Our editor-in-chief Nate Yapp is proud to have contributed to the new book Hidden Horror: A Celebration of 101 Underrated and Overlooked Fright Flicks, edited by Aaron Christensen. Another contributors include Anthony Timpone, B.J. Colangelo, Dave Alexander, Classic-Horror.com's own Robert C. Ring and John W. Bowen. Pick up a copy today from Amazon.com!

Timothy J. Rush

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Posts by Timothy J. Rush

Review: Prince of Darkness (1987)

Prince of Darkness poster

There's something to admire about film makers that attempt something grand. John Carpenter, master craftsman behind The Thing and Halloween, would seem an ideal choice to create a film that treats God and the Anti-Christ with a scientific eye in the midst of a slow boil supernatural and intellectual horror thriller. What evolves out of this effort is something that is partially scientific and partially a horror film, but these parts do not gel together into a satisfying end product.(read more...)

Review: Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Dr. Phibes Rises Again poster

Some sequels are so intrinsically linked to their predecessors that they are nearly impossible to analyze on their own merits. For instance, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, released a mere fourteen months after The Abominable Dr. Phibes, relies heavily on the momentum of the earlier film. Because of the inevitable comparisons that arise in a situation like this, we can't help but see the cracks and flaws in Dr. Phibes Rises Again; this sequel does not "rise again" to the greatness of its forebear. Yet, despite this disappointment, the film still entertains and thrills. (read more...)

Review: Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Trick 'r Treat poster

When I had the good fortune of seeing Trick 'r Treat at Comic-Con International 2009, it was preceded by a short panel with the director Michael Dougherty and stars Lauren Lee Smith and Brian Cox, moderated by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News. The one thing that you really got a sense of, from what little they did say before the film, was how much they absolutely loved working on the project and how grateful Dougherty was that the film was finally reaching a wider audience. Now, enthusiasm only goes so far in creating a quality product, but the fact that Trick 'r Treat is a labor of love shines through when you watch it. Trick 'r Treat is a film that deserves a wide theatrical release and not the direct-to-video treatment it will receive in October 2009.(read more...)

Review: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Drag Me to Hell poster

Horror, as a genre, often seems something that directors leave behind them as they gain in fame. David Cronenberg, Peter Jackson, it seems like there's some sort of invisible graduation ceremony and they declare they're doing other movies now. So when Sam Raimi returns to the genre after having helmed three Spider-man movies, all eyes are on him. We watch, hoping that he is not simply returning to his roots for a paycheck, but instead brings that manic magic that enraptured us in Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness.

We had nothing to fear. Raimi delivers the goods, and delivers them well.

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Review: Godzilla (1998)

Godzilla 1998 poster

Roland Emmerich specializes in movies that are practically critic proof. He populates his films with amazing spectacle, blockbusters packed with explosions, disasters, and well known landmarks destroyed in various ridiculous ways -- exactly what people want to see when they desire entertainment that won't spoil the taste of their movie theater popcorn with intellectually challenging issues or drama. Emmerich therefore makes sure to keep things simple with his films, which means a sacrifice of character development and depth, logic, and general believability. Emmerich's 1998 remake of Godzilla is no exception to the rule. While there's a definite sense of grandeur and epic destruction, it is like a paper-mache pinata. When you hit it hard enough with a bat, there is certainly some disposable candy to be found. But what's truly there is now a broken, empty hull that never really had any substance.
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