term: Reviews

Review: Frightmare (1974)

Nate Yapp — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:20:40 -0400

Pete Walker's Frightmare appears to have been made primarily to shock the common British public of 1974; in many ways, it's nothing more than series of grotesqueries strung along a thin thread of plot. Thirty-four years later, however, its power to achieve its primary goal has diminished significantly. The ever-increasing desensitization of movie audience puts a movie like Frightmare at significant risk of obsolescence. Thankfully, Frightmare is buoyed by a delightful morbid streak, as well as a command performance by actress Sheila Keith.

Review: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)

Chris Justice — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:28:20 -0400

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die is a cult horror classic that, itself, refuses to die. Resuscitated by Elvira’s Box of Horror Classics series and "Mystery Science Theater 3000," The Brain’s no-name cast and low-budget schlock are not as corny as expected. Although splattered with goofy flaws and over-the-top performances and producing plenty of chuckles, the film probes primitive fears that should unnerve the most stoic spectator.

Review: Magic (1978)

Eric Miller — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:00:00 -0400

Richard Attenborough is not typically a director that one associates with screen horror, his name usually calling to mind such sweeping epics as Gandhi, Cry Freedom, or Chaplin. However, in 1978 Attenborough broke tradition and directed a small, intimate horror film: Magic. Based on a novel by William Goldman (of The Princess Bride and Marathon Man fame), Magic is indeed a frightening film. It is not, however, the shocks that make it memorable. What makes this film special is the thought tha

Review: I Am Legend (2007)

Julia Merriam — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:36:42 -0400

Generally, I’m the first to say that movie adaptations of literary works need to be considered as separate entities from the progenerating material. Expecting unwavering faithfulness to the original work is not only an unreasonable request, it often results in poorly shot, painful boring films (take the first Harry Potter film, for instance).

Review: Spiral (2007)

Eric Miller — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0400

PG-13 horror films can be tricky affairs. They must walk a fine line, trying to be frightening and suspenseful without being too horrific or graphic. When not done well, they can seem bland, silly, or both. However, when done properly, the right director can take the MPAA-mandated limitations and turn them into strengths. Spiral, from directors Adam Green (Hatchet) and Joel David Moore (who also co-wrote the screenplay and stars), is an example of the latter. This film doesn’t rely on shocks or graphic v

Review: The Lost (2005)

Dan Haynes — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:54:09 -0400

From the very beginning, The Lost catches you off guard and lets you know you’re in for something different from the usual teenage psychopath movie. While “different” is something to be admired and should be encouraged more often, it hardly qualifies the film for masterpiece status. The Lost is a mixed bag; one with some unsettling performances and shocking violence, but it also has paper-thin characters and performances as well as a mix of drama and horror that doesn’t work.

Review: Wrestlemaniac (2006)

Timothy J. Rush — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:45:00 -0400

Only watch Wrestlemaniac if someone pays you to do it. I can't state strongly enough that this is movie is more than just a waste of your time. It's a waste of the resources used to press and distribute the DVDs. A collector's edition of Howard the Duck would have been a better idea than producing this piece of crap. It is, simply, complete s**t.

Review: The Mist (2007)

John Dubrawa — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:38:08 -0400

It takes an unnatural (oftentimes supernatural) occurrence to send mankind teetering into a state of mass paranoia, and films about such situations often follow the same paths as their characters. At first, there is much running around, little explaining, and even less reasoning. During these tumultuous times, the characters are scared and frenzied, and often make irrational decisions, and the film, much the same, is all over the place, focusing on too much at one time while being swept up in all the commotion.

Review: The Dead Zone (1983)

Dan Haynes — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:16:06 -0400

The Dead Zone is a rare film that manages to be both a great literary adaptation, and a strong film on its own terms. Adapted from a best-selling novel by Stephen King and directed by David Cronenberg, one might easily expect the film to be extremely disturbing and unrelenting in its depiction of graphic violence and bodily horrors, making it marketable only to hardcore horror fans. Instead, The Dead Zone is an understated piece of work with a near absence of violence and gore that still manages to be compelling, thought provoking, and accessible to mainstream movi

Review: Videodrome (1983)

Julia Merriam — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:29:00 -0400

In 1983, David Cronenberg did something few directors ever really accomplish: he released a masterpiece. Videodrome, which is both written and directed by Cronenberg, is one of his best horror films, a fusion of many, if not all, the themes Cronenberg had explored previously, and would continue to explore in his later films. In this respect, Videodrome is more than an author's masterpiece, a sublime example of “auteur theory” in film.