Evil Dead Burn

Title is giving me Halloween Kills vibes but that's okay.

Uh wow, holy shit what a movie! My God what a horror film. It is fascinating how I didn't see a shred of promotion for this film, I can barely describe the poster, and yet this is a hell of a picture on just about every front. It takes the family drama element of Rise and bumps that shit up to 12, it is a onslaught of a film before the demons start running rampant. Following the widow of an abusive asshole stuck with a family that not only grieves differently but cracks differently is soon set upon by Deadites and mayhem fuelled survival starts anew. The first and most important thing I gotta get out of the way is the visuals, Lee Cronin did not return instead Sébastien Vanicek takes over and I can already tell people are gonna either dig his visual style or be so over it like it's not even funny. There's a lot of long takes with involved choreography, there's a lot of almost Edgar Wright style editing to an even further extent, the camera gets weird in how it moves, the man clearly took a cinema class and got free reign to just go. I didn't hate it by any stretch nor did I love it to bits, I appreciate the variety and it is never boring to look at I'll say that. Performances wise because it's such a small cast and there's so much drama and bloodshed, they get to sink their teeth into some good material. Souheila Yacoub is undoubtedly our star and my oh my does she shine bright, harboring a lot of repressed rage and put into a family dynamic that is anything but welcome she just nails it, kills it in more ways than one, in a strange definitely fucked up way this movie is kinda cathartic if you got family issues. Hunter Doohan you could almost see being the main protagonist as he finds family secrets linked to the Deadites and seems like a very nice well rounded kid who has to survive the meat grinder, very akin to Ash in the first movie and he does very well. Our main star on the titular dead is Erroll Shand, fucking hell this guy commits 150% and is a powerhouse of opposition for our heroes, doing the prosthetics, effectively creepy and brutal, and no doubt will be one of the greatest performances in a solid lineup of possessed characters from this series. In fact this movie stays to the tried and true adage of anybody can die at anytime, it's shocking cause it happens so quick and gives you no time to brace or even get bored which I commend heavily. The gore is excellent, even though the movie does a lot of finger pointing set up, it still pays off well enough and it pushes the envelope for what we haven't seen from this series yet. It is a fucked up movie in the way that you want a horror movie to be, it is horrifying, it can be shocking, it's visceral and in your face when it wants to be. Even after writing all this I'm still kinda at a loss for words, and it undoubtedly will stay in my mind for a bit. If you're not squeamish and are even a casual fan of Evil Dead I say check it out. 3 stars, 8/10, and we got a proper set of reviews next week so I hope to see you there.

In Retrospect: Evil Dead Rise

Alright, from the top!

Yeah it has been about three years since I've watched this and regardless of if the new movie is any kind of follow up, it's nice to watch this again. Still pretty fucking horrifying just on a conceptual level I can tell you that, and I am going to be rather bold here for a hot second and just say Alyssa Sutherland...best horror performance of 2023. Now I know David was really really good in Late Night With The Devil that year, but Alyssa knocked it out of the park. And indeed while the characters aren't super intelligent, the writing is solid enough which is something I feel is grossly needed in the horror scene. That indicates several things to me, they don't half-ass a script, they want you to be invested and engage with these characters, and it just makes for a better story overall. Sure there's some fodder to up the kill count, but our main family unit is pretty damn good. I don't need airtight plots and ingenious characters, and to see a even more modern lens implemented to an Evil Dead film after 2013 works great! It all feels like a necessary evolution to the series, I don't think it's trying to match or top the original trilogy but rather just stand on it's own merits which it does admirably. Alllll the makeup, gore, and effects still are effective and the cinematography is anything but dull or unoriginal lending to a very good modern horror film. And considering the fact I haven't seen shit in terms of promotion for Evil Dead Burn, hell I can barely describe the poster, and yet I'm still very interested to walk into that theater Friday goes to show what a total underdog series this is. I mean really think about the trajectory of this franchise and the standing it has in the horror community, and it's kinda unbelievable we're at this point! Even I'm not that die hard a fan of the series despite reviewing every film, but I respect the living hell out of it and as long as we keep getting gnarly and good stories I'm totally game to see a new one. The score still stands at 3 stars, 7/10, and fingers crossed for even better this weekend.

The Golem (1920)

How truly we are in need of a guardian these days.

Another year has come and it is time to begin again, kicking off with a small offering of silent cinema. The Golem is a classic character of folklore both of jewish and german history personified no better than here, with Paul Wegener not only directing but penned the script and played the titular character himself. A true period piece set in the 16th century a rabbi in a ghetto portends of great danger for the jewish people of his town and sets about constructing a guardian even at the cost of dabbling in black magic, as word from an oligarch condemns the jewish people for a list of "reasons", if they can even be stretched as such, to forfeit their homes and depart. For a film not even 90 minutes long and is the only surviving story of a Golem trilogy all directed by Wegener, I'm quite happy it was this one that survived acting as an origin story and it does a quite good job telling it. It's not an example of pure german expressionism like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, more expressionist lite with examples of architecture and lighting but mostly is shot conventional. For 1920 the special effects are fairly impressive cause I sure couldn't deduce how they pulled off certain things like the star studded night or the smoky appearance of the demon Astaroth, it looks quite nice and no doubt having such technical craftsmen behind the camera like Hans Poelzig and Karl Freund certainly helped bring this film to life. The performances are decent, obviously with silent cinema we can't get much inflection on dialogue but what is shown is easily understandable and the cast do quite well and I must give credit on the sheer scale of extras present. In true horror movie fashion it takes some time before the Golem is brought to life and even then isn't the centerpiece, but the look and imagery of what he does is what has kept this film from slipping into absolute obscurity. It's such a different tale that yes has some elements from other stories in the horror genre, the monster being in love with a girl, a creation that rebels against it's creator, but by far and away even after a century since it came out no movie is quite like this one. I wouldn't deem it a certified classic that simply must be watched at any cost but it is a very good movie where anybody who is a fan of silent cinema or indeed monster movies of all different types will get something out of it if they watch it. You can find the whole thing on a most trusted ally the Internet Archive, just look for the one that has both the english and german title, it has all the correct color tinting and everything. I give it a solid 3 stars, 7.5/10, and next time we're looking at F.W. Murnau's other classic of the 20s, Faust.

Son Of Frankenstein

Talk about ending on a high note!

Even as a hardcore Universal Monsters fan this movie is a bit too good. I always think of this as the gold standard of the 40s Universal fare but it actually came out in 1939 taking a kinda sorta reboot to the series, with Wolf Frankenstein inheriting his late father's estate in a town that hates and fears him as he quickly discovers the famed monster of his father's creation who's being used as a tool of revenge. Damn near every single aspect of this production is leaps and bounds better than any of the other movies I've reviewed in this series and I don't even know how. The photography alone is so rich and dense, a lot of the German Expressionist style is showcased here, with every set bathed in dark shadows and unique shapes of light with stellar sets that may seem more on the minimalist side but doesn't detract from the production at all. The cast is honestly fantastic with such a well trained classical actor in Basil Rathbone that can take any bit of material and make it so strong with so much sophistication and class. The relationship between Wolf and the inspector Krogh played by Lionel Atwill might just be the most interesting part of the movie with the inspector at first being greeting and pledging service to aid the Frankenstein family yet slowly gets more suspicious and inquisitive as the movie progresses, and they have a wonderful moment of respect that speaks so much and honestly gave me goosebumps. Bela Lugosi as the "dead" fiend Ygor (yes you read it right) to many this is his crowning role even above the Count, and I do have to admit it shows his range of performances between the two but his Dracula is still my favorite, but he's effectively creepy and does indeed steal several scenes! What's funny is Boris Karloff doesn't show up for quite awhile and only is used sparingly yet even then is a worthy final appearance from him in the series as he would be recast and the monster would be played by several actors in the remaining Frankenstein films. What I greatly appreciate is the actors bounce off each other so well and they're always busy, this is not a two characters sit and talk kind of movie, they drink, play darts, roam the room, it's almost blocked like a stage play. In fact this is one of the longest Universal Monster movies pushing close to 2 hours so it never has to rush, and I dare say this would be an amazing stage play. The theatricality is baked thoroughly in every facet of the film and wouldn't seem out of place in the slightest. Like I'm truly astounded just how well crafted this film is made in every aspect, I mean it was a perfect storm of minds and performers that easily outshines the first two installments which are already incredible films and Bride was superior even to Frankenstein, so what a monumental trilogy. Hell the only other series I can say that have done the same is the Planet Of The Apes prequels, and George Romero's Dead trilogy off the top of my head. Biiiiig 4 glowing stars, 9/10 from me, we couldn't have went out on a better note. This, Black Sabbath, and In A Violent Nature were true standouts this season but we had a pretty damn good October all around I really have to say! It's a joy as always to talk horror and give out recommendations, and while it surely breaks my heart that another Halloween season is on the precipice of ending...we still have one more day don't we? I send out all my festive love and best wishes to the monsters, ghouls, trick & treaters as well as pumpkin eaters, and I hope to see you all very very soon on the other side.

The Invisible Man Returns

I actually could have sworn I reviewed this so many years back.

Nine years after Jack Griffin went insane through experiments on the visible spectrum, we follow a man named Geoffrey framed for murder who with the help of Jack's brother becomes invisible to achieve justice or revenge as the doctor desperately seeks a cure before the madness sets in, in this 1940 minor classic. This is a very well done sequel with enough links to the original but ultimately being it's own thing, you don't even have to watch the first film to follow it and enjoy it. Vincent Price before he became synonymous with the horror genre is our unseen lead and at first you might not be able to tell it's him since he went for a more american-lite accent and yet very much like Claude Rains can get so much emotion and fringing insanity through just his voice alone with not an awful lot of physical acting involved, though I will say his striking height helped accentuate his presence. The film's effects are much more complex and sophisticated in the seven year gap between productions to the point where I really was rather impressed and wondering how they achieved certain tricks, they no doubt used the same black velvet technique but the wire work is insane here and some shots go on for quite some time, no editing shortcomings to be had, so it's a strong improvement on a film that already had some groundbreaking effects. I like the relationship betwen Geoffrey and his love interest Helen, she's a real ride or die even when the mania starts to seep in she's stalwart in helping her man and even I couldn't believe the happy ending to this movie so hell yeah Nan. Usually the title monster bites the dust seconds before a The End in these Universal horror pictures so I'm a happy camper. You would think considering we see Jack Griffin's brother named Frank in this he would be the invisible man and would have a much bigger focus, but he's a solid supporting character racing against the clock to cure Geoffrey, and once again a real one willing to help in any way and you can tell he's rather conflicted with the idea of potentially having to kill his friend before he kills others, it's a solid performance. Of course it wouldn't be a 40s Universal Monster movie without Sir Cedric Hardwicke in there somewhere who despite being top billed isn't in it a great deal and I kinda wish he was considering his importance to the plot later. The visuals are decent, obviously they were workshopping more on the effects side but the sets, the woods, the costuming all still look on par with any other movies in this series but I would have loved to see more spooky atmosphere. In many ways I like it better than The Invisible Man and yet in the same vein as Star Trek it won't surpass the original's popularity and iconic presentation. It's a very good movie but undoubtedly a B-tier addition to the hallowed halls of classic movie monsters, so I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, and I hope I saved the best for last as we conclude the whole Halloween season with the finale to the Frankenstein trilogy tomorrow.

She-Wolf Of London

Did a movie from 1946 just make my jaw drop six times?

I'm kinda speechless here folks! Nearing the end of Universal's second horror cycle She-Wolf Of London though having no relation to Werewolf Of London in my humble opinion thoroughly surpasses it and I still enjoyed that movie! It's one of very very few movies I've seen where we have essentially an all female leads cast, with June Lockhart playing a young bride to be named Phyllis who seems utterly convinced of a family curse of lycanthropy is hanging over her as murders are discovered in a park near her estate. June plays it so convincingly, seeing this distraught woman go through the wringer mentally easily grabs you and you want to see the best for her. Sara Haden as the authoritative aunt Martha is such an interesting character and despite the film's whopping 1 hour runtime is able to fill out the role amazingly. Then we have Jan Wiley as Martha's daughter Carol who seems the most carefree of the household with her own little romance budding mostly off screen but comes into play in such a shocking way that it honestly left me dumbfounded and floundering for answers, big time love for Jan here. Lastly we have Don Porter as Phyllis' fiancee Barry who I really gotta admit for a 1940s film is one of the most considerate, dare I even say sensitive male characters I have ever seen really saying all the right things with no ulterior motives who simply wants his bride to be safe and loved. That's some progressive as shit casting and character writing for the time! And boy howdy did this film utterly throw me for a loop de loop, throwing out three curveballs that literally left my jaw on the floor each time! I wasn't dreaming of such twists and turns and you think with me seeing as many movies as I have it would be fairly easy to pluck them out but NOPE! I hear even the most hardcore Universal Monsters fans fall silent on this movie and I'm simultaneously thankful and kinda upset about it, because I walked in as blind as possible and found a surprisingly good movie but I wish more recognition could be given to it. Even for a lower budget Universal film the production values are high with great sets, period costuming, enough fog filled woods to satisfy the atmospheric lover within me, with effective writing and a very very good cast that got me invested, intrigued, and truly gobsmacked multiple times! Last damn movie that really swept me away like this in this series was Dracula's Daughter and that is a movie begging to be lauded with as much praise as the most famous monsters of filmland. So I really kicked off this final week with a banger, strong recommendation for a hidden classic, I give it 3 stars and I'll go 8/10 just for how shocking the series of events unfolded. Tomorrow we dig into a legacy continuation with a legend of the entire genre.

Mr. Sardonicus

What a cheeky bugger that William Castle is.

Niche though it is his films have a good appeal and this is a most original and interesting story. Concerning a doctor who is tasked with the rehabilitation of a reclusive baron whose face is marred by a gruesomely freakish grin, it's not really your typical horror film. Set at a brisk pace of 90 minutes it's more of a drama as we get situated with this small cast of characters and the circumstances that brought the baron to coin the name Sardonicus for himself, despite some fairly grotesque moments for 1961 and the villainous characteristics of the titular character. Ronald Lewis is a very compassionate and learned lead, not framed as a hero who must end the monster but rather a doctor sent to heal willingly in spite of some rather unscrupulous tactics by the baron, but he does solid work and is fairly believable. Guy Rolfe as Mr. Sardonicus is undoubtedly the highlight with his blank mask, imposing height, and quite a soothing refined voice that hides a cruel and inhuman psyche willing to torture women to find some miracle cure for his disfigurement, and the prosthetic is simple and yet instantly memorable. Audrey Dalton as an old flame of the doctor while not having a lot of stake in the plot unfortunately does fine work regardless and you can imagine her intense need to escape such a ghoulish prison. Oscar Homolka as the scarred manservant fits the archetype well as a loyal subservient to his master and he has such a good physique about him with a missing eye and solid voice. One thing I have taken consistent notice of this week is each film doesn't hold a great mamy sets bit rather fleshes out the few they have to really enhance the production value and this is no exception, the castle and sparse grounds is quintessential spooky scenery that always just looks superior in pristine black & white but the interiors are lavish and classy. The 60s was truly the bridge between classic horror and modern horror, I mean think about it you have stuff like this and the Poe series in the early years and by the end of it we got stuff like Targets and Night Of The Living Dead injecting both modern sensibilities and starting to up the gore factor. It's a prime decade for horror fans of both camps! I gotta admit it was a blast to see William Castle introduce and do his gimmick for the film which consisted of voting cards to show mercy or punish Sardonicus for his actions, in true showmanship style with the right amount of cheese, humor, and tone that sets you up nicely for the film. It's more of a minor example than a must see movie for the season but I enjoyed it enough, and I can recommend it if you need a break from the newer more intense stuff or just enjoy good old fashioned spooky stuff. 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, and like always I got some Universal Monster goodness for you on Halloween week...

Black Sabbath

Not the band, but potentially the movie that inspired the name of the band.

Okay I gotta admit I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by this movie. I'm pretty sure this is my first Mario Bava film, a well known horror director of the 60s and 70s and I gotta say I dig his style. Presented as an anthology of 3 stories hosted by Boris Karloff himself, amd you know me I'm a sucker for a horror anthology the stories presented are quite good. One concerns a medical practicioner who gets the bright idea to steal from a patient's corpse and has an ending you honestly could see one of two ways, the other involving a woman being harassed and stalked over a telephone before Black Christmas and way before Scream, and finally a good old fashioned period piece involving vampires. A mighty fine selection of both tried and true classic material with more contemporary stuff that has become a classic in their own way in the decades since. The first thing I really gotta talk about is the visuals, holy balls this film looks flippin' amazing! Every last penny is presented on screen with unique use of color which reinforces why I love 60s cinema all by itself, some jawdropping sets that are pretty encompassing and no doubt helped the budget considerably while still showing off excellent production design, and the various styles of costuming really just knocked it out of the park for me and made it so so worthwhile to watch! I'm actually kinda pissed the fuck off people don't talk about this movie, yeah the stories are basic but they surprisingly got me startled and freaked out at times, the whole look of the movie is outstanding, the presentation with Boris is a real treat cause the man had a fantastic sense of humor and they played into that well here, and it was just an investing 90 minute film. Granted from the tidbits of research I did I think I cut myself short cause apparently the movie got a good bit edited down before hitting the States and the italian version is the one to see, this was released by American International Pictures who if you remember from reviews past was the company responsible for Roger Corman's early exploits and his renowned Poe series, so maybe if I can somehow someway find a print sourced in Italy I may enjoy it even more than I already did! I love just the flair of Bava's direction, he knows how to make a shot interesting and his love for zooms just put a smile on my face. This was such a hidden gem for me this month and I honestly don't think it'll be topped this week despite the fact we got one more to go from a certain Mr. Castle. If I had to pick my favorite segment I would go for the second one, The Telephone, I mean what a horrible situation to be in. You're being stalked in your own home by someone you can't see and they love to taunt you over a phone line, and the performance by Michèle Mercier was so damn believable and I really don't think she had to act that much to begin with. Women just have to go through so much shit man and that is a nightmare for countless ladies, so it had me on the edge of my seat and the ending just boggled my mind. This...this was so good! I strongly urge people to check this out if you have a chance, it hit so many buttons for me and I will gladly reward it with a full 4 stars, 8.5/10! It kinda breaks my heart we only got one more week of Halloween goodness to experience but it is a joy as always to be here talking my shit and reveling in the terror and beauty of the most wonderful time of the year.

Peeping Tom

Jesus, what a film. 

I know a character like this is more commonplace than ever, but I can't even imagine how shocking and truly disturbing this movie was in 1960. The simple premise of a killer who has a compulsion, a psychological need to film and document his murders on film is truly horrific and the movie can almost be a character study into Mark Lewis' demented psyche, is not only very effective in 2025 but a damn good movie all around. Which unfortunately was not the case when the movie premiered, essentially shattering the director Michael Powell's career, was considered so shocking and foul that the movie got pulled from cinemas within five days of release, and even to this day the unedited film has never been released in the UK. It is a fascinating film to watch since we get very cozy with our voyeuristic killer, spending the majority of the film following him as he works on movie sets, photographs neglige models, and offs several women. The performance by Karlheinz Bohm is truly memorable and easily unsettling, yet the movie also takes a tragic and even slight sympathetic lens to his character which for a proto-slasher film is certainly unique, just every minute he is on screen there's so much tension and unease because you know what he does and his somewhat shy and awkward demeanor makes him feel exceedingly real. In a day and age where everyone has a device in their pocket that can photograph and record with such ease and even isn't looked at twice it's actually a more egregiously creepy thing to even contemplate more than ever. Anna Massey as the love interest Helen is odd, but yet also understandable as she does get a little apprehensive around Mark's demeanor and yet wants to help him break his permanent attachment to his camera, a potential saving grace for him to reform and live a normal life which again is rather original to this genre. It's such a good looking film too, both the director and the director of photography were kinda having a field day, with an abundance of shots framed with certain use of color, playing about with the combination of light and shadow, there is some artsy shots presented here and you just don't see many movies even back then that look like this! The musical score comprising entirely of a piano can be both moody and beautiful as well as ramp up the tension and build toward a kill. You don't even really see any of the murders or a money shot of an effect yet it still works, maybe even better than if you actually did see something. It's a unique beast that I really do not hear many talk about, and it's definitely a more unconventional choice for October yet what I found was a creepy, intriguing, original movie that if you do decide to watch will no doubt present several tropes and familiar elements that have taken on a life of their own in this genre. Horror is one of the most multifaceted genres in history, mainly due to the simple fact of there is something that scares everyone and while I myself have no scopophobia, even this movie got under my skin just a notch. I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, and tomorrow will be another movie I have heard little about yet feel compelled to see for myself.

Death Proof

Fundamentally different, absolutely. Still pretty good, hell yeah!

If the director himself considers this his worst movie, Quentin I just gotta tell you I don't see it. It's a remarkedly different beast compared to the all guns blazing Planet Terror with a much smaller scale plot involving two seperate groups of girls being stalked by a murderous stuntman appropriately named, Stuntman Mike, and it's funny cause that simple plot alone are two different beasts. The first is film grained up, jump cuts, has a very 70s vibe despite it taking place in modern day and is my favorite of the two segments. Which is no slight against the second with a quartet of ladies with two being everyday gals and the other two being fairly badass thrillseekers who run across Stuntman Mike and outperform him with some impressive stunts, it's shot in both pristine black & white alongside color, with modern filmmaking techniques, and some stellar stunts. Kurt Russell steals the show, being effectively creepy like so under my skin freak me the fuck out kinda creepy, but it's Kurt and he's got so much charisma and likeability it's interesting to watch despite not knowing much about Stuntman Mike. Standouts in our lady groups is Vanessa Ferlito from the firste troupe, I don't know if it was the accent or the no nonsense attitude or just her absurdly pretty face but I gravitated toward her so easily, and while everyone rightly lauds and praises Zoë Bell for her wit and insane physical performance Rosario Dawson was my gal in this and I thought she was groovy and props for her on getting the final blow. The production was spot on, again a very low budget effort but works insanely well on how they used the budget, they saved their big bucks for the big shit with some gross effects, a showstopping crash, and a car chase that will stick in your mind for some time. I will say I do wish we could have focused on one group or even did a mixed bag between the two casts, but it all works out and doesn't really hurt the film provided you don't mind almost a 2 hour runtime with a fair bit of dialogue and slow burns before the lid pops. I was still invested throughout and honestly wouldn't mind owning the whole Grindhouse experience! It's a long forgotten niche of cinema but definitely has it's fans and while I can safely say I'm more of a casual observer I still respect and enjoy the distinct style and filmmaking choices even if they aren't all for me. For one brief moment in 2007 you could go to a theater for a double bill with fake trailers and advertisements for an experience that can't be replicated and that I am strongly jealous of, considering I was 12 at the time and a fledgling movie fan who had no concept of grindhouse cinema. But I'm extremely happy to have finally seen both these movies that I've heard about for more than a decade. I give this 3 stars, 7.5/10, and we're jumping back to the 1960s next week.

Planet Terror

I have rarely seen movies more nuts than this.

A spiritual throwback to 70s grindhouse cinema coupled with modern production, Planet Terror is nothing short of a trip! I don't even rightly know how to describe it, cause it's absolutely hilarious, absurdly ridiculous, so gory and nastay, and surprisingly endearing! It's a zombie movie no doubt but it takes every convention of that genre and just turns it on it's head, with a group of survivors including a stripper named Cherry, a badass named Wray, a sherrif named Hague, and a doctor by the name of Dakota fending off utterly grody and disgusting zombies while also getting roped into some black ops shit, the movie is all over the damn place. But not in a disjointed or bad aspect, it all somehow works perfectly due to the tone and direction by Robert Rodriguez and I am so happy to see another of his movies! We are checking out the second part Death Proof next and I'm dumbstruck how that could potentially usurp this movie. I don't know what it is but this was one of the most entertaining movies I've seen this year and I adore it! The cast alone is reason to watch this movie! We got Rose McGowan who is fucking acting her heart out in this movie and her wit, outspoken demeanor, and frankly awesome finale catapults her to the higher echelons of lady badasses in my book. Michael Biehn, friggin' Josh Brolin, Fergie Ferg how the hell did they get Stacy into this I'll never know, Michael Parks, Tom Savini, Bruce Willis, like this is a fairly insane cast for essentially a low budget exploitation film. Granted you see every penny on screen from the extensive prosthetics, the explosions, the sets, it really does look like a grindhouse movie if it had a couple million to throw at the screen and some extremely talented people. It just hit all the right buttons for me and I know for a bleedin' fact this won't garner the same level of appreciation from everyone, but as a lover and admirer of cinema in all it's variant forms, as someone who respects the shit out of the horror genre, as a big fan of both Rodriguez and Tarantino, this is a standout movie and I'm beyond happy to see it! A sterling 4 stars, 9/10 from me, apologies for being a day late in writing this we got a little work schedule change going on so Death Proof will be up on Friday so stay tuned.

Late Night With The Devil

Hohoholyyy shhhhit!

Boy you ain't gonna believe this! Guess who had a hand in production? IFC and Shudder. I don't plan this man, I don't! I swear! This is as common as dirt when it comes to this show, correlation is off the charts! Moving swiftly on to the actual review, I remember seeing the trailer for this not that long ago and I gotta admit it had my attention and it never left my mind on the list of future reviews and now that I've finally seen it, it was everything I expected it to be and yet so much more I didn't see coming. There's a good sized intro really getting you in the right mindframe for this movie, setting up the decade of the 70s, who Jack Delroy is and what his talk show is like, what he went through before the Halloween taping of a spirit medium, a skeptic, and a literal possessed girl and it's really friggin' good! I'm a sucker for period pieces and that extends to history less than a century ago, the costumes, set design, and overall vibe is perfectly situated in the 70s and couple that with the TV quality of that time and you almost could pass this off to a parent or grandparent as something real. In fact the movie almost does take this urban legend lens, it even plays on the frankly horrifying concept of the Mandela Effect at one point, and while we never leave the studio and see the effects of the broadcast we don't need to. Because we are the audience. Kinda meta man! But what an absolute joy, this treat it is, to see David in a leading man role! To see him from Joker thug in The Dark Knight to this is amazing and I'm quite proud of him, as he does deliver a subdued but nevertheless nuanced performance of a man trying to get on top while dealing with a lot of dark stuff in his past. The minute I laid eyes on Ingrid Torelli as the possessed girl Lilly I knew it was gonna be a cracking good performance and she did deliver, simultaneously being this bright bouncy girl and yet simultaneously unnerving and while we don't really see a lot of the demon itself I think the movie understands the quintessential lesson of less is more. It still leaves an impact, it still works in the atmosphere of the film. Ian Bliss as skeptical Carmichael whether you believe in the supernatural or not is a good character to boo and hiss at, he's such a pompous ass who can't fathom something unnatural happening and it's wild to think we essentially have one set, and five characters to bring this 90 minute movie to life and they do nail it! The production as stated is damn good, with a nice little ode to Brian De Palma when the screen splits, and the combination of on air color footage and black & white off air footage really reminded me of Oppenheimer. This undoubtedly has a cult following and I can strongly see why, the concept alone is worth the price of admission and this whole week was just the right remedy to get me hip deep in the Halloween season. But we got more to come, 4 stars, 8/10, and as always remember the owls are not what they seem.

In A Violent Nature

I have rarely seen a more appropriate title.

It is violent and there is nature, what more could you ask for? Funny to think it took this damn long since the slasher trend began in the late 70s to just have a film all from the perspective of the killer themselves, and I thought it worked beautifully. There's not much plot but that's because you're looking from the other side of the mirror, with this undead brick shithouse of a man rising from his grave to retrieve a stolen locket from your typical group of teenagers. But aside from the base premise itself, there's just no other horror movie even slightly like it. In fact I found it to be extremely calming at times, almost constantly surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature interspersed with some gnarly ass kills, it was surprisingly up my alley. It takes it's sweet time and if you got a short attention span you better lock the hell in or give up now, for a movie just a bit over 90 minutes it ain't rushing! There's a lot of long takes and sitting shots, liberal use of wide shots that stick around for a bit, it just has this laid back feel to it which is an odd ass word to describe a slaher film! Hell there's not even a soundtrack, there's three songs all diegetic to the movie that the characters are listening to, beyond that just take in the sounds of nature. I really digged the shit out of this movie and because of the way it was produced and directed, when it came to the kills I was curious and impressed at how they pulled it off, some are more edited but others I'm just wondering if they hacked one of the actors stone dead forever. That's movie magic right there! Again, very simple premise, not a lot of cast, extensive natural locations, it was even made by the same companies as Good Boy with both IFC and Shudder having a hand in it all. That is a coincidence, but as one trained in the Force I know that true coincidences are rare. It's not a modern masterpiece but a very good film it is and I'm kinda curious to look into the sequel at a later period in time. 4 stars from me, 8/10, we got one more for the week so stay tuned.

Good Boy

I think this is the most riled up I'll be all month.

What an interesting movie man, this is truly independent and yet has caused some waves. I mean the simple premise of a ghost story from an animal's perspective is interesting and honestly got me more on the edge of my seat than the vast majority of horror movies, it's not probably that much of a secret humans vastly favor animals than other humans so it's ridiculously easy to get invested. Even me as a cat person through and through, he a good boi! You a good boi! Can I pet that dawg? Indy is a star and I want you to acknowledge it, look at him with his little bowtie on the red carpet! Who is gonna hate on this movie? Not I. It's shot pretty friggin' good honestly, with plenty of atmosphere and touches of that exquisite fall atmosphere I love, with ample senses of dread and foreboding no doubt bolstered by our lead. Even little touches like we don't really see a lot of the human's faces, it plays a lot with shadow very akin to Hereditary, it even gets artsy for a hot second, it's a well directed film! And considering the cast is like three people and a dog, it doesn't have to go far to be effective. Shit when I looked up the movie and saw a runtime of one hour and twelve minutes I was kinda gobsmacked, last damn movie I reviewed that short was when we did Island Of Lost Souls not that long ago, so it really doesn't lolligag about. Sometimes you just don't need much to be good, short ass runtime, small cast, relatively low amount of locations, make not only an effective horror film but a damn fine example of modern independent filmmaking hitting it pretty big. No definitive word on budget but raking in over 2,000,000 buckaroos and plenty of positive word of mouth ain't too shabby! A succesful experiment and we're just getting started for the month. 3 stars, 7.5/10, and next time we'll follow another interesting perspective film that I can't say I've heard of before.

In Retrospect: Nosferatu (2024)

Happy October!

Shit this movie's still really good! It was high time to see it again less than a year since entering the cinema on a cold Christmas night and I can safely say it has improved on repeat viewing. When a movie can make my jaw utterly drop 2 minutes in there's something special about it. I could get lost in the snowy night of this movie for a long time, my God what a visual masterpiece in my opinion. It really takes what was present with the Herzog version and it's nature filled landscapes and only elevates it, the sets, the costuming, the cinematography, it's all a little too damn good. Still just as friggin' horrifying as the last time, it was easy to get creeped right the frak out and it is effective horror even if being only somewhat visceral. Needless to say the performances even stand on stronger ground the second viewing, if anybody got just flat out snubbed for major awards it's Lily! My God woman you had such a great script to work with and your performance will not he easily forgotten for decades to come. Bill the impact you have left on this world and those freaky romantics even more so cannot be understated, an effectively unsettling and gruesome potrayal of the most famous (and best in my opinion) vampire cinema has ever known. I gotta admit it was fun to see Nicholas so recently after Superman and really does show he can play such a wide arrange of parts pitch perfectly. Willem, my guy, my main man, I'll never tire of seeing you in movies regardless of part and I'm thrilled you were a part of this production! Just...it really hammers the point home how finely crafted and handled this entire project was, there are few movies I laud so highly of being such expertly made and flawlessly interlinked from all aspects, to writing to music to worldbuilding. It shouldn't be this good but it just is! The appeal is still strong, the horror is just as rich, the apparent horniness I still don't greatly see albeit it has it's moments, even the drama felt so much stronger and present, if you haven't watched it since I can safely recommend another viewing. Hell even in broad daylight this movie still got under my skin, that's something I can so rarely say it's like seeing Bigfoot and Nessie on the same day kind of rare. A blood soaked shining example of modern day horror, and that trend will definitely continue next week as I catch up on other modern horror films that have cropped up on my radar. 4 stars, 9/10 still, I can't wait to share this whole month with you.

Island Of Lost Souls

Again, kinda feel like an ass for not seeing this sooner!

Originally produced by Paramount yet somehow finding it's way to the Universal Monsters Classic Collection in the 90s, Island Of Lost Souls is a damn good movie. Made slightly before the Hays code went into effect this is one of the most grotesque and disturbing horror films you can find from that era. Concerning a shipwrecked man named Edward who gets rather unceremoniously dumped on the island of Dr. Moreau and after quickly discovering the sadistic doctor's experiments on animals has to find his way out alive. But the madman has plans and aspirations of his own in a truly gross and unsettling test of his most prized experiment Lota to see if the change from beast to human can go...all the way, shall we say. I can't even express in words how easily this film can get under your skin, and the worst part is it doesn't take much provocation for your mind to start imagining such gruesome surgeries and to really peer into the mind of Dr. Moreau. Admittedly he's played to perfection by Charles Laughton who if you really pay attention to any of the actors, more specifically him and Kathleen Burke as Lota, they put so much into these roles through body language alone and it rewards your attention. He plays this sick, demented, totally unshakeable in his work scientist and to see him just study Lota with Edward in such a voyeuristic tendency, his utter dismay at the thought of his horrific experiments potentially not working, his chilling delivery of the line "Do you know what it means to feel like God?", just eeeuuugghh! He freaks me right the hell out! Fantastic performance and really an unsung great actor our Charles was. And like I said Kathleen Burke as Lota is...lord where do I even start, she's undoubtedly a tragic character who's went through I don't even know what to become the woman she is and again a lot of the performance is in her body language. I know people will get hung up on the more sexualized aspects of her feline nature and dress, but she comes off so sweet and curious and quite gentle. That scene where she views herself in a mirror and you can see the tears filling her eyes...that hits like a fucking BRICK, I will remember that for a very long time to come! And don't even get me started on Kathleen being typecasted and only ventured in the domain of filmmaking for about 6 years, she's acting her heart out here in her first movie role no less, and yeah I know the movie is gonna be 100 years old relatively soon but goddamn it I'm upset over that! They are easily the highlights of the entire picture and I can strongly recommend watching it just on the backs of them two though of course the rest of the cast does well. Richard Arlen is quite a strapping fella and conveys the horror and intelligence when dealing with such a sociopath very well. And of course like everyone else I have to shoutout Bela Lugosi in this film, even despite it being a very minimal role it's still a memorable performance and visual, my almost lifelong stance as a fan not withstanding. It's a very visually similar film to The Most Dangerous Game, an island, a dense jungle, the fortress of the main antagonist, but it still works and the set design is rich. Another interesting note is the film score is dead silent, you hear music at the very beginning and end but no musical accompaniment which admittedly heightens the horror and uneasy tone. But yeah this is a standout movie that I know is considered more a minor classic, but I can strongly urge people to watch it. High recommendation, 4 stars, 8.5/10!

That was a fun little trip, I know I'll have to find more time to write reviews in the future cause it still is an enjoyable and gratifying experience. Definite new release next week so tune in for that and as always be safe!

Sinners

Fwack me sideways that was a great damn movie!

Not to like pat myself on the back or anything but I just sure know what I like and I know how to pick em'! I saw the trailer and the simple concept of Michael B. Jordan fighting what looked like daemons and I was pretty much sold but I got oh so much more than that! Set in 1930s Mississippi we follow the Moore brothers who come back home and open their own club while getting back in touch with all the people they left behind before well, it gets very From Dusk Till Dawn. And what I appreciate so much is they don't rush this by a hot damn minute, there be no weak ass setup just to get to the survival horror but instead rock solid buildup where you kinda forget the movie is heading in that direction watching all these characters who've had history reconnect. It's great stuff and the period piece setting with heavy emphasis on blues music as the score really embeds you in that time period, and it doesn't shirk away from the unpleasant realities even if it doesn't come right out and say it. Michael B. Jordan does fantastic working playing both brothers Stack and Smoke, honestly to the point I just kinda forgot it was the same actor cause I just saw the characters with Smoke being the more aggressive business type and Stack being the silver tongued devil which is a good mix. But the real star in my opinion is Miles Caton in his first role as a young man named Sammie just wanting to sing the blues and gets hired to perform, holy moly is he good in this with a fantastic voice both speaking and singing the man just has incredible talent and I sure hope I get to see him in more roles soon! Jack O'Connell is our villain here not as a demon from the bowels of hell but rather a vampire who has his eyes set on Sammie, and without any major tropes of horror movies is effectively creepy and a real threat, you don't know who he is or where he came from or what his ultimate goal is with Sammie and it makes your mind race with possibilities! Jayme Lawson, Hailey Steinfeld, and Wunmy Mosaku play the holy trinity of love interests for each of our protagonists bringing a fair bit of heart and no small amount of attraction, each very striking and memorable, and the romance angle while more on the side is a welcome addition to the overall story. The production design is top notch from the clothes to the cars, the cinematography has some dat look gud moments for sure, Ryan knows how to make a movie engaging and interesting visually, and the muuuuussssiiiccccc! Ohh when I tell you hearing Sammie perform nearly made me just shout out in that theater "GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!" I tell you no lie. I'm a sucker for blues and there ain't no heavy metal without blues (something the movie directly connects) so soundtrack alone fffffucking 12/10! The horror elements are very good without getting in your face, in fact somehow I will never know how this movie made an irish jig the most heathen thing which is actually kinda funny cause the movie could maybe just maybe be considered a musical. It's weird man but I love it and it did not detract from anything. I love how it starts, I love how it goes, I love how it ends, I am practically begging to the summits of heaven and the depths of hell that this movie not only does extremely well but gets a very large fanbase. I fully believe it deserves it! The film truly does it's own thing even with similar elements from other movies and I have no problem saying we already got a contender for top 10 of the year. So glowing 4 stars from me, 9/10, and alas this will be the last new movie for the month but I have something special planned to both begin and end the birthday week. 

Wolf Man

Okay, decent start to the year!

Now am I just a little tiny bit of a Universal Monsters fan? Well I'm the only critic who actually liked Sofia Boutella's The Mummy so you could say mayyyyybe, but fanboy or not this was an interesting movie. I'm sure people will do what they do best on the internet, bitching and moaning, about how fundamentally different this iteration is but I got news for you nightshade if you want a classic werewolf movie I recommend gazing at the last 90 years of cinema! It's 2025 mothertruckers they gotta do something original, and original is what we got! Set in a remote area of Oregon a father, mother, and daughter traverse to a very isolated farm to gather and sort the effects of a dead relative, but on the way get thrashed by a rabid animal that stands on two legs and pretty soon poppa ain't looking so good. Now the crux of this movie believe it or not is a drama with horror elements, and if you can stretch your disbelief more it...actually kinda works. We spend enough time with this family unit to get to know them, their dynamic, and and their feelings before we even get to the mist filled forests of Oregon and the slow transformation of our main character takes the tragic lens of werewolves to a whole other level and area. And some would argue it takes away all the mysticism of werewolves, equating it more to a disease akin to zombies but I don't hold any grievances with that! There's no shot of the full moon, there's no full on transformation sequence, there is barely a body count, and yet! Despite it all is an enjoyable film. Now I had a smidge of faith due to the director Leigh Whannell who also helmed The Invisible Man which I loved to the moon and back, and that fluid tilting camera style mixed with some pretty slick cinematography especially when we get more or less "wolf vision" carries over. It's a very good looking yet seemingly low budget film, hell the vast majority of the movie takes place between three locations that are throwing distance from each other and a very minimal cast, so I feel it could potentially make some profit. Christopher Abbott and the relationship with the daughter played by Matilda Firth singlehandedly made me want to see everyone make it out, and God bless him for going through the painstaking process of prosthetics! Julia Gardner also nails the emotional state from grief stricken to survive no matter what, and you could make an argumemt the movie is more about her than Chris but I'll leave that for you to decide. The actors didn't slack, they commit and wanted to give some dimension to a monster movie and coupled with the script and direction, I feel they succeeded! It's a modern reimagining that doesn't look down on the original or try to surpass it, but take it down a different avenue with a unique story. I respect that, I can recommend it too. 3 stars, 7/10, thumbs up from me!

The Wolfman

We're really keeping it in the family this week.

I've been aware of this version for some time perhaps even since it's release back in 2010, and by all accounts it seems a miracle I was able to watch it at all. It's very worthy to note this was a tumultous project to even get off the ground beginning in 2006, filming completed in 2008, but the film didn't get released until two years later with a constant search for a director and yet through it all come hell or high water Benicio Del Toro was going to be in this movie. That's some commendable ass behavior that seems rarer than a blue moon these days, he even had a producing credit, with great affinity for the 1941 original so a passion project this absolutely was for him. Taking place in 1891 England actor Lawrence Talbot returns to his home in light of his brother being murdered, and upon investigation is marked by the very creature that eviscerated his relative, leading a great many to hunt him down. This is undoubtedly a movie on it's own, yes it has sprinklings of references to The Wolf Man but ultimately does it's own original story throughout which is commendable. Being a period piece it's staggeringly accurate to the time and every penny can be seen on screen, with multiple effectively atmospheric shots in the forest that look beautiful at times, almost creating a canvas of gothic horror in a landscape where such a thing was as antiquated as the time period itself. The acting is decent, they are commited to the roles and while nothing big or bombastic is presented I appreciate the efforts all the same. Benicio is a solid leading man and big time props for him going through the special effects makeup which reportedly took 4 hours to complete, which also means brownie points for not going full CG all the time and only is used when necessary. This is one of Anthony Hopkins' more subdued performances yet even then it's easy to get involved with his character. I do believe this is the earliest film I've seen of Emily Blunt probably before she became famous and indeed it took me a hot second to recognize that was her, and she probably has the most pathos of all the characters. Again took me a brief second to recognize Hugo Weaving as an inspector who already has Lawrence pinned for the murders, and while he isn't in the movie much he does solid work and is a good opponent for Benicio to play against. I will say straight up hands down, easily the most gory and bloody werewolf movie I've ever seen and that's to be expected with special effects master Rick Baker on the production, and coincidence if ever there friggin' was one Rick won an Academy Award for best makeup for two damn werewolf movies, this one and An American Werewolf In London. Do not ask me how that works, the universe is a funny thing. Yet with all the positives present there's always gotta be one negative that keeps rearing it's ugly head, and I fully blame this on when the movie was made. God...damn it this movie is packed to the ever loving gills with jumpscares, predictable as shit, and drags the rating down because of it! I hate it with a passion. And from what I've seen the reception couldn't be more down on the movie, and while I'll say it's just okay maybe others can get more out of it than me. Clearly there are positives to be seen, but the scare factor is tired and the story and script probably needed just a tiny bit more polish to be really good if not great, but I can still say I'm happy I saw it. 2 stars, 6.5/10, let's hope for better tomorrow!

Werewolf Of London

Welcome to the world's first werewolf movie.

Not a bad way to kick off the new year at all! Released in 1935 during Universal's first horror cycle Werewolf Of London centers on a botanist professor who uncovers an extremely rare plant in Tibet before being attacked by someone or more something, and upon returning to London he soon finds he has a strange reaction to moonlight. Now obviously the legend of lycanthropy has been around for some time before this movie and indeed it is a more humble telling than the infinitely more popular Wolf Man film from 1941, but it's still pretty good. Henry Hull as Wilfred has a smidge of the tragic curse that later would be given a much wider breadth with Lon Chaney Jr., but the performance is almost more akin to a Jekyll and Hyde situation where he's a very high class well dressed and spoken man, but when the wolf form takes shape and actually looks pretty awesome I'll say he wears more simple shabby clothes wandering the dark streets of London with a desire to kill yet still walks and acts like a human. It's interesting to see how it began before the trope evolved. Another excellent example of the movie is Warner Oland probably best known to film buffs as Charlie Chan in the early 1930s who plays almost a Van Helsing type character who is familiar with the legend of werewolves and seeks to help the afflicted professor rather than destroy him, he has such a great presence and I find it a crying shame he passed away in 1938 because from what I saw he was a very good actor. Valerie Hobson was a pleasant familiar face to see as Wilfred's wife Lisa, and I gotta say for a 1930s movie she is not at all a damsel or weak willed woman she says what she wants, does what she wants, and is taking no nonsense from man or woman which was great! The look of the film is simple but effective, there's no sprawling sets but each is distinctive and fits that grimy seedy London atmosphere which contradicts nicely with the more swanky socialite gathering homes of the high and mighty. Though mind you it does not take a positive light to any single one of the sharp dressed rich, really painting them as vacuous and idiotic for some light humor. In fact the only real criticism I can give the movie is we spend just a little too long focusing on these ancillary characters instead of say Wilfred or Lisa, the film has brief tangents so I think they were still ironing out their scripts. I mean hell at this point the vast majority of Universal Monster movies were based on literary previously established works that they didn't need to tinker with much, so it's a small complaint. Definitely a minor classic in this catalogue but for lovers of monster movies it's another fine addition to the collection. I give it 2.5 stars, 7/10, and we're jumping 75 years in the future tomorrow so stay tuned.