Halloween series
So Halloween is upon us and this year it occurred to me that I had only seen half of the Halloween films. I decided to rectify that this year. Halloween (1978) You know I kind of go back and forth on Halloween. I last saw it in 2009 and thought that while good it was … Continue reading
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – For an author who was never reached a very wide audience in his lifetime, H.P. Lovecraft has had a pretty heavy influence for modern horror storytelling. I think (and I’m hardly alone in this opinion) that it’s because he emphasized the horror of the unknowable. You don’t really … Continue reading
The Last Exorcism (2010)
The Last Exorcism (2010) – So the whole “found footage” gimmick really should be played out by now, but as it happens enough new innovative movies employing it keep coming out. I had all but written off the Paranormal Activity movies but when I actually saw them I rather enjoyed them. I like The Last … Continue reading
Child’s Play (1988)
Child’s Play (1988) – Let’s just start with the one reason this movie couldn’t NOT be scary: dolls are just fucking creepy, man. Child’s Play is a movie with some dark humor, but unlike some of the sequels that followed it is not a comedy. Reliably creepy character actor Brad Dourif plays serial killer Charles … Continue reading
Masters of Horror – John Carpenter’s Cigarette Burns
Masters of Horror – John Carpenter‘s Cigarette Burns In 2005 I thought Showtime’s series Masters of Horror was about the coolest idea ever. Allowing icons of the horror film world to create hour-long movies every week free from network interference (though Showtime did end up declining to air Takashi Miike’s Imprint) was something I was … Continue reading
Paranormal Activity series
For seven years the Saw franchise released a movie annually around Halloween. With three Paranormal Activity films in three years, I had kind of written off the franchise as a similarly exploitative franchise. You know how they say not to judge a book by its cover (despite that being where the plot synopsis is)? Well … Continue reading
Charade (1963)
Charade (1963) – Stanley Donen’s Charade has been called “the best Hitchcock movie that he never made.” (For the record, I disagree and would nominate Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Les diaboliques instead.) Still though, there is a certain Hitchcockian feel to certain aspects of the story. Audrey Hepburn plays Reggie, a recent widow. She returns from a … Continue reading
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011) – So if you really look at it, Conan O’Brien is a millionaire who quit after his less-than-satisfactory ratings caused NBC to try to move his show (and got several million more for doing so). Still, there’s really the overwhelming feeling like he got screwed. Leno’s ratings were worse than … Continue reading
50/50 (2011)
50/50 (2011) – This is one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. You know that old cliché of “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry?” Well this movie actually probably can make you do both. Somewhat loosely based on the experiences of screenwriter Will Reiser 50/50 is the story of Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young writer … Continue reading
Hanna (2011)
Hanna (2011) – Kick-Ass proved that a young girl killing a bunch of bad guys has definite entertainment value, but while Kick-Ass was an affectionate parody of comic book films, Hanna has a decidedly more serious take on the subject. Hanna marks a rather significant departure from director Joe Wright’s previous period dramas, Price and … Continue reading
Persistence of Vision 