This 1950s Mexican import is different from many of its contemporaries because it doesn't play to the lowest common denominator. It isn't sleazy, exploitative, or silly. It's actually quite an intelligent rethinking of the Jekyll and Hyde mythos, though admittedly with a little cheese thrown in.(read more...)

Salem's Lot doesn't have breathtaking cinematography, or an awe-inspiring score. There are lots of quirks in the performances. It doesn't have huge special effects. It isn't fast-paced. In fact, it moves pretty slowly most of the time. Yet I would rate it a 9 out of 10, because what Salem's Lot does have, and this is fairly unusual in a film, is a deeply engrossing story that unfolds exactly as if you were reading a book instead, and by the time the horrific material arises, Salem's Lot doesn't need to do anything too spectacular to create atmosphere and scares.(read more...)

Probably infamous Italian horror "maestro" Lucio Fulci's most ridiculous film, New York Ripper ("Lo Squartatore di New York" in Italian) blandly genre hops to an awkward conclusion. The only positives are Fulci's use of gore (duh), one or two truly suspenseful scenes, and the ever-present unintentional humor.

New York Ripper opens with an older man walking his dog under the Brooklyn Bridge (now there's an unusual shot of New York City). His dog plays fetch with him, and when the stick is lost in the bushes, the dog brings back a dismembered human hand instead.(read more...)

"Beware of Watching Horror Films!"

I try to approach films impartially and without preconceptions. I certainly don't read any other reviews before I see a film. I avoid articles in the film magazines if I think I'm going to see the film within a few months. I dislike seeing trailers beforehand, so I have the unusual habit (neurosis, my wife calls it) of looking away from the screen, sometimes into my popcorn box, until the trailers are over. When renting, I avoid reading plot synopses on boxes. My ideal scenario when sitting down to watch a film is to know absolutely nothing about it.(read more...)