(Guillermo del Toro, 1993)
Del Toro's first feature film is about an ancient device that finds its way into a present day (for 1993) antiques shop. The device hooks into its owner, giving them eternal life...and a lust for blood. Well made with the typical del Toro elegance and fascination with the beautifully grotesque. Makeup work - the old fashioned practical kind - is solid. Not quite to the level of the filmmaker's best - those would in my opinion be Pan's Labyrinth and Crimson Peak - but still a good genre entry and a debut that shows the promise of one of our most interesting filmmakers. I thought the entire film was in Mexican, but it turns out some is in English, courtesy of co-star Ron Perlman. GRADE: B
(Jerry Zucker, 1990)
As I've stated many times, I try to find a few films with elements suitable for Halloween that aren't all-out horror films or completely non-horror films. Surprisingly, I never thought of this supernatural-themed dramedy until this year. Patrick Swayze plays a murdered banker who's soul has unfinished business. His widow (Demi Moore) is in danger and the only way to get to her is through a phony psychic (Whoopi Goldberg, in an Oscar-winning role). It has sappy moments, but they work in the way only a big budget studio movie could. Very entertaining, with great work from the three leads. Tony Goldwyn also appears and he must have had made a deal with some dark forces given how well he's aged. Dude was always hot. GRADE: B+
(Eli Roth, 2018)
Say what you will about Roth, but his films are rarely dull. I hate to use the word boring to describe a film, but this was such a non-event I couldn't wait for it to be over. It's not bad at all, and certainly has elements that I can usually appreciate, but it was just very uninvolving. A young orphan is taken in by his eccentric uncle, a sorcerer. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star, and their banter may be the most amusing part of the film. That and the demented pumpkins. More horror-themed family films, please! Just make them a little more entertaining and lively. GRADE: C
MAGIC
(Richard Attenborough, 1978)
Anthony Hopkins stars as a magician/ventriloquist in a psychological downward spiral, and his breakdown is only aided by his dummy who has murder on his wooden mind. Hopkins received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his role in this. While I don't know how close he was to an Oscar nomination given the race of that respective year, he would have been wholly deserving. His work here may be overshadowed by his iconic work in The Silence of the Lambs, but this villainous performance deserves to stand right along that one. Portions of the film may be a little too sedate, but this is a good character study. Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith co-star. GRADE: B
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