Cloverfield (2008)
Filed Under Monsters, Movies, Sci-fi | 1 Comment
The theme of the ‘common man’ is a recurrent one in poetry, the idea being that an untrained mind (as opposed to, oh, the massive genius of the poet let’s say) has a purer, more honest, richer and therefore more interesting experience than a mind bogged down by intellectual matters. Unhappily, that patronising assertion is alive and well in the entertainment industry, as manifested in the current obsession with “user generated content”. Read more
Phenomena (aka Creepers) (1985)
Filed Under Creepy stuff, Italian, Movies, Serial killers, Slashers | Leave a Comment
Phenomena remains one of Dario Argento’s most controversial films. Arriving in 1985, it sits on the cusp of the period when most viewers feel his directorial career went into terminal decline, and yet it arrived only three years after the masterful Tenebrae, his elegant and stylish return to the giallo - the genre he helped to define more than any other director. Mainly remembered for featuring a very young Jennifer Connelly in the lead role, Phenomena remains something of a mixed bag, but generally scores more hits than misses. Read more
Phantasm (1979)
Filed Under Classics, Creepy stuff, Series | Leave a Comment
Viewed at the time of its release as among the better of the slew of low-budget horrors to emerge in the late 1970s, Phantasm continues to attract a cult following. If you’ve got £80 or so to spare you too could own one of Tall Man’s butchering orbs, surely one of the happier consequences of the current strong £:$ rate. But is it deserving of such accolades? Read more
Return of the Evil Dead (1973)
Filed Under Movies, Sequels, Series, Zombies | 1 Comment
Confusingly, Return of the Evil Dead has nothing to do with Sam Raimi’s trilogy of horror movies. Instead, it’s the rather odd english title given to Spanish director Amando De Ossorio’s follow up to his blind-zombies-on-horseback magnum opus Tombs of the Blind Dead. Made two years later, it’s a rather less original effort than its predecessor; nevertheless, it ups the pace of Tombs and is actually a lot of fun. Read more
The Exorcist (1973)
Filed Under Classics, Creepy stuff, Movies, Nasties, The Occult | Leave a Comment
The Exorcist is that rare beast - a genre film that becomes a genuine cinematic and cultural touchpoint. A controversial phenomenon on its release - and banned in the UK until the late 90s - it achieves its unique power through William Friedkin’s deliberate, un-flashy direction and author / screenwriter William Peter Blatty’s absolutely rigid plotting and pacing. Read more
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