Posts by John W. Bowen

Review: Jason X (2001)

Jason X poster
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Wed, 2001-12-05 01:00

Worst episode EVER! - Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons

Production of the tenth (!!!) installment in the indefatigable Friday the 13th series wrapped in my hometown of Toronto late in the summer of 2000. The film was to be released a couple of months later for Halloween, then bumped to March 2001, then summer, then Halloween, then Spring 2002... Is it just me, or does this suggest to you that maybe - just maybe - the producers are in a serious panic, desperately re-shooting or re-editing in vain before admitting defeat? Even if you haven't seen the unmitigated disaster that is Jason X, the multiple postponements of its release should help you do the math.(read more...)

Review: Mighty Peking Man (1977)

Mighty Peking Man poster
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Sun, 2001-08-05 00:00

Stop me if you've already heard this one: a bunch of rugged-outdoors-types go traipsing off to a dangerous, exotic land in search of a legendary giant ape. The bete noir in question is soon located and, after a nominal amount of carnage, the silly buggers cart him back to civilization to get rich by exploiting his hairy butt in front of sellout crowds. Of course, it doesn't take long before the big fella decides that city life doesn't agree with him and goes...well...apes**t, bustin' loose and single-handedly implementing his own radical urban renewal program, and then...oh, so you're familiar with the tale, then?(read more...)

Review: Dead of Night (2000)

deadofnight2000_0
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Sat, 2001-08-04 00:00

When a boat full of convicts headed for a maximum-security island facility runs into trouble, the occupants are forced to take refuge in a lighthouse on a small island (hence the U.K. title Lighthouse). Serial killer Leo Rook manages to bust loose and spends the rest of the night stalkin', slashin' and stirrin' it up in classic Michael Myers/Jason Voorhees style. Sure, the plotline's derivative as hell, but British writer/director Simon Hunter takes an admittedly pedestrian premise and elevates it to heights rarely achieved since the original Halloween.(read more...)

Review: The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Hills Have Eyes 1977 poster
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Sun, 2001-06-10 00:00

It's hard to imagine another writer/director responsible for so many of horror's highest highs and lowest lows as Wes Craven. Take a look at his resume - this guy doesn't tread a lot of middle ground. The man who altered horror's landscape with A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream is also responsible for regrettable duds like Deadly Friend, Shocker and The People Under the Stairs.(read more...)

Review: Prison (1988)

Prison poster
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Sat, 2001-04-07 01:01

The independent horror film may have exploded in the Seventies, but its continued success throughout the Eighties solidified it as a commodity. (And that’s just about the only good thing that happened in pop culture during the Eighties - remember that gawdawful music?) Down the ensuing years, Prison has proven considerably less popular and influential than some of its peers like A Nightmare On Elm Street or The Evil Dead, but it’s easily one of the best horror films of the Spandex decade.(read more...)

Review: Rituals (1977)

Rituals poster
Submitted by John W. Bowen on Tue, 2001-02-27 01:00

It's rare, but you'd better believe it exists: a blatant rip-off that's actually better than its source material. The film in this case is Rituals, and the source is Deliverance. Shot on location in the Northern Ontario bush, Rituals follows five vacationing doctors on an extended wilderness hike. They're targeted by an unseen madman who begins by pulling a few nasty pranks, then ups the ante to murder. As the atrocities pile up, the victims slowly begin to figure out their assailant's bizarre motive.(read more...)

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