Horrorfest: The Real Irish Curse is Americans Doing that Accent

Starting with some Hitchcock I haven't seen before.

SUSPICION

(1941)

A wealthy spinster (Joan Fontaine, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for this) falls for a shady playboy (Cary Grant) and begins to suspect he might be a murderer after one of his associates goes missing. Is she the next target or is her paranoia getting the best of her? I'm not sure what was going on in the world in 1941 (okay, there might have been a few things) but how is Joan Fontaine supposed be homely? Mid-tier Hitchcock, but still enjoyable. I've heard Hitch wanted a darker ending, and he probably should have done the one he wanted. GRADE: B+

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

(1951)

A man who wants to off his father propositions a tennis player with a wife who refuses to divorce him to "take care" of each's problems. For some reason, I thought this mostly took place on a train and was just them plotting the murders. Robert Walker is masterful at playing a creep, and I was saddened to learn he died shortly after the film was released. He's matched by the gorgeous Farley Granger. The last act is a little over the top, I'm not sure the tennis match needed to go on so long. Very deserving Oscar nomination for cinematography with the shot of Walker observing the match being my favorite. GRADE: B+

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

(1956)

So this is the first film I've seen starring Doris Day? She co-stars with James Stewart as a married couple on vacation in Morocco who accidentally get involved in a conspiracy to assassinate a politician. Stewart and Day are good together. The film stumbles a tad when it becomes too plot heavy as its hard to care about the assassination plot. I also didn't care about the kid. The sequence at the concert hall was an absolute dazzler, though. GRADE: B

VERTIGO

(1958)

Another embarrassing film from my blindspot list, trust me there are many more. Hitch's story of men's obsession with the idea of women and not the women themselves follows a police detective (James Stewart) who was injured in the line of duty. He's hired to investigate a man's wife (Kim Novak), a woman who seems to be possibly possessed by the spirit of a dead woman. So I'd say Psycho and North by Northwest are on my Hitch list just ahead of this, but the way this film delivers a mic drop moment in its finale is staggering. Easily to see why audience have been enamored with it for nearly 70 years, it has a perfect 100 on Metacritic. GRADE: A

Some first watches...

THE BAD SEED

(Mervyn LeRoy, 1956)

When I reviewed Carrie, I asked if it might have been the first horror movie to get 2 acting Oscar nominations. Well, this one got three. The acting is easily the best part of this, which is based on a play and is a little too stagey and long for its own good. A mother begins to suspect her daughter is a murderous psychopath after a drowning accident. Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, and, in particular, Eileen Heckart are fantastic. Heckart's constantly drunk character was pretty amusing, though I'm not sure that was the intention. I want that character to show up in random movies. GRADE: B

THE CYCLE

(Jordan Downey, 2026)

I heard some good things about this, but I'm always a bit skeptical of Shudder originals. I think this is probably the best one I've seen in some time. A forensic doctor is thrown into a mystery involving her biological father when his body is found at the scene of a grisly crime. I won't reveal the type of horror movie this turns into, as I didn't know myself where it was going. The use of practical effects is a welcome throwback, and that Oregon location was beautiful. I haven't seen Deborah Ann Woll in much before, but this was a strong showcase for her. Will Hochman looked hot in his uniform. GRADE: B+

DEATH SHIP

(Alvin Rakoff, 1980)

A ghost ship (not that one!) crashes into a cruise ship and the survivors take refuge on the evil ship. Turns out its an old Nazi boat with a mind of its own. Running only 90 minutes, the best thing is that this doesn't stop moving. However, the result is pretty lackluster and its hard to care about any of the characters. How do you mess up "Nazi Ghost Ship"? I'm always down for a terror on the high seas horror, but most of them are pretty forgettable. GRADE: C

DRAGONWYCK

(Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1946)

Period suspense about a young woman (Gene Tierney, stunning) who moves into a mansion to be a governess for her wealthy distant relatives. The wife dies under mysterious circumstances and the husband  (Vincent Price) seems all-too-eager to replace her. Price was so sexy here. I loved him with the stubble, opium'd out of his mind. I think films of this type were pretty popular back in that era, you can feel their influence in films like Saltburn and Crimson Peak. GRADE: B+

EXIT 8

(Genki Kawamura, 2026)

I didn't care for Backrooms when I saw it over the summer, but I heard this was similar but much better. Eh. A man is stuck in a subway station and forced to do little challenges to get out. Based on a video game, this has the feel of one. It's kind of amazing this sustained a 90ish minute runtime, it feels stretched thin like a short that's been extended to feature length. I'm all for existential dread, but time loop movies are among my least favorite. Have I said that before? GRADE: C

HALF LIGHT

(Craig Rosenberg, 2006)

Demi Moore stars as a writer who loses her son in a tragic accident. Months later, she rents a house on the Scottish coast to finish her novel and becomes involved in a supernatural mystery. There's some decent twists in the final act if you can look past some pretty big plot holes. This is a pretty standard Rainy Sunday Afternoon Movie, but doesn't really offer anything beyond that. Moore seems to be sleepwalking through the role. Another film for the Places I'd Like To Live list. GRADE: C

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

(Roger Corman, 1961)

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first Corman-directed film I've watched. This was one of the umpteen Poe-based horrors to come out in the era. Theaters actually had big pendulums hanging from their marquees. Hopefully, no one got killed. A man travels to a Spanish castle to figure out what happened to his deceased sister, growing increasingly suspicious of her husband (Vincent Price). I didn't know the plotline of this, so there were some good twists to join the stylish production design and costumes. It's always appreciated how Price looks like he wants to simultaneously fuck and kill everyone. GRADE: B

THE SKIN I LIVE IN

(Pedro Almodóvar, 2011)

Melodrama take on Frankenstein in which a Spanish plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) attempts to create a synthetic skin by experimenting on a captive patient (Elena Anaya). Their relationship is much more complex and disturbing as revealed in flashbacks. It's Pedro, so his usual themes are on display. It's engrossing, but feels like its only scratching the surface of some of the darker themes. Beautiful production design is a highlight, and always nice to see a Pedro/Antonio collaboration. GRADE: B

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK

(Tom McLoughlin, 1991)

Adaptation of a Stephen King short story in which a man (Tim Matheson) returns to his hometown for a teaching job. There, he's confronted by the ghosts of a the group of violent teenage greasers who were responsible for his brother's death. This was supposed to be a theatrical release, but debuted on CBS due to the studio going bankrupt. Very much in line with the other King TV works of the era, it has that issue that plagues so many of his adaptations where it seems like things are being invented to serve the story as necessary.  GRADE: C

TAMARA

(Jeremy Haft, 2006)

A group of teens plots a prank on an outcast (Jenna Dewan), but they get more than they bargained for because she's secretly an occult-obsessed witch. Feels like I've written similar synopses this year. This is direct to DVD mid aughts trash with low grade production design and bad acting. It's no wonder Dewan settled for briefly just being Channing Tatum's wife because an actress she is not, certainly not convincing as either iteration of the character. Some of the gory/gross-out scenes are decent. GRADE: D

WHALEFALL

(Brian Duffield, 2026)

I couldn't wait to see this for HF because I had to make an obvious joke - something something swallow something Austin Abrams something sperm... I'm still workshopping it. A college student with unresolved issues with his dead father ends up swallowed by a whale while diving in the ocean. It's a race against time because of his oxygen supply. And, you know, being in a whale's gut and all. There's way too much family trauma, and it doesn't help that his dad (played by Josh Brolin) seemed like an asshole. I much preferred Duffield's previous ocean thriller Underwater. GRADE: C+

Some anniversary rewatches...

APRIL FOOL'S DAY

(Fred Walton, 1986)

Not sure when I first saw this, but I'll guess sometime in the mid aughts. Despite the time gap, I knew it would play differently knowing the twist. I was surprised just how well it still works thanks to the lighter tone and game cast, which includes a handful of 80's movie favorites. A young woman invites her college friends to her family's island summer home during the April Fool's weekend, and the gang starts getting killed off one by one. The characters are stock 80's movie characters, but they're all just likeable enough to not be total assholes. It's a fun little horror comedy and one of the better holiday horrors. GRADE: B+

THE DESCENT

(Neil Marshall, 2006)

Widely considered one of the best horrors of the 21st century, this thrill ride follows six women who one year after a terrible tragedy go spelunking in a North Carolina cavern. They get stuck in the cave and things go from bad to worse when they encounter bat-like humanoids. Interesting to note this film probably came out at the last possible time before modern cinematography would have made this just a black screen. It's a dark film, so thankfully it came out when it did. The actresses are great, the creatures legitimately scary, and Marshall delivers the intensity. He made a big splash between this and Dog Soldiers, too bad about his recent stuff. GRADE: A-

FROM HELL

(The Hughes Brothers, 2001)

I haven't seen this since I saw it in theaters that fall. In 1888 London, a Scotland Yard investigator (Johnny Depp) searches for Jack the Ripper as prostitutes meet gruesome ends. There's quite a bit of historical liberties taken in the film, which is based on a graphic novel. There's a great kill early on that feels like it would have been perfectly utilized in a Scream movie - the one where we see the knife pop out of the shadows. The story isn't as gripping as it could be, but it's a nice movie to look at with the time period being captured decently. Apparently the murders were presented accurately, and the definitely didn't skimp on the gore. GRADE: B-

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS

(Stephen Hopkins, 1996)

Loosely based on true events, this is the story of two man-eating lions that stalked a crew that was building a bridge in Africa in the late 19th century. An engineer (Val Kilmer, with a rough Irish accent) and a hunter (Michael Douglas, not showing up until well into the second act) attempt to put an end to the animals reign of terror. The film won a deserved Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing, it would be a great showcase for that now-defunct category. But outside of that and a great score, it never gets to be much more than Jaws on safari. GRADE: C+

THE HILLS HAVE EYES

(Alexandre Aja, 2006)

I watched the 1977 original several years ago, review here. This is one of the few of the aughts horror remakes that surpasses the original thanks to a great cast, terrific makeup/gore, and that memorable score. A family traveling through the Southwest desert comes face to face with cannibal  mutant descendants of post-WWII bomb experiments. When it came out, I joked it might be one of the defining films indirectly about the Dubya era. Watching it now, I think I was spot on. The trailer sequence is still hardcore, probably one of the most brutal scenes a mainstream movie has ever done. GRADE: B+

THE HOWLING

(Joe Dante, 1981)

I think I first saw this on VHS in the late 90's? I've only seen one of the sequels, which I reviewed here. The main thing I took away from the series so far is that werewolves are very horny. I slightly prefer the other werewolf movie from '81 - An American Werewolf In London - but this is very good, too. A reporter (Dee Wallace) who was assaulted while undercover suffers PTSD, so her therapist recommends a mountain retreat. Turns out it's a secret community of werewolves. There are quite a few genre faves in the cast, and the film takes advantage of the seedy 80s atmosphere. GRADE: B+

MARY REILLY

(Stephen Frears, 1996)

The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (John Malkovich) is seen through the eyes of the chambermaid, Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts). This was a notorious bomb when it debuted in late winter of that year. It doesn't really deserve that reputation but it does have some serious pacing issues. That said, I do like the angle of seeing this classic story through a fresh perspective. Frears nails the aesthetic, particularly the production design and foggy cinematography. Both the leads struggle, with Roberts being miscast. She's trying hard, but ultimately is too dour for the part. I think about what Saoirse Ronan or Jessie Buckley could have done in the role. GRADE: B-

Lastly, the first two Anthony Hopkins/Hannibal Lecter films. I reviewed Manhunter previously here. Maybe next year I'll do the other two Lecter films. 

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

(Jonathan Demme, 1991)

Still the only horror movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and one of only three films to sweep the top 5 categories. An FBI agent trainee (Jodie Foster) enlists the help of a jailed cannibal (Anthony Hopkins) to find a serial killer nicknamed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine, who should've been nominated), who is skinning and killing women. Much like I said last year with Seven, every procedural and serial killer movie owes a debt of gratitude to these movies. To say they set the standard is an understatement. It's amazing how well this still works after 35 years despite having so many imitators. GRADE: A

HANNIBAL

(Ridley Scott, 2001)

General consensus was this was a disappointment, but I saw it twice in theaters. It's not up to Lambs, obviously. Starling (now played by Julianne Moore) gets entangled with an on-the-run Dr. Lecter again after one of his former victims (an unbilled Gary Oldman as Mitch McConnell) plots revenge. The TV show Hannibal ended up doing all this much better. The film's depiction of Clarice doesn't quite work, she's almost feels autistic. Moore tries and she looked amazing in that black dress, but I think the film belongs to Oldman. Strong cinematography and scoring add to Scott's gothic fairy tale take. GRADE: B

Horrorfest: Monster Mash - The Universal Monster Movies!

I'll be doing these for October. Instead of just an all-in-one post drop, I'm going to add them as I watch them. 

DRACULA

(Tod Browning, 1931)

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make!" Now, that's a line! I'm off to a very good start with Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the Bram Stoker villain. Beautifully gothic with jaw dropping production design and cinematography, this is the tale of Dracula as he kills many and pines for the beautiful Mina. This is only the second Browning film I've seen, I saw Freaks many years ago and loved it. Lugosi is obviously iconic, but I also really loved Dwight Frye as Renfield. GRADE: A-

FRANKENSTEIN

(James Whale, 1931)

The definitive torch-wielding villagers movie! I think more movies should have torch-wielding villagers. Boris Karloff stars as the monster who was created when a mad scientist (Colin Clive) electrocuted various body parts from cadavers. Like Dracula, it's a visual marvel. In particular, I love the use of height in the film as there are various awesome shots that depict the altitudes of the castles and the windmill in the film's climax. Karloff is moving, managing to create genuine emotion without words. GRADE: A

THE MUMMY

(Karl Freund, 1932)

Are all these movies using "Swan Lake"? An archeological dig uncovers an ancient high priest who comes back from the dead. Years later, he's a seemingly normal historian who plans to use a woman as a vessel to bring back his long dead love.  This doesn't quite have the grandiosity of the previous films. Again, great production design and makeup - it's staggering just how seminal the makeup work in these films was. I was a tad disappointed that the iconic image of a mummy wrapped in cloth was barely used here, though Karloff continues to impress. GRADE: B+

THE INVISIBLE MAN

(James Whale, 1933)

Proprietors of an inn grow suspicious of a mysterious guest (Claude Rains) who checked in during a blizzard. Covered in bandages, his room filled with chemicals, he just might be a missing scientist who went mad.  Considerably more comedic than the previous Monster Universe entries, this must have been quite a visual shock to audiences nearly a century ago due to its groundbreaking visual effects. Rains' layered vocal work is terrific, but I loved Una O'Connor as the histrionic inn owner. Future Titanic Oscar-nominee Gloria Stuart also appears. GRADE: B+

BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

(James Whale, 1935)

For some reason I was not aware that this was just the second half of Mary Shelley's novel that the first Frankenstein did not cover. There's even a meta aspect at the beginning, something the recent mess The Bride! also did. With his monster still on the run, Dr. Frankenstein is blackmailed into continuing his experiments by his former mentor. The idea: give the monster a girlfriend. This was the first of the series to get an Oscar nomination: Sound Recording. The other technical aspects remain excellent, particularly the cinematography. GRADE: A-

WEREWOLF OF LONDON

(Stuart Walker, 1935)

Ah-hoo! I had assumed The Wolf Man would be the first of the werewolf films in this series, but this preceded that by six years. A botanist (Henry Hull) is bitten by a creature in Tibet while searching for a rare flower. When he returns to London, he starts turning into a werewolf at night and murdering people. Excellent makeup work is a highlight, and the subtle way he's filmed when he first transitions is quite cool. Otherwise, this doesn't hit the highs of the previous films in the series. I loved the drunk old ladies. I kind of wish this had just been them versus the werewolf. GRADE: B

DRACULA'S DAUGHTER

(Lambert Hillyer, 1936)

Like Bride of Frankestein, this takes place almost immediately after its predecessor. After Dracula's death, his daughter travels to London to try and free herself of the vampiric curse. She seeks the help of a psychiatrist but soon finds herself wanting to turn him into one of the undead. Gloria Holden plays the titular role, and she's very alluring. There's some nice lesbian undertones, but I did laugh quite a bit about how that Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" parodied the "police are baffled" moment. GRADE: B

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN

(Rowland V. Lee, 1939)

My dumbass mind getting ready to watch this wondering when did Frankenstein and his Bride have a kid and then I remembered Frankenstein is the scientist not the monster. The son of Dr. Frankenstein takes over his estate against the wishes of the local villagers. With the help of Ygor, he finds out that the monster is still alive and must decide to continue his father's experiments. This has some gorgeous design that feels very different from the previous films, a bit more expressionistic. It's also the longest film so far - clocking in at an epic 99 minutes. GRADE: B

THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS

(Joe May, 1940)

A man wrongfully accused of killing his brother is sentenced to death, but before his execution his doctor friend renders him invisible so they can figure out who the real killer is. I didn't even realize until the credits that the Invisible Man this time was played/voiced by Vincent Price. He's probably the most interesting thing about this, which takes an even more comic/dramatic tone than the first. I wish they had done a bit more with the bit where they try to "smoke out" the Invisible Man, that would have made things a bit more suspenseful. GRADE: C+

THE MUMMY'S HAND

(Christy Cabanne, 1940)

Well, at least this has the classic look for the mummy himself - wrapped! Unfortunately, he doesn't show up until the last act, and what comes before it is more of a comedy with some minor adventure elements thrown in. After discovering the potential location where an ancient Egyptian princess is buried, archeologists join a magician and his daughter to find the site only to encounter the guardians of the tomb. The look of the interior pyramids and mummy is great, but the rest is a chore. In particular, the comic sidekick is so grating. GRADE: C

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

(A. Edward Sutherland, 1940)

The first all-out comedy in the universe follows a model upset by her treatment at work volunteering for a scientific experiment that will make her invisible. We know this a comedy because there's a pratfall in the first minute. It's predictable and the scenarios go exactly where you expect them to... and yet this is still pretty charming and funny? Crazy how many gay winks there are at the audience with at least three obviously gay characters - the boss, the butler, the scientist. Virginia Bruce is winning as the title character, while John Howard sure was handsome. GRADE: B

THE WOLFMAN 

(George Waggner, 1941)

Lon Chaney Jr. stars as a man who turns into a werewolf after killing a wolf-like creature that was actually a fortune teller. Iconic makeup work and the gothic images of the woods at night - stellar production design all around, yet again. These movies really had that shit locked down. The story isn't quite as engaging, I guess so many other werewolf movies have done similar things over the years that it lessens the impact. I didn't know Cursed took the fortune teller aspect from this. GRADE: B

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN

(Erle C. Kenton, 1942)

More torch-wielding villagers! The Monster (now played by Lon Chaney Jr) and Ygor are run out of town by the aforementioned villagers and go to a nearby town to get Dr. Frankenstein's other son to help them. Chaney doesn't have as much personality as The Monster as Karloff did, sadly, but Lugosi gets some nice moments as Ygor. I appreciate that most of these sequels feel like continuations of the story rather than just rehashes. GRADE: B-

INVISIBLE AGENT

(Edwin L. Marin, 1942)

Taking the franchise in a new direction: espionage! The grandson of the original Invisible Man is forced to go incognito during WWII to help fight the Nazis after some of the Axis tries to get their hands on his grandfather's formula. This blends several genres, but the war part of the storyline certainly made it more timely than most of the other films in this series even if the satire plays a little broad. I'm surprised there hasn't been a remake because this seems like it would make a fun angle for the modern war genre. GRADE: B-

THE MUMMY'S TOMB

(Harold Young, 1942)

This runs only 60 minutes and the first 10 minutes or so shows clips from The Mummy's Hand to recap the plot. That's very frustrating because the horror aspects are pretty solid with the actual mummy being at his pulpiest. Decades after the events of Hand, a high priest brings the mummy to America where he seeks revenge against the family of the man who stopped him during the last film. They aged the characters from the previous film including the annoying sidekick who is much less annoying this time. Lon Chaney Jr now plays the Mummy, dude was booked and busy during the era. GRADE: B-

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN

(Roy William Neill, 1943)

Despite the Monster getting his name first in the title, he's actually not in it much sadly. The Wolf Man is brought back to life and seeks out the help of Dr. Frankenstein's daughter to find a cure for his "condition". At the doctor's castle, he un-freezes the Monster. Lugosi now plays the monster; the daughter is played by the female lead of Invisible Agent so there's all sorts of universe re-casting going on. Lugosi fares even worse than Chaney, but the latter continues to be a good Wolf Man. The series' abrupt endings don't do these recent films any favors. GRADE: B-

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

(Arthur Lubin, 1943)

I had assumed the original was part of the box set, but sadly it is not. I'll have to remind myself next year to do some of the original silent films. I believe this is the only film in the series to win an Oscar - it won 2: Cinematography and Art Direction. It's certainly a gorgeous film - the first in the set to be in glorious technicolor. A disgraced, scarred violinist/composer stalks the beautiful young soprano understudy in an opera house in this classic story. It also has a proper final act, though some of the humor seems a little forced. GRADE: B+

SON OF DRACULA

(Robert Siodmak, 1943)

Outside of the first, this is probably the sequel most steeped in vampire lore. I guess that's an odd thing to say given this is only the third Dracula film, but it is the first with Chaney. He's nowhere near as good as Lugosi. The occult-obsessed heiress of a plantation estate falls under the spell of Count Alucard (har!) much to the chagrin of her ex and sister. The best part of this is Louise Allbritton as the goth girl that falls for the bloodsucker, pretty rare to see that type of character in such an old film. GRADE: B-

THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE

(Ford Beebe, 1944)

Jon Hall, who played the Invisible Agent, plays a different character here, which is about an escaped convict getting revenge on the family who screwed him out of money years earlier. He enlists the help of a mad scientist to make him invisible. It starts as a revenge thriller, turns comedic halfway through, then goes back to revenge movie. Not at all interesting, there's more strings visible in the special effects than the previous films in the series. Probably should've been about the invisible dog. GRADE: C

THE MUMMY'S GHOST

(Reginald LeBorg, 1944)

Another hour-longer, it makes these films feel like episodes of a series and not an actual film particularly in the way this franchise is so serialized. I did appreciate the downbeat ending, which is pretty bold for this type of film. A mummy looks for the reincarnation of his beloved in a Massachusetts college town. It did not go unnoticed by me that it appeared the mummy had a massive wedgie. Poor thing. GRADE: C

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN

(Erle C. Kenton, 1944)

I was disappointed to find out this is not about Frankenstein starting a fashion line. This is basically The Avengers of this series, except the monsters barely share any screen time. A scientist (Boris Karloff) and his assistant escape prison and hope to give the assistant (essentially this film's version of Ygor) a new body while also getting revenge on their enemies with the help of Dracula (now played by John Carradine, David's dad!), the Monster, and the Wolf Man. The film sets up quite a bit of plot that it never quite delivers on, but it's probably the most all-out horror-y of the recent slate. GRADE: B

THE MUMMY'S CURSE

(Leslie Goodwins, 1944)

The first Mummy movie came out twelve years before this, but I'm not sure what the exact timeline of the series in terms of just how much time has passed. This one takes place 25 years after the last one, which only opened 6 months prior. The swamp gets drained and the Mummy and his bride are unleashed onto the town - which is now in Louisiana for some reason. I appreciated that this installment has Princess Ananka as an actual character and not just a plot point. Virginia Christine sure was a stunner. GRADE: B- 

HOUSE OF DRACULA

(Erle C. Kenton, 1945)

Dracula and Wolf Man ask a doctor to cure them of their issues, which totally works and they are free of the curse and they start a fashion line and dream of going to Paris. Okay, just the first part. Carradine comes into his own as Dracula in this installment, but Cheney probably gives his best performance to date. Frankenstein's monster only has a small appearance. There's a great sequence involving "Moonlight Sonata", but these movies really didn't care about continuity. GRADE: B-

SHE-WOLF OF LONDON

(Jean Yarbrough, 1946)

Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy! The first in the series to have a majority female ensemble focuses on a woman (June Lockhart) who suspects she's turning into a werewolf at night due to a string of brutal murders in a nearby park. I think this might be the first to show some blood? It's barely visible, but its there. The revelation is predictable, but I appreciate the female angle and the actresses are good. Lockhart passed away last year, which made me wonder if any people involved with these movies are still living. GRADE: B

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN

(Charles Barton, 1948)

I'm not that familiar with Abbott & Costello, in fact this is my first film with them. I assumed they were both doing broad comedy, but basically one is the straight man and the other the funny one. There are laughs and it meshes well with the monsters, particularly Lugosi who returns as Dracula. The film follows two baggage clerks who become entangled in a plot by Dracula to put one of their brains in the Monster while Wolf Man tries to stop them. It drags a bit towards the end, but still a solid fun time. GRADE: B

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN

(Charles Lamont, 1951)

The comedy duo becomes detectives and investigates the murder of a boxing manager. The main suspect is a star boxer who becomes invisible to help clear his name. I found this to be a slight chore to sit through. It has its amusing moments, particularly the climactic boxing match, but is mostly strained. The title team doesn't mesh as well with this story as well as they did with the classic monsters, and the boxer's story just isn't that engaging. GRADE: C

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON

(Jack Arnold, 1954)

Happy to finally get to a new monster after the same four for most of the series. I didn't get to watch this in 3D, so maybe one day I'll get that pleasure. In the Amazon, a group of scientists encounters a fish-like humanoid. The underwater sequences are easily the film's best. It has quite a different feel from the previous monster movies. Since we are now in the 50's, it has the feel of that era's monsters. The leads - Richard Carlson and Julia Adams - are probably the best looking leads yet, but turns out one of the guys in the fish costume was also gorgeous. I like to keep people updated on these things. GRADE: B+

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE

(Jack Arnold, 1955)

Blink and you'll miss Clint Eastwood in his film debut. The plot borrows heavily from King Kong and probably was a bigger inspiration for The Shape of Water than the previous Creature. Scientists capture the Gill Man and bring him to a Florida aquarium attraction where he falls for a student. Unfortunately, the two leads are very dull, and the monster movie parts come a little too late. I didn't mention in my writeup for the previous film that I think these are the first in the series to be in widescreen, flat not scope. GRADE: C+

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY

(Charles Lamont, 1955)

The duo is now in Egypt where they end up guarding a mummy that gets stolen. There's a whole lot of Mummy puns. In fact, the movie opens with the "boy's best friend is his mummy" quote - a whole five years before Psycho. I think this further illustrates my problem with a duo having a straight man. I think that only works if there's several (plus) people. I learned that the team split several years after this, with Costello dying not long after. Sad end for this leg of the series. GRADE: C

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US

(John Sherwood, 1956)

Gill Man is captured yet again by a team of scientists, who uses experiments to bring out his human side. Experiments on animals always work great in the movies! The scenes in the wild are good, and the design of the creature looks cool even 70 years later. However, all the human stuff just doesn't work that well with the characters just being a bunch of clichés. The lead of the film - an actor named Rex Reason - was almost criminally handsome. That voice! How did he not become a massive star? GRADE: C+

Well, that was fun! I can say I didn't think any of the 30 films were bad. I'd say Invisible Man leg of the series might have been the most creative, but overall Frankenstein and Dracula were probably the best. Visually, the films are absolute marvels with breathtaking production design and iconic makeup work. So many of the images helped shape popular culture.  

Horrorfest: No, I'm not watching the Limited Series

First watches first up:

ALLIGATOR II: THE MUTATION

(Jon Hess, 1991)

Direct To VHS sequel that follows a detective's investigation into missing fisherman leading to the discovery of a giant alligator roaming the sewers heading towards a lake. The alligator has mutated thanks to the chemical dumping from a corrupt corporation. The 1980 original was a very fun B-movie that delivered the goods and had a great lead courtesy of the always reliable Robert Forster. This, however, was awful. I couldn't stand the lead actor and there's way too much of the story dedicated to the police investigation of the slimy company. The alligator seems to take a backseat until the final act. GRADE: D

CRAWLSPACE

(David Schmoeller, 1986)

The son of a Nazi surgeon owns an apartment building and rents exclusively to beautiful women. Unbeknownst to them, he spies on them through the crawlspaces and is doing some deadly experimenting of his own. Klaus Kinski stars as the perv, and he's easily the best thing about this - a truly unnerving performance. The rest of the film doesn't fare as well, just a standard 80's era chiller with copious sex and violence. Also, people crawling through ventilation has to be one of my biggest cinema pet peeves. GRADE: C

DEADLY BLESSING

(Wes Craven, 1981)

The last Craven theatrical release for me to see. *sigh* There's a few TV movies he did I still haven't seen, though. A woman grows suspicious of the religious community next to her farm after her husband, a former member of the sect, mysteriously dies. The film features Sharon Stone in her first significant role, and Ernest Borgnine appears as the sect leader. Craven left behind the grindhouse-y feel of some of his earlier work for a more classic looking picture, though I found this to be mostly bland. There is a great moment with a snake in a bathtub that serves as a prelude for the famous moment in A Nightmare on Elm Street. GRADE: C+

THE NINTH GATE

(Roman Polanski, 2000)

I tried to watch this unsuccessfully for last year's fest, so when I saw it was on one of my streaming subscriptions I finally watched it. This had a brutal CinemaScore of "D-" from audiences. It's easy to see why - it doesn't really go into horror well into the final act and lacked a strong resolution. Most of it plays as a goofy Da Vinci Code style mystery where Johnny Depp travels across Europe looking for a set of books that could bring about the antichrist. Polanski can do slow burn very well and knows how to do occult - Exhibit A being his classic Rosemary's Baby. While I'm not as hard on it as audiences, it's just flat and overlong.  GRADE: C

OTHER MOMMY

(Rob Savage, 2026)

There's a reason this had such a great trailer: because it's basically a 90 minute trailer. It just moves from set piece to set piece with little flare and even less sense. Nothing is fully explained, and even the metaphor it barely hints at doesn't work. Jessica Chastain stars in this live action Coraline as the mother whose daughter starts seeing an "Other Mommy" who wreaks deadly havoc on their family's lives. The gory sequences feel cartoonish and out of place, and the Ghost Hunters-esque bit just doesn't work at all. I didn't realize that was Karen Allen as the grandmother. Cool title drop, though! GRADE: D+

THE REFLECTING SKIN

(Philip Ridley, 1991)

In 1950's Idaho, a young boy begins to suspect his widowed neighbor (Lindsay Duncan) is a vampire responsible for several deaths and might be trying to turn his veteran brother (Viggo Mortensen, mumbling all his lines). Even with that description, I don't think you can prepare for this genuinely odd, dream-like film. It's kind of a mess - a strange blend of art house eroticism, American Gothic, pulp vampire tale, and coming of age film. The acting is over the top. That said, it's jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The cinematography is worth the price of admission alone. Those amber waves! GRADE: B

Some rewatches...

ALIENS

(James Cameron, 1986)

Reviewed Ridley Scott's original masterpiece here. I know it's a contentious debate over which one is better and I'm firmly on the side of the original. I do love this one, too. It's a technical marvel even after 40 years, and of course there's Miss Weaver's Oscar-nominated turn. Sigourney returns as Ellen Ripley, who is found 57 years after the events of the first film. She's brought on to a mission with some marines to investigate why a colony on the moon went dark. (Critters, obviously.) Far more of an action movie than a horror like the original, but it works so well. GRADE: A-

BURNT OFFERINGS

(Dan Curtis, 1986)

Another movie I watched a couple decades ago, but I couldn't remember how I felt about it. I'm mostly positive on it, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. A family moves into an old estate for the summer, and begins exhibiting strange behavior as the house seems to have control of them. The cast (Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Bette Davis!!!) is great, and the actors are bringing way more to the material than is actually there. The film is way too long and repetitive, but I appreciate the more psychological approach to a haunted house film. I'd totally live in that house! GRADE: B-

HOUSE

(Steve Miner, 1986)

I saw this sometime in the mid aughts and didn't care for it. Figured a rewatch was due for its 40th as its a movie so many talk about fondly. I still don't care for it. A writer (William Katt) struggling to put together his newest project about his time in Vietnam temporarily moves into his aunt's house after she died by suicide. Strange things start happening. There's a bit too much trauma dumped on to the main character (Vietnam! Divorce! Missing Child!), and the film doesn't blend its comedy and horror elements so well. It feels like a second rate Sam Raimi. Haven't seen any of the sequels, not sure I ever will. GRADE: C

SOUL SURVIVORS

(Stephen Carpenter, 2001)

Carnival of Souls knockoff in which a young woman and her friends on their first night away at college are involved in a deadly car accident. Several weeks later, Cassie (Melissa Sagemiller) finds herself drifting between reality and dreams, with visions of the dead haunting both. I believe I thought this was okay when I saw it shortly after it was released, but now can confirm it's absolute shit. It makes little to no sense, just a collection of scenes that other movies (namely Carnival and Jacob's Ladder) have done much better. Also, how did they have a midterm three weeks into the semester? GRADE: D

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE

(Tobe Hooper, 1974)

I had the chance to see this on the big screen for the first time ever. Just me and some other old guy in the theater, but oh so worth it. I reviewed it here for its 50th and I stand by what I said. Never turn down an opportunity to see these movies on the big screen. GRADE: A

And now the big screen Cape Fears. I saw the '91 version many years ago. I have no intention on watching the recent limited series despite it having quite a few people involved that I like. That said, the best version of this story is obviously The Simpsons.

CAPE FEAR

(J. Lee Thompson, 1962)

Tense thriller about a psychopath who served eight years in prison for assault. After his release, he stalks and torments the lawyer who witnessed the crime helping to put him behind bars. Robert Mitchum is a villain for the ages, an absolute nasty creation who pushes the limits of what could be seen (but mostly implied) in a film for this era. Between this and The Night of the Hunter, he delivered the goods for movie sickos. Hitchcock's influence is heavy particularly with that iconic Bernard Herrmann score, but the film feels much darker. GRADE: A-

CAPE FEAR

(Martin Scorsese, 1991)

Pulpy remake and one of Scorsese's most mainstream films follows a newly released convict (Robert De Niro) stalking the former public defender (Nick Notle) who withheld evidence causing his sentence. Everything is considerably more over the top for the update, and it works extremely well. It makes the film's best sequence stand out even more - the mid movie scene involving Cady trying to seduce the daughter (Juliette Lewis, who well earned her only Oscar nomination here). Scorsese beings the sexual subtext straight to the surface. GRADE: A-

I also have no intention of watching the new Carrie series despite liking some of Flanagan's limited series. I have seen the 2013 remake which I found to be middling. I haven't seen the TV movie from 2002, but I might check it out if I have time this year.

CARRIE

(Brian De Palma, 1976)

I think I’ve only seen this once the whole way through previously in the late 90’s. Though outside of his Hitchcock fetishization (I’m not sure we need the Psycho score to be used so blatantly) this is De Palma at his peak. An outcast teenage girl suffers a humiliating locker room experience (who hasn’t?) causing the popular kids to get in trouble, so they decide to get revenge on her at the prom. Also she’s telekinetic and only discovering her abilities. And her mom is a religious fanatic. Good times! Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie own this, both were deservingly nominated for Oscars. I’m not sure if Carrie is the first horror film to score multiple acting nominations. The cinematography of the famed prom sequence is dazzling and dreamy, still a powerful sequence after all these years. GRADE: A-

THE RAGE: CARRIE 2

(Katt Shea, 1999)

I haven't seen this since I saw it opening day in theaters. Two decades since that bloody prom night, another teenage girl finds herself with telekinetic abilities and using them to seek vengeance. Her best friend committed suicide after being humiliated by a group of jocks who try to have sex with girls just to score points in a cruel game. Sadly, some of the issues presented in the film are still timely. The film, however, is mostly a stale remake of the original, but Emily Bergl is compelling as the lead. Amy Irving is the only actor to return from the first with there being quite a bit of footage from it sprinkled throughout. And some random black and white shots that add very little. GRADE: C

Lastly, The Fly and its remake. There are several other sequels to both of these, but I couldn't get access to all of them so I just went with these two. No limited series as far as I know...yet. (Be very afraid, indeed.) The 1958 one is a first watch.

THE FLY

(Kurt Neumann, 1958)

After a scientist is found dead in a hydraulic press, his wife recounts the story of how he worked on a molecular transporter that caused him to turn into a human-fly hybrid. I wasn't able to get access to any of the sequels, but I hope to in the future. I enjoyed this, a very good example of the schlocky B-movie monster pictures of the era. David Hedison was swoon-worthy as the lead, outside of his transformation of course. The Fly has quite a few classic moments that have been parodied over the years, but the film seems to always have its tongue in its cheek. GRADE: B+

THE FLY

(David Cronenberg, 1986)

I think I first saw this on cable when I was a pre-teen and vividly remember the arm wrestling sequence. If I recall, I might have seen the sequel first but I had to be really young. I did try to get that film to watch but it proved to be hard to get a hold of. Oscar-winning makeup is the highlight of Cronenberg's most mainstream film focusing on a scientist (Jeff Goldblum) who turns into a fly after his experiments with teleportation backfire. It smartly uses the original's story as a jumping off point before going deep into body horror. Wonderfully gross, with Goldblum and Geena Davis making a sexy team. GRADE: A-

Recently Watched Movies (July - 2026)

The Cycle (Downey, 2026) - B+

The Creature Walks Among Us (Sherwood, 1956) - C+

Hannibal (Scott, 2001) - B

Dragonwyck (Mankiewicz, 1946) - B+

Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy (Lamont, 1955) - C

Revenge of the Creature (Arnold, 1955) - C+

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock, 1956) - B

The Skin I Live In (Almodóvar, 2011) - B

The Howling (Dante, 1981) - B+

The Hills Have Eyes (Aja, 2006) - B+

Exit 8 (Kawamura, 2026) - C

Creature From the Black Lagoon (Arnold, 1954) - B+

Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man (Lamont, 1951) - C

The Descent (Marshall, 2006) - A-

The Bad Seed (LeRoy, 1956) - B

Tamara (Haft, 2006) - D

From Hell (Hughes Brothers, 2001) - B-

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (Barton, 1948) - B

Mary Reilly (Frears, 1996) - B-

The Ghost and the Darkness (Hopkins, 1996) - C+

Sometimes They Come Back (McLoughlin, 1991) - C

April Fool's Day (Walton, 1986) - B+

She-Wolf of London (Yarbrough, 1946) - B

The Silence of the Lambs (Demme, 1991) - A

Half Light (Rosenberg, 2006) - C

Death Ship (Rakoff, 1980) - C

House of Dracula (Kenton, 1945) - B-

The Pit and the Pendulum (Corman, 1961) - B

Whalefall (Duffield, 2026) - C+

The Mummy's Curse (Goodwins, 1944) - B-

Street Fighter (Sakurai, 2026) - C-

House of Frankenstein (Kenton, 1944) - B

Cape Fear (Scorsese, 1991) - A-

The Mummy's Ghost (LeBorg, 1944) - C

Other Mommy (Savage, 2026) - D+

Sense & Sensibility (Oakley, 2026) - C+

The Invisible Man's Revenge (Beebe, 1944) - C

Heart of the Beast (Ayer, 2026) - C+

Burnt Offerings (Curtis, 1976) - B-

Strangers On a Train (Hitchcock, 1951) - B+

House (Miner, 1986) - C

Son of Dracula (Siodmak, 1933) - B-

Crawlspace (Schmoeller, 1986) - C

The Fly (Cronenberg, 1986) - A-

Cape Fear (Thompson, 1962) - A-

Phantom of the Opera (Lubin, 1943) - B+

After Dark, My Sweet (Foley, 1990) - B+

Alligator II: The Mutation (Hess, 1991) - D

The Rage: Carrie 2 (Shea, 1999) - C

Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (Neill, 1943) - B-

Angel and the Badman (Quintana, 2026) - C-

The Mummy's Tomb (Young, 1942) - B-

Verity (Showalter, 2026) - C-

Invisible Agent (Marin, 1942) - B-

The Ghost of Frankenstein (Kenton, 1942) - B-

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Hooper, 1974) - A

Primetime (Oppenheim, 2026) - B+

The Wolfman (Waggner, 1941) - B

The Social Reckoning (Sorkin, 2026) - C

The Ninth Gate (Polanski, 2000) - C

Moffie (Hermanus, 2021) - B+

Deadly Blessing (Craven, 1981) - C+

The Invisible Woman (Sutherland, 1940) - B

Aliens (Cameron, 1986) - A-

Parting Glances (Sherwood, 1986) - B+

The Reflecting Skin (Ridley, 1991) - B

The Mummy's Hand (Cabanne, 1940) - C

Soul Survivors (Carpenter, 2001) - D

Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) - A

The Invisible Man Returns (May, 1940) - C+

Son of Frankenstein (Lee, 1939) - B

Beware Boiúna (Nelson, 2026) - C+

Digger (Iñárritu, 2026) - C+

Dracula's Daughter (Hillyer, 1936) - B

Werewolf of London (Walker, 1935) - B

Bride of Frankenstein (Whale, 1935) - A-

Willard (Mann, 1971) - B

Beavis and Butthead Do America (Judge, 1996) - B

Stephen King's Thinner (Holland, 1996) - D-

The Invisible Man (Whale, 1933) - B+

Poltergeist (Kenan, 2015) - B

Tuner (Roher, 2026) - B+

The Mummy (Freund, 1932) - B+

Jeepers Creepers (Salva, 2001) - B+

The Dentist (Yuzna, 1996) - D+

Frankenstein (Whale, 1931) - A

Practical Magic 2 (Bier, 2026) - C

Dracula (Browning, 1931) - A-

Resident Evil (Cregger, 2026) - B

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956) - A-

Mars Attacks (Burton, 1996) - B

Forgotten Island (Crawford & Mercado, 2026) - B

Forbidden Planet (Wilcox, 1956) - B+

Big Night (Scott & Tucci, 1996) - B+

The Crow: City of Angels (Pope, 1996) - D+

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Spielberg, 2001) - B+

Mulholland Dr. (Lynch, 2001) - A

My Bloody Valentine (Mihalka, 1981) - B+

Play Misty For Me (Eastwood, 1971) - B-

Tales From the Cyrpt: Bordello of Bood (Adler, 1996) - C

The Hitcher (Harmon, 1986) - B+

Gilda (Vidor, 1946) - B+

Scary Movie 2 (Wayans, 2001) - C+

The Furious (Tanigaki, 2026) - B

Fear (Foley, 1996) - B+

Carrie (De Palma, 1976) - A-

The Fly (Neumann, 1958) - B+

The Arrival (Twohy, 1996) - C

The Weight (McKinley, 2026) - B

Coyote Vs. Acme (Green, 2026) - B

Caveat (McCarthy, 2020) - B-

Ghostwatch (Manning, 1992) - B

Critters 4 (Harvey, 1992) - C-

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (Cox & Walker, 2026) - B

Hell Night (DeSimone, 1981) - B

Dark Harvest (Slade, 2023) - C-

Piggy (Martínez-Pereda, 2022) - B

Tourist Trap (Schmoeller, 1979) - B

The Craft (Fleming, 1996) - A-

The Frighteners (Jackson, 1996) - B+

Pulse (Kurosawa, 2001) - B+

Critters 3 (Peterson, 1991) - C-

Donnie Darko (Kelly, 2001) - A-

Little Shop of Horrors (Oz, 1986) - A-

Bad Moon (Red, 1996) - C-

By Any Means (Bratton, 2026) - C

Critters 2 (Garris, 1988)

Hope (Na, 2026) - B-

The Money Pit (Benjamin, 1986) - C+

Habit (Fessenden, 1997) - B+

Red Rooms (Plante, 2024) - A-

Saccharine (James, 2026) - B-

Whistle (Hardy, 2026) - B-

Ghosts of Mars (Carpenter, 2001) - B

Big Trouble In Little China (Carpenter, 1986) - B

This Is Not a Test (MacDonald, 2026) - D+

Night Patrol (Prows, 2026) - C

From Dusk Till Dawn (Rodriguez, 1996) - A-

Diabolique (Chechik, 1996) - C+

Sorority House Massacre (Frank, 1986) - C-

Chopping Mall (Wynorski, 1986) - B-

Runner (Waugh, 2026) - C-

Onslaught (Wingard, 2026) - C+

The Last Picture Show (Bogdanovich, 1971) - A

The Innocents (Clayton, 1961) - A-

A Bay of Blood (Bava, 1971) - C+

The Sun Never Sets (Swanberg, 2026) - C+

The Dog Stars (Scott, 2026) - C+

The Prowler (Zito, 1981)

The Thing From Another World (Nyby, 1951) - B+

Dead & Buried (Sherman, 1981) - B+

Grizzly (Girdler, 1976) - B-

Escape From L.A. (Carpenter, 1996) - B-

The Darkest Hour (Gorak, 2011) - C-

Graduation Day (Freed, 1981) - C

King Kong (Guillermin, 1976) - C+

Return to Silent Hill (Gans, 2026) - D

Hell House LLC (Cognetti, 2015) - C

Critters (Herek, 1986) - B-

Escape From New York (Carpenter, 1981) - A-

The Searchers (Ford, 1956) - B+

A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1971) - A-

Suspicion (Hitchcock, 1941) - B+

A Streetcar Named Desire (Kazan, 1951) - A-

Cast a Deadly Spell (Campbell, 1991) - C+

Tony (Johnson, 2026) - B+

Caddo Lake (George & Held, 2024) - B

Salem's Lot (Dauberman, 2024) - C

Finding Emily (MacDonald, 2026) - B-

The Battle of Algiers (Pontecorvo, 1966) - A-

Fly Away Home (Ballard, 1996) - B+

Masculin Féminin (Godard, 1966) - A-

Jerry Maguire (Crowe, 1996) - B

Quo Vadis (LeRoy, 1951) - B-

The Long Kiss Goodnight (Harlin, 1996) - B+

The Misfits (Huston, 1961) - B+

The Chase (Penn, 1966) - B-

One Million Years B.C. (Chaffey, 1966) - B

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Schoenbrun, 2026) - B-

The Magic Faraway Tree (Gregor, 2026) -  C+

My Dinner With Andre (Malle, 1981) - A-

Spa Weekend (Lucas & Moore, 2026) - C-

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (Cassavetes, 1976) - B

Insidious: Out of the Further (Chase, 2026) - C+

Cold Storage (Campbell, 2026) - C

Mutiny (Richet, 2026) - C

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (Berlinger & Sinofsky, 1996) - A-

Reds (Beatty, 1981) - A-

Assault on Precinct 13 (Carpenter, 1976) - A

Body Heat (Kasdan, 1981) - A-

Deep Water (Harlin, 2026) - C-

Emma (McGrath, 1996) - B

Thief (Mann, 1981) - B+

Sexy Beast (Glazer, 2001) - B+

Mother Mary (Lowery, 2026) - B+

The End of Oak Street (Mitchell, 2026) - B+

Rashomon (Kurosawa, 1951) - A-

Down By Law (Jarmusch, 1986) - B+

The Prince of Tides (Streisand, 1991) - B-

The Odyssey (Nolan, 2026) - B+

Victim (Dearden, 1961) - B+

Your Name. (Shinkai, 2016) - B

Secrets & Lies (Leigh, 1996) - A

Excalibur (Boorman, 1981) - C

In Love and War (Attenborough, 1996) - C

Legally Blonde (Luketic, 2001) - B+

Starter For 10 (Vaughan, 2006) - B+

EO (Skolimowski, 2022) - B+

Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961) - B

The Sandlot (Evans, 1993) - B

Paris Is Burning (Livingston, 1991) - A

Fat Girl (Breillat, 2001) - B+

Harlan County USA (Kopple, 1976) - A-

Super Troopers 3 (Chandrasekhar, 2026) - C-

One Night Only (Gluck, 2026) - C+

Mona Lisa (Jordan, 1986) - B+

Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) - A

The Bride! (Gyllenhaal, 2026) - C

If These Walls Could Talk (Savoca & Cher, 1996) - B

Pillion (Lighton, 2025) - B+

Letters From Iwo Jima (Eastwood, 2006) - B+

How To Make a Killing (Ford, 2026) - B

Brief Encounter (Lean, 1946) - A-

Dust Bunny (Fuller, 2025) - B-

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (Capra, 1936) - B+

Ridicule (Leconte, 1996) - B+

Old Joy (Reichardt, 2006) - A-

Dead of Winter (Kirk, 2025) - B

The Proposition (Hillcoat, 2006) - B+

That Hamilton Woman (Korda, 1941) - B+

Breaking the Waves (von Trier, 1996) - B+

Memento (Nolan, 2001) - B+

Waking Life (Linklater, 2001) - B-

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Cretton, 2026) - C

Pretty In Pink (Deutch, 1986) - B

The Best Years of Our Lives (Wyler, 1946) - A-

Grand Canyon (Kasdan, 1991) - B

Stonewall (Finch, 1996) - B

Miami Vice (Mann, 2006) - B

The Tailor of Panama (Boorman, 2001) - C

Blow-Up (Antonioni, 1966) - B+

Modern Times (Chaplin, 1936) - A-

Haunted Heist (Howery, 2026) - D

City Lights (Chaplin, 1931) - A

La Cérémonie (Chabrol, 1996) - A-

Her Private Hell (Refn, 2026) - D

My Man Godfrey (La Cava, 1936) - B+

Motor City (Ponciroli, 2026) - B-

The Little Foxes (Wyler, 1941) - A-

Fiddler on the Roof (Jewison, 1971) - B

All the King's Men (Zaillian, 2006) - C-

Platoon (Stone, 1986) - A-

The Killing (Kubrick, 1956) - A-

The Good Shepherd (De Niro, 2006) - C+

Annette (Carax, 2021) - C

The Invite (Wilde, 2026) - B+

Hoosiers (Anspaugh, 1986) - B-

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (Hewitt, 1991) - C+

The Birdcage (Nichols, 1996) - B+

Walkabout (Roeg, 1971) - A-

A Safe Place (Jaglom, 1971) - B-

9 1/2 Weeks (Lyne, 1986) - B+

The Pallbearer (Reeves, 1996) - B+

Heartbreakers (Mirkin, 2001) - C+

Not Another Teen Movie (Gallen, 2001) - B

History of the World - Part 1 (Brooks, 1981) - B-

Evil Dead Burn (Vaniček, 2026) - C+

New Jack City (Van Peeples, 1991) - C

Moana (Kail, 2026) - C-

Silent Movie (Brooks, 1976) - B

The Public Enemy (Wellman, 1931) - B+

Beauty and the Beast (Trousdale & Wise, 1991) - B+

Hot Shots! (Abrahams, 1991) - B+

Thelma and Louise (Scott, 1991) - A

The Fox and the Hound (Berman, Rich & Stevens, 1981) - B

Backrooms (Parsons, 2026) - C+

Obsession (Barker, 2026) - B

Minions & Monsters (Coffin, 2026) - B-

Twister (de Bont, 1996) - B

Heavy (Mangold, 1996) - B-

Flower Drum Song (Koster, 1961) - B-

Young Washington (Erwin, 2026) - C-

Supergirl (Gillespie, 2026) - C