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Posts by Kevin Nickelson

Review: Godzilla 1985 (1985)

Godzilla 1985 Japanese poster
Submitted by Kevin Nickelson on Tue, 2009-05-19 01:51

There is a word that is being bandied about more in the film community these days: re-imagining. Re-imagine a film and you hold on to the original idea but deck it out with just enough new elements to reel in new fans. Or more simply, a producer, out of fresh ideas, dusts off an old tried-and-true formula, tweaking things just enough to fool viewers into thinking they’re seeing something different. This is like a used car dealer who pours all the money they have into fixing the exterior an old classic while leaving the cracking vinyl seats alone and still trying to sell it as “like new”. Godzilla 1985 is a rebuilt version of that classic car, replete with cool, dark green paint and new spinning wheel rims. There’s an improved look to this film. Too bad the interior is still the same old and worn material.
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Review: Castle of the Walking Dead (1967)

Castle of the Walking Dead poster
Submitted by Kevin Nickelson on Thu, 2008-10-16 01:01

In the 1960s, while the United States, Great Britain, and even Italy were cornering the market on Gothic horror, West Germany was busy trying to regain a foothold into a style once dominated by Germany, that of expressionistic, wildly visual cinema. The front-running entry in this could very well be 1967’s Castle of the Walking Dead. Directed by Harald Reinl and starring the eclectic trio of Lex Barker, Karin Dor, and Christopher Lee, the film is replete with eye-popping imagery, garish color, and a so-so script that add up to a product that is, if not great cinema, at least  perfectly good fare for 3:00am viewing on a Saturday morning.(read more...)

Review: The Brainiac (1962)

The Brainiac poster
Submitted by Kevin Nickelson on Thu, 2008-10-02 01:26

The subject of repressed sexuality has long been a staple, whether as main focus or as a subtext, of genre films. It is not often, however, that it is featured prominently within the celluloid confines of a Mexican gothic horror/science fiction opus. 1962’s The Brainiac, produced by Cinematografica ABSA, ambitiously explores the idea that repressing sexual lust can lead to the lowering of morals pertaining to violence and torture. Directed by Chano Urueta and starring two of Mexico’s most popular horror veterans, Abel Salazar and Germán Robles, The Brainiac’s good ideas and intentions are buried beneath an avalanche of poor directing, ludicrous dialogue, and the lowest of budgets. Still, how bad can a film that mixes sex, sorcery, Puritanism, and high-flying comets be?
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Review: To the Devil a Daughter (1976)

To the Devil a Daughter
Submitted by Kevin Nickelson on Thu, 2008-06-05 23:10

Good versus evil has been a standard cinematic theme, particularly within the horror genre, since the invention of the Cinematographe by Louis Lumiere in 1895. However, as film audiences have become more jaded over the years, the definitions of good and evil have become less clear. Enter To the Devil a Daughter, an ambitious but technically flawed attempt to muddy the line between hero and villain. Produced in 1975 by Britain’s Hammer Films, in cooperation with Germany’s Terra-Filmkunst, To the Devil a Daughter stars both horror king Christopher Lee and Hollywood legend Richard Widmark (purportedly imported for international box office appeal). Supported by a cast of acting veterens and a talented young director named Peter Sykes, To the Devil a Daughter works... almost.(read more...)

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