movie review

Movie reviews for horror fans; from gruesome bone-chillers to dark horror thrillers, a showcase for frightful films that seek to entertain and to terrify.

Horror Classics: The Vampire Lovers
I love horror movies and I especially love the old Hammer horror movies of the 1950's and 60's. For this reason, I figured I'd take a look at some of my favorite classic horror movies. Yes, for those wondering, this is a new series; I need something different to write about and horror movies is the topic I've chosen.
By Greg Seebregts6 years ago in Horror
PAUSE: A Closer Look at Bergman's 'Hour of the Wolf' (1968)
Many have heralded Bergman’s films ‘The Seventh Seal’ and 'Persona' for their unflinching look at dark, subjective themes like mentality, death, belief and sexuality. However, there is one film that is seemingly left trailing in the wake of these titans by viewers and critics alike. Exploring the theme of isolation, both mental and physical, as well as other Bergman-esque themes, 'Hour of the Wolf' is nothing short of a forgotten masterpiece. While it is ambiguous, muddled and at times, hard to follow, the film is an enthralling depiction of one man's spiral into madness, and the ineptitude of his wife in knowing how to save him. 'Hour of the Wolf'' has brilliance in its ambiguity; the dream-like feeling of the film adds to the sense of one's sanity crumbling at the foundations. Its imagery, dialogue and cinematography are dazzling in their gloomy, melancholic brilliance.
By Dani Buckley6 years ago in Horror
‘Psycho’ vs. ‘Dressed to Kill’: Who Wore It Better?
If Mister Hitchcock never met Mrs. Hitchcock, then we wouldn’t have Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill (1980). Between its ill-fated leading lady and its cross-dressing serial killer with dissociative identity disorder, Dressed to Kill is De Palma’s answer to Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). De Palma is a cinematic Kanye West, remixing other artists you’ve already seen before until he composes a medley unlike any you’ve seen before. In particular, the Master of Suspense is a favorite muse of De Palma’s, inspiring everything from his Obsession (1976) to his Body Double (1984).
By MovieBabble6 years ago in Horror
The Vast of Night
The Vast of Night, made in 2019, up on Amazon Prime just at the end of May, has received enthusiastic reviews in publications as intellectually (if not physically) far apart as The New York Times and The New York Post. As usual, I don't quite agree with them. And though my disagreement is usually I think a film or TV series is much better than the carping reviews, in this case it's somewhat the opposite: though The Vast of Night had its moments, I didn't think it was quite that much.
By Paul Levinson6 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'Doom: Annihilation' (2019)
You may remember from my review of the original Doom (2005), that fans were unnecessarily critical of it for not really using any of the video game cannon. My response to this was, "So the fuck what?" It had all the right elements for a fun action/horror, and still had enough similarities with the video game franchise to call itself Doom. It also pioneered the FPS movie years before things like Hardcore Harry or Found Footage Hybrids like Chernobyl Diaries.
By Reed Alexander6 years ago in Horror
‘Lake Of Death’ is a Little Too Old Fashioned
For a country with a population of only five million people, Norway punches above its weight in the world of scary movies. Maybe it’s the unfathomable depths of the fjords, maybe it’s the long dark winters, or maybe it’s the trauma of eating lutefisk, but the Norwegians understand horror. Will Lake Of Death create its own cult following like many Norwegian properties to come before, such as Troll Hunter, Dead Snow, or Rare Exports?
By MovieBabble6 years ago in Horror
‘Relic’ is a Masterclass in Independent Horror
When I saw Relic at the Sundance Premiere in January (it feels like an eternity ago), I was floored. Catching up with the film before sitting down to pen this, soon to be, overwhelmingly positive review, I was still floored. In her directorial debut, Natalie Erika James has crafted a horrific masterpiece on par with the likes of Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele‘s theatrical debuts in The Evil Dead and Get Out, respectively.
By MovieBabble6 years ago in Horror
MASTERMINDS IN HORROR MOVIES
Norman Bates Psycho (1960) Sometimes the best way to fool the world is to believe your own lie. At first glance, Norman Bates seems like the most harmless guy in the universe: he’s polite, soft-spoken, and awkward around women. But beneath this non-threatening exterior lurks a dangerous individual with a severe case of mommy issues. When Marion gets stabbed to death at the Bates Motel, we’re led to believe that it’s the work of Norman’s overly possessive mother. Only later do we learn this “mother” is none other than an alternate personality created by Norman’s troubled mind. Hardly anyone could’ve suspected this timid motel owner to be capable of such brutal murders - least of all himself.
By FRANK6 years ago in Horror
TOP 5 CURSED MOVIES
The Omen (1976) It's not difficult to imagine the sort of heebie-jeebies that filmmakers probably experienced shooting "The Omen" back in the mid-70s. After all, it was Satan's big moment in the sun, after the success of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist" made everyone terrified of what was lurking in the dark. Some very real incidents surrounded production on "The Omen," however, from the pre-production suicide of Gregory Peck's son to some serious airline issues, like lightning strikes to the fatal crash of a small plane carrying film crew. Finally, special effects lead John Richardson, who was responsible for the film's infamous beheading scene, was involved in a tragic car accident after shooting "The Omen," where his passenger, assistant and girlfriend Liz Moore, suffered the same, grisly fate.
By FRANK6 years ago in Horror
‘The Beach House’ is a Great Place to Stay for Horror Fans
Young couple Emily and Randall (Liana Liberato and Noah Le Gros) travel to a getaway beach house for a weekend of relaxation. On arrival, they find the beach house double-booked with an older couple Jane and Mitch (Maryann Nagel and Jake Weber). There’s a brief period where The Beach House may go down the route of something like Ma or Get Out with the welcoming elders being slightly off. However, the senior pair are actually just warm and friendly. It’s telling how much that idea can be toyed with in the horror field, as so many films overplay the “niceness is camouflage” trope.
By MovieBabble6 years ago in Horror
Low Budget Horror Films That Reached Number One At The Box Office
Get Out (2017) Jordan Peele’s revered directorial debut is a nuanced, multi-layered story that defied the horror genre to which it aspired, resulting in a fantastically crafted, not to mention Academy Award-Winning, film.
By FRANK6 years ago in Horror
"Well that was a mistake"; A Bad Movie Review of Dolly Dearest (1991, Maria Lease)
I really hate dolls in horror movies. Don't get me wrong, I don't find them scary. I find them to be the poorest excuse for a horror antagonist ever conceived. They may be creepy set props but you can not honestly be scared of a doll coming at you with a knife or chainsaw. Ok well, in the ludicrous hypothetical scenario of that happening you'd likely be shitting you pants in terror but as trash movies go, it is a hilarious trope of film making failure. Fair enough if your film is tongue and cheek and not entirely serious, you can pull it off and have something that is genuinely fun and humorous to watch.
By Craig York6 years ago in Horror