John Dubrawa

John Dubrawa's picture
Staff Writer
I’m a late start to the horror movie scene. It’s not that I didn’t watch horror movies when I was a kid and hid under the covers during the scary parts, I just didn’t start appreciating the artistry behind the films until just recently. Since that time, however, I’ve fully immersed myself in the genre: I’ve been to horror conventions, started collecting memorabilia, gotten two themed tattoos (one of Freddy Krueger and one of Jason Voorhees with more to come), and had dinner with the one and only Gunnar Hansen.

"You like that kind of stuff?" That’s the most typical reaction that I receive whenever I tell someone that I write horror movie reviews. I don’t know if it’s a reaction to the genre in general or if it has something to do with me. I’m a twenty-something College graduate (nearly) that works at a theme park sitting behind the desk of a cubicle wearing collared shirts and slacks. I’m not what people expect a horror enthusiast to look like, but then again, did Damien look like he could be the Devil’s demon spawn? Okay, bad example, but hopefully you catch my drift.

As well as being a horror fanatic and somewhat of a buff, I’m also big into film in general, hockey (the New Jersey Devils, how fitting), comic books, and Star Wars. When I’m not starting longingly at the two eight-foot tall banners for the film "Freddy vs Jason" that I have hanging in my den, I’m either out with friends, playing video games, or writing. I’m currently majoring in Film with a minor in Creative Writing, so my mind is usually on my writing. One day, I’ll be making a living out of watching movies and critiquing them.
Posts by John Dubrawa

Review: The Virgin Spring (1960)

Virgin Spring poster
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Mon, 2009-10-12 18:46
Shocktober Classics 2009: Staff Screams

The Virgin Spring takes characters of complete innocence that are spiritually devout and forces them into situations of unadulterated evil, then questions the believability of a faith whose God would allow for such atrocities to occur. But Bergman isn't just questioning Christianity with his film; he's looking for answers from his audience. What he's putting on screen are scenarios that remain unfiltered; Bergman presents both scenes of rape and violent retribution without an opinion or without shying away from one or the other. He knows that both actions are reprehensible and that's the point. He leaves the audience with the gavel to decide the fates of his characters. Is the revenge that is sought (and had) in the film morally just because of the actions that come before it or are the characters that commit heinous crimes in the film all linked together as murderers of the same flock?(read more...)

Review: Dog Soldiers (2002)

Dog Soldiers poster
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Sun, 2009-06-21 12:08

You get the sense from watching Dog Soldiers that first time writer-director Neil Marshall had this great idea for a survival horror movie about werewolves, but also in the back of his mind had created a colorful cast of action-cliché characters and ultimately decided it would be fun just to pit the two against one another in an action-horror mash-up with a little British humor thrown in for good measure. There's no doubt that the mix of thrilling chase sequences and wince-inducing gore is fun to watch, especially when the word "bollocks" gets tossed around a lot during these scenes. But the fun in Dog Soldiers lasts for merely the first act of the film. After that, the film slows down considerably and the remaining two acts are comprised of predictable action and boring characters. It's a shame to see a promising director run through his reserves so quickly. (read more...)

Review: Godzilla 2000 (1999)

Godzilla 2000 poster
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Mon, 2009-05-18 22:40
Godzilla Week

Previous Godzilla lore is cast aside in Takao Okawara’s Godzilla 2000, a sustainable attempt to resurrect Japan’s greatest movie monster in the new millennium. After over twenty films, Godzilla has been woven through plots that are beginning to tangle on themselves. It is refreshing not to have to think about how Godzilla could both have sired a son in Son of Godzilla and been a mother in the American-made Godzilla (1998). Okawara’s efforts to restore Godzilla back to his original conception are well-intended, though the execution is heavily flawed. Instead of a Godzilla that puts fear back into the audience’s hearts, we’re given a Godzilla that we cannot help but laugh at. Godzilla 2000 is no better than the previous incarnations that it is trying to so hard to forget, purposely-bad English dubbing, silly battle sequences, and a lame-duck plot that only serves to fuel the fire.(read more...)

Review: I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

I Spit on Your Grave poster
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Mon, 2009-03-09 02:00
Reader's Choice

There is a morbid curiosity that lingers over I Spit on Your Grave, a film that in the thirty-years since its original theatrical run1 has gained cult status for its depravity. I admit to being someone with such a curiosity, which began when I read that Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel had called it the worst film they had ever seen and launched a successful campaign to have the film pulled from the United Artist Theater in Chicago2. Something in me had to know if the film reviled so much could be that bad, if the controversy surrounding its depictions of violence and rape against women was appropriate or misconstrued, and whether or not the film needed to be discussed further.(read more...)

Review: Tremors (1990)

Tremors poster
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Tue, 2009-02-17 22:45

Never have I seen a small town setting work for a movie as well as Perfection, Nevada works for Tremors. Sure, the actors are top-notch and the right choice for their characters, the effects are convincing, and the script is ripe with sarcasm and wit, but the setting is what ties all of these elements together. Perfection is an ex-mining town of 14 residents; if it truly existed, it would be on a map just so vacationers could drive through it and count all the people.(read more...)

more

Search

Classic-Horror is © by Answer 42 Media, 1999-present (Contact Form, RSS Feed). All Rights Reserved. Other materials are owned by their respective copyright holders, and will not be infringed upon herein.