Dracula (1931)

There have been numerous attempts to adapt Bram Stoker’s landmark work to the big screen but the one that still stands above all others is Universal’s 1931 offering. That is not to say that Todd Browning didn’t make mistakes-he did-but the end result is perhaps the definitive telling of the perennial tale of Count Dracula. Read more

Martin (1978)

Martin more than deserves its reputation as the best of George Romero’s ‘non-Dead’ movies. Stylish, intelligent and deeply troubling in its implications, it’s impossible to watch without detecting Romero’s hand at the wheel. He sets about deconstructing the myths of vampirism much more overtly than in his subtle analysis of zombies and the undead, but the skill with which Romero crafts the tale leads the viewer very quickly into a minefield of moral confusion and offers few pointers as to who is right and who is wrong. Read more

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

I’ve always wondered why there is always so much litter blowing around in end of the world films. Where does it all come from? Sure, you’d expect a certain amount of societal flotsam to be kicking around the place for the first few months after we’d all gone under, but wouldn’t it all get blown into the sea at some point? Have our geography teachers being deceiving us all along about prevailing winds? Read more