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-
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