reasonbran234 Reviews

The Omen (2006)

Respectfully done with a few minor changes

[8/10 · 10 June 2006]

First off, I think most "Omen" fans knew going in that they weren't going to see anything transcending or equaling the original. That would be a bit unrealistic. Julia Stiles is no Lee Remick, and Schreiber is certainly no Gregory Peck. Mia Farrow's role as Ms. Baylock does not come close that boorish original actress, whatever her name was. And finally, David Thewlis is no David Warner, at least not in this one. We do get some treats, actually more than a few; some of the stylistic additives the director decided to make work spectacularly, and I myself jumped at certain scenes as the other reviewer did. I liked seeing a different take on Damien as a little more threatening than Harvey Bernhard, although in the end I find this ineffectual. The scene in this film where Damien knocks Mrs. Thorn off the balcony with his bicycle is more maliciously done than in the first version. (Here Damien displays telepathic powers occasionally, too--that is how he and Ms. Baylock communicate and one of the ways that his mother ends up quite dead.

Whether you have seen the original film or not, some of this will be genuinely frightening--possibility for nightmare frightening. The ending was done beautifully and some of the classic scenes from the 76 versions were creatively enhanced. Not really remade, just enhanced.

The director wants the horror genre to survive, I think, and probably saw all the ridiculous remakes of decent ("When A Stranger Calls", etc) horror films and was unwilling to do that with "The Omen". God Bless him, no pun intended! Worth buying.

Saw (2004)

Not exactly "Seven", but damned close

[3 November 2004]

While this is a movie that depends very heavily on mystery and concealment, sometimes to the aggravation and annoyance the viewer, there is substance behind all the grisly gimmicks and despairing scenes: this is what one would call an "existential" film, and not in the pretentious sense.

I can fully understand the criticisms of the film. The "flashbacks" that the acidic and whiny surgeon have are indeed a little bit of a cop out, as you sort of come into the movie expecting a Hitchcockian kind of experiment, a film made in one room in the tradition of "Rope". If that was the idea that turned you on to this movie, it might not live up to your expectations, as most of the important parts are outside of the bathroom in which the two men are imprisoned.

Right from the beginning we know none of this can end well. The two leading men are irritating, amoral, and unsympathetic characters to say the least. The surgeon is a workaholic and solicitor of prostitutes, and Adam, the young photographer, is a burn out moron in the vein of early Keanu Reeves. It's hard to care about either of the characters at all, but when wife and children come into play, we do.

You may think that you have the film when it is halfway through, but you don't, so stick with it. The ending of this movie is one of the only genuine, "I'd have no idea until I saw it" shockers I've seen in years. In fact, the *ending* (by no means the entire movie) of this one probably transcends "Se7en" in terms of the level of sheer surprise it generates.

There are seriously unforgettable scenes. Each one with "the puppet", for example, will not leave your mind for quite sometime. There's something so inarticulately horrific about it; if your friend showed up at an intense Halloween party with it on it would not be cool. The killer is trying to teach his victims a lesson which is in many ways deeper than John Doe's rather conventional, Biblically inspired message. He tries to get a drug addict to feel some value for her body by putting a metallic, explosive "Man In the Iron Mask" type thing on her face and promising her that if she doesn't get the key in five minutes her head will be blown apart by it. The way that she obtains the key ain't for the squeamish.

The only huge flaw this movie really has (aside from some laughable dialogue between Adam and the surgeon) is that we never really get to know the killer, who despite being a psychopathic monster seems to have some real lessons to teach. It would have been interesting to hear him comment on his own crimes in his own voice, not the baritone, digitially altered, ominous scratch which narrates it's own atrocities.

Flaws aside, this is a gut wrenching film, almost flawlessly blending horrendous gore and morality. Recommended.

Salem's Lot (2004)

It sucked.

[21 September 2004]

Rob Lowe is mildly okay as Ben Mears, but his performance goes nowhere near David Soul's angst ridden, really convincing portrayal from the 1979 original. Donald Suterland is disappointing, and I don't think it needs to be said that his performance is less than spectacular, even absurd. He's no James Mason.

Rutger Hauer gives a better performance than this series deserved. His portrayal of King's Barlow is more accurate than the Nosferatuesque Reggie Nalder, but somehow this seems to work to the film's detriment rather than benefit. Rent the original film, or miniseries. I had high expectations, maybe that they'd build on the original a little, but it's just rushed, badly acted, trying too hard to be modern, and in general, a waste of celluloid.

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

Horrendous

[23 August 2004]

It's a good thing they pastiched clips from the original "Exorcist" in the pre-release trailers to this movie, because if they hadn't people would have been laughing aloud without even having seen the entirety of this piece of garbage.

Harlin should be arrested for public indecency--he whipped it out and within 2 hours had done a fabulous job of pissing all over Blatty's novel and Friedkin's original vision.

Skarsgard is mildly okay as the young Father Merrin, and his performance is the only saving grace of the film. The rest of it is a disjointed, sadistic, gory waste of celluloid strung together by tenuous plot elements. This film reaches such a pitch of absurdity that "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" starts to look halfway decent.

Even the better elements of the film are pretty hokey, such as Merrin's struggle with his dead faith. A little "Sophie's Choice" here and there combined with some gruesome scenes recalling "Schindler's List" (without the power) lets us know why Merrin can no longer call himself a priest. A Nazi Lieutenant forces Merrin to choose between Jews where he is living during WW2. From what I recall about history, the Third Reich had no qualms about shooting clergymen either, so I doubt this cute little piece of derivative drama would have happened in the first place.

Merrin is an alcoholic and a (sort of?) archaeologist who is suddenly chosen by the Vatican to go on a dig. This bitter drunk for some reason seems the perfect person to confront a tumultuous political situation and confront an unspeakable evil in the form of a church with upside down crosses and wolves with computer generated eyes. Sarah, a resident nurse living in this Somalian-like country, just happens to be a model who was also put upon by the Nazis as a little girl. I hope you're getting it by now.

The ending in the blasphemous church is funnier than some parodies of "The Exorcist" I've seen. As far as I'm concerned, "The Exorcist" and "The Exorcist III" are the only movies in the trilogy. The only strong feelings this one generated was a yearning for the 15 bucks I had in my pocket before I paid to see it.

The Ring (2002)

Confusion

[21 December 2003]

Although the modern remake of "The Ring" does not even approach the eerie, subtle quality of the original, it does manage to create an ambiance of impending doom and a certain cosmic malevolence rarely seen in cinema these days. The long shots of ugly buildings and what I interpreted as a criticism of TV addicts (frequent scenes in which people are watching television, perhaps suggesting they are prime victims for the young woman in the tape) and the ultimate triumph of the evil and perversion crystallized in the film--all cement a Lovecraftian atmosphere. What is missing is the intelligence and uniqueness of the Japanese teacher in the original. Decent.

Taxi Driver (1976)

a complete and utter success

[9 July 2002]

"taxi driver" is the one of the most subtle and yet genuinely disturbing films i've ever seen, and you really shouldn't watch this movie if you're looking for the usual optimistic BS we're fed about life by american cinema. i'm thinking that martin scorsese was going through a difficult patch in his life when he made this one--and how. travis bickle is a young vietnam veteran and a cabbie who "can't sleep nights" as he himself puts it, and throughout the movie we basically watch him descend into madness slowly but surely, the almost unbearable tension finally culminating in a really brutal (even by today's standards)shootout.

and yet i get the sense that scorsese was doing something more than simply trying to make us feel uncomfortable with this movie, although im sure that was part of it. this isn't just some sick psychopath losing the few marbles he had to begin with: this is about the fundamental loneliness and isolation, perhaps even misery, of the human condition. communication between human beings is, in a real and concrete sense, simply impossible. the horror of it lies in the deeper truth that this can never change. travis' short lived relationship with betsy was a temporary illusion of union, but only that--an illusion. looking at it in his light, i would say that this movie has less in common with the usual vigilante crap like "death wish" and more with samuel beckett's "waiting for godot". the pitch of hopelessness and doom that this film reaches is positively frightening, and you cannot be immune to it if you are sentient life, such is the power of it. a must.

10/10

Session 9 (2001)

one of the best horror films in decades

[30 May 2002]

"session 9" is undoubtedly the creepiest, most atmospheric haunted house/psychological horror film since "the haunting" (the original, of course, not the remake hollywood recently churned out). it far surpasses "the shining" in every aspect, including acting and pacing of the film, no matter what diehard fans of that overpraised film may claim.

peter mullan probably gives the best performance next to caruso as gordon, a more than slightly stressed and quite bossy scotsman who leads the crew of five sanitizers (ie 'fiber shuckers' as phil, caruso's character puts it) to get an unpleasant job done in the danvers state hospital, a dilapidated mental asylum in massachusetts that i would not go near if held at gunpoint. all five are blue collar working men with the language, attitude and rough lives to prove it, and seem to have an active animosity towards one another upon entering the hospital.

the soundtrack is appropriately deranged and disturbing, and the minimalistic approach of the director simply works--it all falls into place like some kind of macabre symphony. and, contrary to what most would say, i did not find the ending weak or unsatisfying in the least. in fact, it exceeded all my expectations in terms of how utterly horrifying and unbelievably demented it was.

this is nothing less than classic horror.

Taxi Driver (1976)

one of the best movies ever made

[9 April 2002]

"taxi driver" is a masterpiece of film without flaws substantial enough to mention or even notice. the broken dreams of the sixties and the pervasive sense of doom and nihilism that ruthlessly pervade every scene of the movie reflects the artistic mentality of the early seventies and create an unmistakable atmosphere of dark surrealism aided by scorsese's incredible visuals that make new york city look like a hell of loneliness and debauchery without hope or redemption. travis bickle, a taxi cab driver and young vietnam veteran, slowly slips into madness as the viewer watches and de niro's performance is so perfect that at times one must wonder if he felt some personal connection to the character or related to him in some profound way. it is not so much that travis is a 'loser' per se as a lucid but sick man who can no longer do what others do and ignore the horrendous depravity and inhuman indifference of his surroundings and the world as a whole. perhaps, in a strange way, he is the only truly 'sane' character in the entire movie, although this puts him in a tight spot indeed. the influence of dostoevsky's equally bleak "notes from the underground" is immediately apparent to readers of the book, and this entire film will strike a painful chord with those who have felt alienated and outcast at one time or another in their lives for whatever reasons. why, travis wonders, does no one care about him or what the world is coming to? how can scum like harvey keitel do atrocious things like prostitute twelve year old girls without anyone raising a finger in defense of the innocent? is there any sense or meaning in anything? and in defiance of conventional cinema, scorsese answers with a quite clear "no" to that question. there is not a glimmer of hope in this movie, simply a menacing ambiance of unrelenting sadness and hopelessness and that resounds in the viewer long after the film ends. although it temporarily satisfies travis, his act of vigilantism at the end of the film (the culmination of both his considerable personal neurosis and his legitimate perceptions of the evil and absurd nature of human society)really makes no difference and will only temporarily satiate travis' lust for vengeance on a world that has ejected him for recognizing the true state of things. a beautiful, unforgettable, haunting movie.

Citizen Kane (1941)

overrated but still moving and poetic

[21 March 2002]

first of all, no matter what anyone might say, "citizen kane" is not the greatest movie of all time. people have a right to their opinions, but it's a safe bet that those who profess to consider this the best movie they've ever seen are trying to look sophisticated and 'in the know'. there are parts of this movie which, blaspheme i might, drag like a dead corpse and put you to sleep quicker than tylenol PM.

on the other hand, there are very touching parts in this film, the highlight for me being the dialogue about the ferry girl. it points to the ultimate incomprehensibility and perhaps even the hopelessness of life, with it's ephemerality and occasional moments of beauty and inspiration. the other moment that got to me was when kane trashes his mansion in a fit of fury at the extravagant, luxurious and absolutely empty objects that surround him. welles does a damn near perfect job of playing kane, who seeks for meaning and purpose in all the places they do not exist, and ends up regretting it. "rosebud" is, ultimately, the failure of the american dream:pretty women and wealth only promote and quicken spiritual decay, and success in society can leave a person unbelievably impoverished and unworthy on the inside.

watch the movie, but don't buy the hype.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

excellent horror film, NOT mainstream garbage

[19 March 2002]

"the blair witch project" is one of the most brilliantly conceived, best acted and directed horror movies I've seen in years, although it does have it's weak points. i hate mainstream movies, and never go to the theatre because i think of american film in general as corporate, ephemeral, whimsical crap. i mistrusted this movie and did not bother seeing it until i read the plot, which sounded ingenious and lovecraftian to me. the reviewers on this page who didn't like it were determined to respond negatively just because a lot of teenagers thought it was 'freaky' or whatever, and so they dismissed it offhand without really caring whether it was actually good or bad. it is suggestive, frightening, realistic, and everything in it is believable except that these none too intelligent twenty-somethings would keep the camera running at all after a certain point of crisis. while the character depth was almost nill and we never get to find out anything about the filmmakers beyond their names and ridiculously excessive use of foul language, the terrifying night scenes more than compensate for these flaws and their gradual descent into desperation and madness has a real ring of authenticity to it and is not at all affected or contrived, as i imagined it would be.

having thought the horror genre was thoroughly down and out, even beyond the point of no return, "blair witch" is an unexpected joy and, while not quite a masterpiece, certainly constitutes a cult classic and something that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Pi (1998)

disturbing and beautiful, NOT about math

[11 February 2002]

"pi" is not really about math, and all the pretentious commentators here who want to impress people by talking about how the theories in it are false or wrong or whatever (i studied math, i'm an astrophysicist, look at me) are completely missing the point. this is about the danger of asking metaphysical questions and pursuing ultimate answers ferociously. max (a misanthropic, half mad mathematical genius) is looking for a pattern that can be found underlying everything in the universe, in other words, the meaning of life. it could just as well have been about poetry or philosophy as infinitely complex calculations and math. his older (and probably wiser) colleague warns max that he may be diving headlong into the horrific realization that men of genius of all kinds have feared since the beginning of time, namely, that there really is no basic order to our world and that while our mental apparatus can strain all it wants, it may indeed be looking for something that just isn't there. max is too far gone to listen, however, and his horror of possible meaninglessness and chaos drives him to exploit the deepest trajectories of the mind in order to discover the possibly non existent answer that he thirsts for. i would not necessarily say that the movie is a warning against searching for the meaning of life, however, and one should notice how the director portrays the wall street gang who pursue max for the code that would enable them to predict the stock market, as self interested (or "petty", as max so aptly calls them) materialists. max descends farther and farther into madness and severe paranoia, and drives away the already marginal and awkward relations he has with other human beings. at the end, max commits suicide with a drill in a scene that is as tragic as it is foreboding. perhaps the moral is that stretching the human will and intellect to their utmost is to risk what may be the only meaning of life, that is, the simple and human appreciation of it. this movie is absolutely essential for those who love art house movies and for aficiandos of the surreal. a necessity.

Lisa and the Devil (1973)

deliciously atmospheric and just plain yummy

[5 January 2002]

i asked for "lisa and the devil" as a christmas present because I've always been a huge fan of dario argento, and it is common knowledge that he was in part inspired by the work of mario bava. i was not disappointed! like argento, bava has no concern for realism or complex character development and keeps it to the level of what it is, a horror film. it is hallucinatory, imaginative, intriguing, and also works as suspense, even if a little too campy for that genre. telly savalas does an excellent job as satan, and i loved how he enjoyed his trademark lollipop even during an italian horror film as though to say--"the devil loves ya, baby!" modern horror directors get everything wrong and make the mistake of thinking that meaningless action and excessive gore make an effective and memorable film, when nothing could be further from the truth. bava works with mystery and imagination, the two essential ingredients without which there can be no "horror" worthy of the name. of course, both the dialogue and behavior of the characters are ludicrous and laughably erratic, but you should come in expecting this from anyone who helped to inspire argento's film. "lisa and the devil" ranks up there with "suspiria" and "inferno", hands down. check it out.

Un chien andalou (1929)

surrealist rebellion against society

[2 December 2001]

this movie may be dated in a certain sense, but the vitality and passion of its vicious rebellion against societal taboos and constraints still comes through full throttle. bunuel, master of cinematic/surrealist revolt, violates every boundary he can think of. a woman's eyeball is slashed open, her chest brutally groped, ants crawl out of a man's hand, etc. this is more of a curiosity than anything else, but I am a surrealism fanatic and love this along with Cocteau's "Blood of a Poet". the reviewers here who downplay it's value are simply wrong and probably decided in advance to dislike it to look different.

The Crow (1994)

great atmosphere and mood, REAL justice

[27 November 2001]

first of all, let me start off by saying that vladimir grozescu is totally wrong about this movie and the so called "hypocritical vigilante justice" it supposedly propagates. many other critics have said the same thing, that lee's character in this movie is despicable because he avenges the heinous murder of himself and his fiancee. i might be alone in this, but i enjoyed every second of watching these scumbags get what they deserved, and i would even go so far as to say that they didn't get it severely or painfully enough. if somehow you were resurrected and remembered that a group of thugs and predatory monsters had raped and killed the woman you loved and then yourself, i don't think you would just want to talk things over. should we act on every vengeful impulse we have? of course not. if we are snubbed by someone, verbally mistreated, ignored, we have no right to resort to physical violence--but rape and murder are different things indeed. if you shed tears over the death of these thoroughly evil, depraved animals, let me be the first to tell you that your sensibilities are a bit jaded. if i had a daughter and something like this happened to her i for one would do exactly what eric draven does in this film. that might sound amoral or cynical, but i guess some of those bleeding heart idealists like vladimir out there have to come to terms with the obvious fact that there are some situations in life that just aren't rosy red and that cannot be sugar coated. and while i agree that this movie is *slightly* overrated, i still think lee had great potential and would have matured into a much better actor than he was when this was filmed. i hardly dispute the fact that he was no robert de niro, but for an actor of his age and experience he was unusually convincing. he makes the character come to life and does so passionately. the atmosphere is appropriately dark and bleak, the story is involving and entertaining, and this is far above the average comic book film to say the least. vladimir must have pretty low expectations for movies if he recommends the subspecies films, which are utter cheese and trash and none of which hold a candle to this movie. he also recommends "the mangler", and this convinced me that he was just trying to p*** fans of the crow off by recommending other movies, since "the mangler" is undoubtedly one of the most embarrassingly bad and inadvertently hilarious failures i have ever seen. i am not a 'goth' by any means but i do find the gothic subculture interesting, and i would say that this film is an excellent example of what a gothic-type movie should be. sure, you can say that this is an MTV music video without being completely wrong, but why can't we enjoy the occasional music video movie without getting all critical and anal about it? it makes excellent use of the soundtrack and it complements the film perfectly. this movie came together well, and anyone who likes cult movies will enjoy this despite it's share of corny and pretentious scenes and lines. in short, this is a must see.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

deliciously fun and truly scary!

[26 November 2001]

"dawn of the dead" is a damn near perfect sequel to "night" and is undoubtedly one of the richest, satirical, doomy and apocalyptic horror movies ever filmed. no one can do social commentary via horror movie as well as romero, and his sense of the absurd and subtle yet scathing critique of consumerism is amusing and not at all pretentious. the sequence in which the biker gang breaks into the zombie infested mall is probably one of the most memorable scenes i've ever seen in any film, in the horror genre or outside of it. a particularly unsavory member of the group gets his intestines torn out by a zombie while getting his blood pressure checked, and it looks utterly real and not at all fake or cheesy. when one of the group is bitten on a 'truck raid' and turns into a zombie underneath a blanket in their hideout, he slowly pulls it from his face and the effect is really stomach churning and frightening. this is not just for horror fanatics, but anyone who loves an entertaining yet substantive film. needless to say if you ARE a horror fan, you can't be worthy of the name till you see this utterly flawless and well executed masterpiece.

Witchfinder General (1968)

not exactly a 'horror' film, but certainly bizarre

[26 November 2001]

"the conqueror worm" is probably one of price's best, if more unpleasant and violent, films. i was so used to seeing him in good guy roles that it knocked my socks off to see him play this sick SOB 'witch hunter', matthew hopkins. after the movie ended i had to kind of laugh at how ridiculously unpleasant it had been--the whole time you're waiting for price's character to get his just desserts and that moron at the end takes him out with a single bullet, the last frame being a woman screaming in horror at the top of her lungs at everything that's happened. what a way to start the week. this is indispensable for even the most casual fan of price and is also a necessity for cineastes of the bizarre and unhealthy.

Carnival of Souls (1962)

delivers in spades, really disturbing and surreal

[26 November 2001]

any fan of surrealism and certainly every horror nut like myself should buy this movie and watch it repeatedly as i did. this monumental and puzzlingly obscure horror masterpiece alone puts herk harvey on the map as the little known ingmar bergman of horror, and this is his only movie. it is hard to articulate exactly what it is about harvey's 'ghoul' that is so terrifying and foreboding, but every time he popped on screen, even fleetingly, my stomach did a few unhealthy flips and i was totally transfixed. the most disturbing part is the 'dancing' sequence where mary, the cold and icy loner who imagines she got lucky and lived through a fatal accident which killed the other passengers in the car, unwillingly dances with harvey's spectre and the rest of the spirits. anyone who has ever had a nightmare will immediately recognize it as exactly identical to the sense of helplessness and desperate horror in this scene. out of every 'cult' movie ever made, "carnival of souls" is the most fascinating and unjustly neglected.

Psycho (1960)

great but dated and NOT alfie's best by any means

[26 November 2001]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** "psycho" is a great movie just for the atmosphere and the superb acting on the part of janet leigh and anthony perkins, but it is not hitchcock's best. this movie shocked people when it was released because of the shower scene, and it seems pretty obvious to me that everyone pretends the whole thing is more frightening than it really is out of a false reverence for the initial shock and scandal it generated at the time of it's release. what is it that makes people see this movie as so scary? i could pick more than a few horror movies off the top of my head in five minutes that are undeniably more frightening than this one. if you're actually *scared* by this movie, you must be either pretty sheltered or have a heart condition. as a thriller and a mystery it is also not exactly at the top of it's game, since anyone who doesn't live in a cave knows that norman is dressing up as his mother and killing people. don't get me wrong, "psycho" is a must see just for the utter dread that pervades every scene, but hitchcock made far more effective and gripping films than this one. if you want to see a horror movie from the 1960's that is actually terrifying, rent "the haunting", and if you want a better and more entertaining example of what makes hitchcock hitchcock, see "rear window" or "vertigo".

Kwaidan (1964)

indescribably beautiful, up there with the best horror ever made

[25 November 2001]

"kwaidan" is the most elegantly made horror movie, (along with the original version of "The Haunting"), ever made. It starts out slow and even a little boring, looking more like a Japanese episode of "Gunsmoke" than a horror anthology, but boy, does it take off at thee end of the first story. I never actually expected to be afraid of it, I just expected to enjoy the lavish visuals and imaginative beauty of the whole thing, but this one packed some frightening punch, so to speak. There are really sinister moments, such as when the warrior comes and tears off the poor boy's ears. The story with the "ice woman" is absolutely surreal and beautiful, and you will be completely engrossed in it after you give it five minutes of your full attention. "kwaidan" is probably one of the best horror movies ever made--buy it.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

Like a moving HR Giger painting

[20 November 2001]

This movie is something of an enigma. I can't say I 'enjoyed' it per se, but I did watch it twice over and did not get bored or tired of it once. Despite what some of the reviewers here have said, it is not pretentious or for fake 'sophistoes'like that guy from Texas said. He should mosy on down to a college and get an idea of what surrealist art is supposed to be like, because after that he'll realize that this movie is it. I'm no sophisto and I'm certainly not 'hip', and I can still recognize the value of this movie. Disturbing imagery, provocative and unforgettable scenes of horror and extreme violence, a sense of utilitarianism and the absurd--Tetsuo is all this and more. But as a warning, I strongly suggest that you understand what you're getting into when you rent or purchase this movie:it is not for people who are easily offended or perturbed by gore and scenes of out and out psychosis. Even I shuddered at this, and I've been a huge horror fan since age 12. You might make a parallel between Tetsuo and the work of Kafka, as both have very similar disregard for 'logic' and so called 'reality'. This movie is a canvas for a portrait of the irrational, and the comparison to David Lynch is quite well founded. This is a must for those who enjoy the unconventional, the mystifying, and just great art. A necessity

The Hitcher (1986)

the violence is excessive and repulsive, but still a great movie

[13 November 2001]

i understand why people might think the violence in this movie is over the top, but this is certainly no reason to dismiss it offhand as roger ebert and his goons did. let's remember that ebert is the same genius who gave lynch's 'blue velvet' a half a star. (maybe he didn't get his goobers or heavily buttered popcorn before the movie.) forget about the violence and concentrate on the hauntingly surreal, atmospheric terror of the film, and you will immediately realize that it is a real cult classic that has been unjustly overlooked. in a decade when people actually listened to bands like poison and made movies like staying alive 2, the hitcher stands out as masterfully well paced, extremely involving, and absolutely terrifying. hauer should have gotten an award for his performance as the hitcher that howell is unfortunate enough to have picked up, and the ambiguity as regards his motives and who or what he actually is (an invincible supernatural entity? the delusion of a deranged mind?)simply adds to the overall fascinating enigma this film is. some of the gore is indeed repugnant, and i did not enjoy seeing a finger on howell's plate or the scene in which a young girl is torn apart after being bound to two huge trucks, but these are basically trivial flaws. the surreality and astounding mystery of the movie more than compensate for it's sadism and senseless violence. it is like being taken into another, more shadowy dimension of reality. chilling and effective, as good as halloween. buy it.

Tenebrae (1982)

involving and vivid, but repulsive and sickening

[9 November 2001]

i'm a huge fan of dario argento and i consider "suspiria" one of the best horror movies ever made, but i have to admit that he goes over the edge with the murder scenes a good deal of the time, and you have to wonder what's going on in a guy's head that he has to have some gruesome, elaborate and brutal killing happen every five seconds. this is particularly true of "tenebre", and the plot is basically an excuse for scenes of repugnant brutality and gore. although i found it gripping and interesting and i certainly believe it's worth watching *for argento fans only*, i almost had to turn it off at the end, which as i remember was so violent and horrific that it was as if argento had shouted to the cast,"everyone stab everyone else, stab and hack yourself, then come and axe more people again!" actually the plot is a bit more believable than most of his films, centering on a murder/mystery writer who is being stalked by a serial killer who imitates the author's fictitious murder scenes in real life, but do we really need to see a woman's arm cut off, for instance, or about the three billion decapitations that take place? yes, there are parts as stomach churning in "suspiria" and "inferno", but they are few and far between and for the most part those two horror masterpieces due to the surreal, dreamy, mystical and marvelous quality of the visuals and the magical atmosphere that argento creates as only he can. but no such redeeming quality here, and certainly nothing that makes it worth watching if you're a weirdo like me who doesn't enjoy seeing meticulously imagined, vicious murders every millisecond. nonetheless, it is far, far better than the average slasher film and a must if you're an argento fan, but otherwise i can't help but feel (despite being a fan) that dario argento has serious issues.

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)

awesome, fun Hammer classic

[9 November 2001]

"Kronos" is one of the most fascinating Hammer movies ever made, and that's saying a lot. Before seeing this I put every Hammer film into two categories and watched and bought accordingly: ones with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and ones without them. This, along with "The Brides of Dracula", is proof that Hammer just knew how to make a great horror movie with or without their star actors, which is a sign of true creativity. Needles to say, "Kronos" is a little campy, but there are genuinely sinister scenes (such as the one in the woods with the 'old woman vampire') and the action is both funny and exciting at the same time. a must.

Count Dracula (1970)

one of the best and most authentic versions ever made

[9 November 2001]

this is an unjustly obscured, great horror film that does more justice to the novel than any of the Hammer versions but maintains their atmosphere perfectly and outdoes "the horror of dracula" by far. christopher lee looks just like the description of the Count in stoker's novel, and far from being 'funny' or 'cheap' as some of the other reviewers here have called it (did they watch the same movie, or what?), you don't doubt it's reality for a moment. the soundtrack is really eerie and appropriate to some of the truly horrifying scenes, such as the poor woman screaming outside the castle at dracula to give her baby back, and the surrealistic scene in which jonathan harker leaps out the castle's window. kinski is superb and utterly convincing (and i'm usually not all that impressed by him) as renfield, and it is really creepy to watch his behavior at times. (especially when he eats bugs and smears the friggin blood on the rubber walls. ick!) in fact, i could find very little wrong with this movie at all, and any true horror fan will revere it. not just a must watch, a must own.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

genuinely unsettling and uncomfortable to watch, but great

[9 November 2001]

there's something about "rosemary's baby" that makes it hard to articulate and yet elevates it to the level of one of the best horror movies ever made, if a little slow paced and at times monotonous. as with all polanski films, the movie has a weird flavor to it and at times makes the viewer really feel uncomfortable. the plot is relatively simple:a young couple, rosemary and guy, move into an apartment complex with very friendly and, uh...unique, neighbors. the first time rosemary gets the sense that's something is not quite right is after a neighbor's seemingly motiveless suicide, and her husband's odd rage when she mentions that she wants another doctor to replace the one he chose, a strange dude who gives 'natural' prescriptions for rosemary's occasional physical pains stemming from her pregnancy. one of the most terrifying scenes is a 'dream' sequence that may or may not be a dream, although it is very likely that it isn't, in which rosemary is undressed and surrounded by her buck naked neighbors on an altar to satan while they chant and hover over her. she is also very disturbed when her husband decides that since they had planned to make love on a certain night and she fell asleep prematurely, he'll go ahead and do it anyway. the ending is the most horrifying and fearful part in the film, even surpassing the dream scene, and rosemary finally learns what her husband and her neighbors have known all along, although i won't ruin it for you. let's just say that her husband's self interest and long standing ambition to be a famous actor motivates him to make a less than savory deal with someone you probably shouldn't bargain with, whatever the reason. this is an absolute must own for serious students of film and casual fans of the horror genre. surreal, stylish, and geniunely disturbing, "rosemary's baby" is undoubtedly one of the best horror movies ever made.