Posts by Nate Yapp

Although Shivers is not technically David Cronenberg’s first film (he had made some art films previously), it should be considered his debut. Shivers boldly announces the arrival of a creative mind able to concoct horror movies layered with subtext and commentary that don’t forget to entertain at the same time. One can clearly recognize the work of a mad cinematic scientist with preoccupations never seen before (and only imitated since). However, Shivers also betrays a shaky young gun whose bold vision is frequently undermined by his tenuous grasp of the tools at his disposal. The result is a movie that fares better when submitted to a literary critique than a standard movie review.(read more...)

Although HP Lovecraft is one of the most revered, recognizable names in horror – what other author has spawned both a table-top roleplaying game and a line of monstrous plushies – cinematic adaptations of his work are few and far between. Don G. Smith’s “H.P. Lovecraft in Popular Culture” lists a scant fourteen films directly taken from his stories and novellas (although more certainly exist). It’s not difficult to see why. Despite an amazing talent for atmosphere, Lovecraft’s stories approached horror from a subjective emotional experience. Locations and ghastly beasts alike were described by the effect they had on a character, and even that was often beyond the scope of mere words. While such a technique makes for an imaginative read, it also presents a peculiar challenge to the filmmaker looking to create a concrete visual out of it. Some choose to take only the basic concepts and attempt to make them fit with whatever was selling tickets at the time.(read more...)

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a movie that reeks of cynicism and ill-will toward men like an alcoholic reeks of cheap whiskey. Take anything that’s generally revered -- Santa Claus, nuns, orphans, your eccentric grandfather -- and SNDN will kick that reverence in the teeth, using only piss-poor character development, an unfocused narrative, and a dearth of originality. Despite this, the film remains a sick pleasure on some level to which even I am not fully ready to admit.
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Between 1965 and 1980, Amicus Productions made nine horror anthology films, of which Roy Ward Baker directed three: Asylum, The Vault of Horror, and The Monster Club. Of Baker's treasuries of terror, Asylum is probably the best. With help from a solid screenplay by author Robert Bloch ("Psycho," the novel) and a top-notch cast (including Herbert Lom and Peter Cushing), Baker works a good mix of thrills, chills, and fun into the 88-minute runtime.(read more...)