Diary of the Dead (2008)
Filed Under Classics, Series, Zombies | Leave a Comment
Pub quiz stalwarts will be familiar with the perennial question of which is the only band to have had a number one hit in every decade since the 1960s (answers on a postcard). Zombie film stalwarts are unlikely to need much prodding to point to George A. Romero as having (almost, if you skip the ‘90s) achieved a similar feat. Opinions on whether he has achieved a hit with the fifth entry into his rightly historic Dead series vary from review to review. Whilst the mainstream press is generally enthusiastic, genre commentators are divided and have, rarely for Romero, often been the source of vocal criticism. Read more
Godzilla (aka Gojira) (1954)
Filed Under Asian movies, Black and white, Classics, Monsters, Movies, Sci-fi | Leave a Comment
It’s a testament to how much of a bad rap the film Godzilla has received over the years that any discussion of the movie always has to start with a clarification of which film you’re talking about. No, it’s not the 1998 abomination with Matthew Broderick; no, it’s not the re-edit with Raymond Burr and a bunch of dubbed Japanese actors; and it’s not even any of the sequels you maybe dimly remember being showed on TV during the holidays. It’s the very first Godzilla film, made in 1954, released in Japan under the title of Gojira, and it’s a masterpiece. Read more
Re-Animator (1985)
Filed Under Classics, Creepy stuff, Kitsch, Zombies | Leave a Comment
Given that 1985 saw the release of both Re-Animator and Dan O’Bannon’s The Return Of The Living Dead, it’s a shame to reflect that the splatter horror has never really enjoyed a sustained level of output. Periodic stops and starts have whetted the appetite but have usually been followed by a series of sequels of decreasing quality and all too infrequent original output. I think this is a real shame, as splatter horror as a sub-genre naturally lends itself to a cross between the niche and general viewer. As well as being great for horror output in itself, this realisation of a duel market is also why splatter horrors, when done properly, can be among the most original, inventive and damned well enjoyable films going. Read more
Tenebrae (1982)
Filed Under Classics, Movies, Nasties, Serial killers, Slashers | Leave a Comment
After the candy-coloured supernatural nightmares of Suspiria and Inferno, Tenebrae marked director Dario Argento’s return to the graphic murder mysteries with which he made his name as a director. It tells the story of American crime novelist Peter Neal, who comes to Rome to promote his latest book; soon after his arrival, however, he discovers that a murderer is on the rampage using his novels as inspiration and leaving pages from them at the crime scene. Along with his PA Anne, Neal is drawn into the investigation as the bodies start to pile up… Read more
Black Lagoon show #1 - Fulci and the Gates of Hell
Filed Under Podcast | 1 Comment
In the first Black Lagoon podcast, we’ll be discussing Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” trilogy - City of the Living Dead, The Beyond and The House By The Cemetery. Following the world-wide success of Zombie Flesheaters, Fulci tried to take the Italian zombie film into a completely new direction with these films, and we’ll be discussing how far he succeeded. Read more
Podcast
