the modern world after a group of thieves steals his coffin from Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer). This has a bad rep, but I liked it when I first saw it and still enjoy it. It's stupid, for sure, but pretty entertaining. I even dug the biblical twist. Never saw the direct-to-DVD sequels. Butler and Justine Waddell are a little too stiff in their roles, but the supporting cast seems to be having fun. Jonny Lee Miller sure was delicious in that era, I may have been slightly obsessed with him at the time. GRADE: B-

JACOB'S LADDER

(Adrian Lyne, 1990)

I watched this back in 2002. I remember liking it, but I loved it this viewing. Six years after his experience in Vietnam, a veteran (Tim Robbins) begins seeing hallucinations and disturbing visions of the people in his life. Is this the result of a secret chemical exposure from the war or is he losing his sanity? When I initially watched this, I hadn't yet seen Carnival of Souls. I think I watched that in the mid aughts, and now its easy to see that film's influence here. Lyne was really on fire in this era, just a superbly crafted film. Hollywood never did Elizabeth Peña justice. Also with Pruitt Taylor Vince and Ving Rhames. GRADE: A-

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

(Jim Sharman, 1975)

Also watched this in 2002, but didn't care for it. When I shared my opinion with friends, I was told you had to see it live to really experience it. In the two decades (plus) since, I still haven't had that pleasure, but I decided to give it a second chance. Hey, I really liked it this time! Maybe being older, I have a bit more affinity for 70's rock. A young couple (Barry Bostwick & Susan Sarandon) with a flat tire arrive at the mansion of mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). Music and sex ensue. Curry owns this beast, and perhaps no one in film history ever wore fishnets as confidently as he did. I watched Tommy a few months back, and these two would make a great double feature - rock operas of the 70's. GRADE: B+

TREMORS

(Ron Underwood, 1990)

I can't count the number of times I've seen this over the years. I first saw it on TV in, maybe?, '95 and loved it. It follows two repairmen (Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward) in the small desert town of Perfection, Nevada. When a graduate student studying seismology discovers some unusual activity, the town and its various inhabitants are attacked by large underground worm-like monsters. A fast-paced throwback to 50's monsters movies, a first rate cast playing memorable characters, and terrific use of practical effects, this remains an absolute blast. Getting older means acknowledging that Ward was so hot in this. Also with Reba McEntire and Finn Carter. Of the direct-to-home viewing follow-ups and TV series, I've only seen the second from '96. GRADE: A-

The end of Romero's first zombie trilogy and the start of the second...

DAY OF THE DEAD

(George A. Romero, 1985)

I frequently throw this on for a "background movie" when I'm doing other things. It's on almost every free streaming service. Romero's third in his original Dead trilogy is easily the weakest, but still a strong film on its own terms. It follows a group of scientists and military macho men as they attempt to deal with the undead new reality in an underground bunker in Florida. The makeup effects are still amazing 40 years on, and its themes of the militarization of society are still, sadly, relevant. Some of the satire, though, feels a tad like leftovers from the first two. I've not seen the 2005 sequel, which is only a "sequel" because the company had the rights to the original. I have seen the 2008 remake, which was awful. As was it's sequel.  Lori Cardille, Joe Pilato, and, of course, "Bub" co-star. GRADE: B+

GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LAND OF THE DEAD

(George A. Romero, 2005 - Unrated Cut)

20 years after Day and several after the new school of zombies arrived thanks to 28 Days Later, Romero returned with this one. Land follows a group of poor outsiders who run supply missions and security for the wealthy high-rise of Fiddler's Green - located in Pittsburgh - and its corrupt leader (Dennis Hopper). The satire takes aim at the Bush era, but like almost all of Romero's Dead films it's still very relevant. The poor people dream of going to Canada, and we're probably not far off from a world where the uber-rich wall themselves off from civilization and the rest of us are forced to fight for scraps. The first, and best, of Romero's new trilogy is at best when it embraces the pulpiness and not as nimble when the mechanisms of the plot dominate. Love those shots of the zombies marching toward the city. With Simon Baker, Asia Argento, and John Leguizamo. GRADE: B+

The Kathy Bates-Stephen King 90's double feature...

MISERY

(Rob Reiner, 1990)

Bates won the Oscar for her performance as Annie Wilkes, one of only a small handful of horror performances to ever do so. A writer (James Caan) who has just finished his latest novel crashes during a Maine blizzard and is rescued by a former nurse. She takes care of him, initially telling him she's his number one fan, but her psychotic nature eventually takes over. Caan is very good here, too, but Bates owns this. She completely nails this type of character - someone who appears pleasant and helpful at first but slowly reveals their true self. The film proves what I've always known: people who brag about not swearing and hating fowl language are almost always psychos. Stupid fucks. With Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, and Frances Sternhagen. GRADE: B+

DOLORES CLAIBORNE

(Taylor Hackford, 1995)

Yeah, it's not technically horror, but it's a Stephen King adaptation dealing with presumed murder starring his previous leading lady. Bates is just as good here in King's suspenseful tale of a Maine housewife reunited with her estranged daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) after being accused of murdering her wealthy employer (Judy Parfitt). A local journalist (Christopher Plummer) believes Dolores was also responsible for the death of her husband years earlier. A recent roundtable featuring Kathy had her fellow actresses raving how underrated this film is, and they were spot on. Just as good as Misery, with a chilling gothic Maine atmosphere. It can't be said enough that Parfitt should have been in Oscar contention that year - what a great character and performance! That eclipse scene was dazzling. GRADE: B+

The Wes Craven/2005 double feature...

CURSED

(Wes Craven, 2005)

If you knew me at this period of my life, you knew how much I was looking forward to this. The project was announced in summer of 2002, a reteaming of Craven and Scream collaborator Kevin Williamson with a new take on the werewolf film. It went into production. And then it was re-filmed. And re-filmed yet again. Numerous actors (including Mandy Moore, Illeana Douglas, and Skeet Ulrich, among half a dozen others) filmed footage that ended up on the cutting room floor. Then, 2.5 years later, right before it was finally set to be released, the studio announced it was trimming it from an R to a PG-13. Despite being one of my most anticipated in years, I ended up not seeing it theatrically and waiting for the "unrated" DVD. It's messy, sure, and the cinematography so closely resembles what could have been Scream 4 before that movie was actualized. A brother and sister are attacked in the Hollywood Hills by an animal, and find themselves turning into werewolves. Numerous plot holes, wildly inconsistent creature effects, dated cameos, and a final showdown that is very unearned... and yet, I just can't dislike it. I watched an interview with the editor where he said he had the original workprint minus an ending. The deleted footage is now owned by Spyglass, apparently. After 20 years, I doubt we'll ever see it. With Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg, Joshua Jackson, Milo Ventimiglia, and Judy Greer. GRADE: B-

RED EYE

(Wes Craven, 2005)

Half a year after the disastrous release of Cursed, Craven directed this thriller in which a hotel manager  (Rachel McAdams) is held hostage on a plane by a mysterious man (Cillian Murphy) using her to help in a terrorist attack. It's a much better, more consistent film than Cursed. A few critics said the film was like something Hitchcock would have made in a post-9/11 world. However, at just under 80 minutes without credits, its very fast paced and slight. A good genre exercise, but not much more. Murphy and McAdams worked well together, they were stars from the beginning. With Brian Cox. GRADE: B

And, lastly, the Jaws franchise...

JAWS

(Steven Spielberg, 1975)

Happy 50th! I took the opportunity to see this on the big screen for the first time. Jaws has to be one of the top 5 most watched films in my life. I was probably too young to see it when I first did. Probably 5 or so. I'm not saying it fucked me up for life, but sometimes in the shower I have to turn around to make sure a shark isn't going to eat me. I also haven't been to the ocean in 25 years. In the small island town of Amity, a shark is killing swimmers right at the height of vacation season. Its up to the police chief, a marine biologist, and a fisherman to kill the shark before he kills the town's tourism. Iconic scenes, lines, characters, one of the best the genre has ever delivered. Thanks for the thalassophobia, Spielberg! With Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfus, and Robert Shaw. GRADE: A

JAWS 2

(Jeannot Szwarc, 1978)

And so we get to the Jaws sequels, some of the most notorious sequels in film history. Sheriff Brody is still running things in Amity when a series of shark attacks threaten to shut down the town yet again. Part 2 adheres to the formula of the first half of the first film for most of its runtime, until the final act where the shark attacks a sailing competition. The last act isn't bad, but the rest is just too much of a retread lacking Spielberg's graceful touch. He knew how to make the shark terrifying whereas here the shark is just a big dud. Roy Scheider returns. GRADE: C-

JAWS 3-D

(Joe Alves, 1983)

I didn't get to view it in 3D sadly, but that's still what the opening credits refer to it as. There are a lot of 3D gags, probably the most amusing parts of the film. At SeaWorld, the sons of Brody capture a shark and keep it in the facility. Very smart thinking as the mother shark comes looking for her baby. At least this has a slightly different formula, with two decent sequences: one involves stunt performers in a water show, and the other involves an attack in an underwater tunnel. The shark is even faker looking than ever, particularly in 3D. With Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, and Louis Gossett Jr. GRADE: C

JAWS: THE REVENGE

(Joseph Sargent, 1987)

This is the sequel I've seen the most. No idea why this was on television so much in my childhood.  Sheriff Brody died since the last installment, so his wife (played by Lorraine Gary) must now destroy a shark that followed her to the Bahamas. From New York. I don't thinks shar...eh, nevermind. Gary is solid, probably the saving grace of the film. The shark, after 12 years, has gotten even faker looking. Apparently, the theatrical ending was different. They reshot it after release? What? I think this has happened for some other films I've watched during Horrofest. Hard to believe they used to do that. Also with Michael Caine. GRADE: C-