movie review

Movie reviews for horror fans; from gruesome bone-chillers to dark horror thrillers, a showcase for frightful films that seek to entertain and to terrify.

Vampire Circus
A bare-chested emissary of the undead draws a child close to his chilling killing chamber. In a tragic twist, it is the child’s own mother who condemns her daughter to be the cursed feast of this foul fiend. As the sinister ritual unfolds, the child's father, along with a group of determined villagers—straight out of a classic vampire film—launch a bold assault on the lair of the undead monster. They quickly vanquish him, but not before the dying fiend utters a chilling curse. With his last breath, he vows, “You shall die so that I may live again!”
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
Demons
Demons is a relentlessly gory and high-octane horror action film that starts off by teasing a fascinating narrative device: the "movie within a movie." This storytelling technique blurs the line between the film we are watching and the film within it, a concept explored effectively in other horror films such as Wes Craven's New Nightmare and Scream 3. However, Demons abandons this intriguing idea quite abruptly after the first act. Despite this, the film cleverly plays with the concept by having the action from the movie within the movie seem to bleed into reality.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
The Slayer (a.k.a. Nightmare Island)
The Slayer is a 1982 independent horror and slasher film that unfolds with a sluggish, almost interminable pace, drawing viewers into its unsettling atmosphere. The plot revolves around two couples who travel to a remote island after one of the women, Kay (Sarah Kendal), begins experiencing terrifying and vivid dreams. Her visions are filled with demonic hands, eerie landscapes, and ominous buildings that she obsessively paints, blurring the line between her nightmares and reality. These dreams serve as a harbinger of the horrors to come, setting a foreboding tone that permeates the film.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
"Wolf": Was Laura Alden the True Villainess?
Amazing that this calendar year marks the 30th anniversary of Wolf, the underrated thriller that starred Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and James Spader. I remember seeing the trailer to this as a kid, and I was awestruck over the fact that a "Wolfman" movie was coming out in my lifetime; I had already been familiar with the classic 1941 film even then. In this case, it was Nicholson's Will Randall who took on that full moon curse, though when I first watched this a few years after the theatrical release, I quickly noticed the psychological aspect of the film, which hit theaters on June 17, 1994.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Horror
The Little Shop of Horrors
The recently deceased Roger Corman (he was older than God), the potentate, reigning high priest, and Holy Father of bad exploitation cinema, helmed this sleazoid gem, which inspired both a Broadway musical and a retro camp cult classic featuring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin, among others. I've watched it at various times in my life, so I guess I’d better write about it. The film boasts a no-star cast, with one notable exception: Jack Nicholson, in an early role, plays a sadist who loves dental pain—a role reprised in the 1986 remake by none other than Bill Murray. Nicholson’s gleeful, giddy madness is one of the most amusing aspects of this otherwise mildly entertaining film. Only mildly amusing. Nonetheless, it’s something you might want to watch more than once, though I’m not certain why.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
Horror Classics: Scars of Dracula (1970)
Our Dracula marathon is almost through, but it seems that things aren't improving for the prince of darkness...unfortunately. Christopher Lee's portrayal of the villainous vampire in 1958 catapulted him to superstardom - in a manner of speaking. He became the horror genre's new darling of sorts which, as he soon discovered, turned out to be a double-edged sword.
By Greg Seebregts2 years ago in Horror
Something Weird
Something Weird is an aptly titled anti-gem from the late, great Herschell Gordon "Gore Gore Girls" Lewis, the man who made splatter matter. While it doesn't feature the excessive gore of his more infamous films like Blood Feast, 2000 Maniacs, Color Me Blood Red, or The Wizard of Gore—all of which are celluloid turkey cluckers serving as frameworks for gory, if incredibly fake, mutilation homicides—this film still manages to stand out, though for different reasons. Let the good times bleed!
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
DEMONTED COLONY II
"Demoted Colony 2" plunges us back into the dystopian world established in its predecessor, where the remnants of humanity struggle to survive in harsh, isolated colonies. The sequel, directed by Jonathan Raynor, picks up the threads of the first film and weaves a narrative that is both haunting and deeply human, despite its bleak backdrop.
By Angel Sri2 years ago in Horror
Return of the Aliens' Deadly Spawn
Return of the Aliens' Deadly Spawn (Also known as Return of the Aliens: Deadly Spawn, with a colon, and simply The Deadly Spawn) is a hellaciously good and gory splatterific sci-fi horror flick with lots of toothsome alien nasties grown huge, and little in the way of actual plot or story to ruin things. It stars no one you've ever heard of or ever will, and was made by nobody on a budget of nothing. It features the world's most dopey bluescreened countrified house landscape shot, and then we proceed to an alien lurking in the basement, making people into bloody rags. A lot of gore, a lot of gruel, a lot of slime, and wiggly Gigeresque tadpole creatures who look as if they might have burst out of John Hurt's chest in 1979.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
Horror in the High Desert Review
I have a ton to say, but I’ll summarize: Dutch Marich popped off. I’ll admit, the first Horror in the High Desert film took me a few attempts to get into. When it sucks you in, though — get ready.
By Tina H2 years ago in Horror
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Abominable Dr. Phibes is as close to a perfect film as I think cinema in 1971 could possibly aspire to. It features Vincent Price as the Phantom of the Opera-inspired mad comic book supervillain Phibes, who, down below the Earth, holed up in his comic book super villain secret HQ with his clockwork band, his Wurlitzer organ, and the ever-fashionable silent sex kitten Vulnavia (Virginia North), worships at the altar of his long-dead Victoria (Caroline Munro), and plots elaborate deaths for his enemies. And all of his enemies? These were the surgeons who couldn't save Victoria's life.
By Tom Baker2 years ago in Horror
Sweet Home: Netflix’s Gripping Horror Series Delivers Intense Thrills and Emotional Depth. AI-Generated.
Netflix’s Sweet Home is a gripping horror series that has captivated audiences with its unique blend of monster horror and deep emotional storytelling. Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, the series seamlessly blends intense scares with a rich narrative, setting itself apart in the crowded landscape of supernatural thrillers.
By harish2 years ago in Horror