Posts by Eric Miller

Review: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Bride of Frankenstein 1935 poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Wed, 2009-10-14 01:00
Shocktober Classics 2009: Staff Screams

The central, perhaps deliberate, irony in James Whale's masterpiece The Bride of Frankenstein is that Frankenstein's creation is called the Monster.  The Monster, unforgettably played again by the great Boris Karloff, is one of the least monstrous characters in the film.  He is surrounded by people more sinister, or at least more misguided, than he, yet everyone in the film fears and loathes him, even his prospective bride.  In addition to offering chills, humor, and satire, The Bride of Frankenstein also provides a searing indictment of man's inhumanity to man.  This is just one the factors that help it become, in this author's opinion, the best horror film of the 1930s.(read more...)

Review: The Company of Wolves (1984)

Company of Wolves poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Wed, 2009-10-07 01:58
Shocktober Classics 2009: Staff Screams

A werewolf film like no other, The Company of Wolves is a radical reinterpretation of the story of Little Red Riding Hood through a primarily feminist viewpoint.  With it's rich and beautiful symbolism, Neil Jordan's 1984 film is based on a collection of short stories originally written by novelist Angela Carter, who collaborates with Jordan on this film's script.  While it is not terribly frightening, this film can make one marvel at its beauty and also think carefully its allegories of leaving childhood behind and embracing maturity. (read more...)

Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Picture of Dorian Gray poster (wide)
Submitted by Eric Miller on Fri, 2009-10-02 02:56
Shocktober Classics 2009: Staff Screams

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Albert Lewin's 1945 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novel is both an entertaining and frustrating film.  It is very well made, with stylish direction, wonderful performances from much of the cast, and it tackles some serious and thought provoking themes.  Unfortunately, it takes its topic too seriously, and its main character appears throughout as not much more than a cipher.  Boredom also has a tendency to set in at times, a fatal flaw for a horror (or any other genre) film.  While worth watching, The Picture of Dorian Gray never reaches greatness.(read more...)

Review: Psycho III (1986)

Psycho III poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Thu, 2009-05-28 11:20

After a surprisingly good sequel, Psycho II (1983), the opportunity for an additional follow up to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was clearly present.  Why, Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins, took up the director's chair for the third installment of Norman’s sad and fearsome saga!  Having been Norman for nearly thirty years (and also having worked with such legendary directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kramer, and Orson Welles), there was probably no one better qualified to helm this installment.  While Perkins does not rise to the cinematic heights of these screen giants, he and screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue (who later penned the screenplay to David Cronenberg’s The Fly), fashion a horror experience that, while far from perfect, inspires more than its share of jumps and chills.(read more...)

Review: Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

Taste the Blood of Dracula poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Wed, 2009-03-11 02:00
Reader's Choice

Taste the Blood of Dracula, the fifth installment of Hammer’s Dracula series, is a well made but unfortunately routine affair.  We have all the trappings of a good Hammer film:  a red-eyed Christopher Lee, beautiful young women falling under his spell, a great deal of blood, and an intrepid seeker of good to put a stop to the vampire.  However, in trying to expand the story of Dracula, director Peter Sasdy and screenwriter Anthony Hinds make the Count almost a guest star in his own film. While Taste the Blood of Dracula does have certain positive attributes, ultimately it is a dreary chapter in Hammer’s Dracula saga.(read more...)

Review: Ichi the Killer (2001)

Ichi the Killer poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Wed, 2008-10-22 00:15

Ichi the Killer (titled Koroshiya 1 in Japan) is one of the most brutal and intense films to come out this decade. Based on a manga by Hideo Yamamoto and directed by the prolific director of Audition, Takashi Miike, Ichi the Killer is a dark, disturbed, and often very humorous tale of sadism and violence. With no holds barred, Ichi presents extremely graphic scenes of gore that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. While thematically it barely qualifies as a horror film, its obvious influence on later films like Hostel and Saw make it a landmark in the genre.(read more...)

Review: Shutter (2004)

Shutter 2004 poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Tue, 2008-10-21 01:59

One of the more common motivational factors in ghost stories is revenge. In this respect, Shutter, a Thai film from directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom (they also co-wrote the screenplay with Sopon Sukdapisit) is nothing new. Using the phenomenon of spirit photography as its springboard, Shutter offers a chilling, if not terribly original, story of guilt, deception, and ghostly revenge. The two directors confidently present their tale, aided by an intriguing idea and a very strong cast.(read more...)

Review: Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

Bubba Ho-tep poster
Submitted by Eric Miller on Fri, 2008-07-04 01:31
Are You My Mummy?

If an ancient Egyptian mummy began to menace a retirement home in East Texas, what would he be called?   Why, Bubba Ho-Tep of course!  And who better to defeat them than JFK and the King of Rock and Roll?  This epic battle is the subject of Bubba Ho-Tep, a delightful horror-comedy from director Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis.  A film that knows when (and when not) to take itself seriously, Bubba Ho-Tep manages to carefully explore its main character, offer some very good laughs, and still have some poignant things to say.  It's a charming little film that, while not inspiring chills, leaves the viewer with a chuckle and a smile.(read more...)

Lon Chaney Jr.

The Masters: Lon Chaney, Jr.
Submitted by Eric Miller on Tue, 2008-07-01 14:10

Most of the classic Universal Studios unforgettable fiends from the 1930s and ‘40s were played, at different times, by multiple actors. Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man; all of these characters were played by different actors at different times. However, Lon Chaney Jr. (who at times played all these characters with the exception of the Invisible Man) alone played Larry Talbot, aka The Wolf Man. The son of, arguably, the most famous silent movie star (perhaps Charlie Chaplin was more famous), Chaney Jr.

Review: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978
Submitted by Eric Miller on Fri, 2008-05-23 01:52

Remaking a classic can be a daunting prospect. The new film will be scrutinized not only by moviegoers and critics, but by people making exacting comparisons between it and the original version. A director must be careful to respect and honor the original film, while at the same time offering a new and fresh take on an already familiar story. On these terms, Philip Kaufman’s 1978 remake of Don Siegel’s 1956 masterpiece Invasion of the Body Snatchers succeeds magnificently. It does credit to the original while crafting an exquisite experience of terror and paranoia. This wonderful film is a must see of 1970s horror cinema.(read more...)

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