I had initially put up these small capsule reviews on my Facebook page, with me deciding to watch and review a horror film each night throughout October. This is why the reviews aren't exactly like my others or the reason I don't go into any depth with them. Also allows me to fix any other issues i.e. spelling etc. Be prepared, this is a slog of a read.
1st October 2023
So, it's the 1st October. Like last year I'm aiming to watch a horror film every day on the lead up to Halloween. Starting things off in the early hours of Sunday the 1st, I settled upon:
1. The Blackening. Director Tim Story's Comedy horror, spoofing the slasher films of old. Some good humour with a decent level of gory violence is almost undone by a character list made up of complete arseholes.
Filled with multiple stereotypes, I was typically willing for the killer to hurry up and take most of these wallopers out, with hardly a likeable character amongst them. There's some mystery added, with the killer have a reason to be picking everyone off one by one. Let's just say that when their motive became clear, I found myself siding with the killer even more.
The humour at least made proceedings bearable, with some decent homages to the likes of Friday the 13th and the Saw franchise. Additionally, it was nice to see a horror film that didn't pander to a teenage audience.
Still, this had the potential to be much better. Tim Story isn't exactly known for helming classics but he has on occasion surprised me with Ride Along 2 and the most recent Shaft films being great fun. If only the Blackening had the same level of enjoyment we could have been on to a winner.
2nd October 2023
After yesterday's absolute shiter, I thought it better to err on the side of caution and go with a horror I'd seen before in order to stop any disappointment.
2. The Lost Boys - Joel Schumacher's vampire tale may not have opened to great reviews when released in 1987, but rightfully so it has gone on to become a cult classic, even leading to 2 truly awful sequels.
Everyone is great here, with Kiefer Sutherland playing his 2nd scariest character next to Jack Bauer. Jason Patric is good value as the main hero. I remember my mum being especially taken with him back in the day, dirty bitch.
This was also the first film to bring together the two Corey's, Haim and Feldman, who work well together, even if Feldman is a total fuckin walloper these days.
Schumacher would go on to make some great films (Falling Down, Tigerland) and the not so great (Batman & Robin), but it's The Lost Boys that has managed to stand the test of time.
3rd October 2023
More horror for the month of October. Like last night, I thought I would revisit an old classic. Well, not exactly, as I settled on watching an alternative version, cracking the box open for the first time on a blu-ray I bought when it was released a decade ago.
3. The Wicker Man: The Final Cut - The changes Robin Hardy has made to the film are completely unnecessary, adding nothing to the overall film. They don't ruin it, the film is still a classic but at the same time, the VHS quality of these newly included scenes otherwise jar with what is a beautiful looking film.
I first saw The Wicker Man as a teenager, and was amazed by its mixture of pagan horror and outright strangeness, with the film also oozing with atmosphere. Those feelings haven't changed one bit, with this still being top tier British horror.
What is more apparent as I have gotten older is how much an arsehole Edward Woodward's character is in it, with him being extremely rude and overthrowing his authority before he even knows a crime has been committed. He's totally judgemental, so much so I was singing along with the villagers when they finally burned the prick. Woops, spoilers.
Robin Hardy proved to be a one hit wonder, with The Wicker Man being the only work of his worth revisiting. He tried getting some of the magic back with the truly woeful The Wicker Tree, but to quote my pal Delroy Lindo in Get Shorty, I've seen better fuckin film on teeth.
Saying that, it is better than the unfortunate Neil LaBute remake, where the only highlight was seeing Nicolas Cage going full on mental about "the bees".
4th October 2023
Change from last night's folk horror of the Wicker Man, I decided on something a bit more grisly.
Tonight's film is as much a mystery film as it is a horror, although it is definitely horrific material.
4. From Hell- The Hughes Brothers take inspiration rather than adapt Alan Moore's graphic novel. Fans of the book would certainly be disappointed, as the film takes serious liberties with the source material. That isn't to say that the film doesn't work.
Having read the graphic novel, it would be difficult to make a proper adaptation as I think an audience wouldn't take to auld Jack being the lead character. Instead the lead is changed to Abberline, here played by Johnny Depp. Depp does well even if his accent is somewhat ropey.
The same is true of Heather Graham, whose accent never truly convinces but is decent in her role even if she is far too attractive to be fully convincing as a downtrodden prostitute.
The supporting cast is made up of a host of quality British actors, with the likes of Robbie Coltrane, Ian Holm and the Great Ian Richardson just being a small amount of the quality cast involved.
The Hughes create a palpable sense of Dread, with the era being perfectly created. One thing that could never be said about From Hell is that it is a bad looking film, with Trevor Jones Score being a perfect accompaniment to the on screen visuals.
The plot covers similar ground to Bob Clark's wonderful Sherlock Holmes tale Murder by Decree, but is different enough to be wholly worthwhile. Author Alan Moore has complained of this adaptation, but even if this was perfect he would whinge as he has turned into a miserable old bugger.
5th October 2023
Couldn't sleep this morning, so I thought before heading out, perhaps I'd fit in another horror film for the spooky month of October.
Now, the idea of Walt Disney doing a horror film may surprise people, and honestly how scary can a PG rated film be. Even so, having seen thus in my youth I knew it had an air of quality to it. So, my horror choice was:
5. Something Wicked This Way Comes - Jack Clayton directs Ray Bradburys own adaptation of his novel, and considering the restrictions that were clearly put upon them both, they manage to create a film dripping with atmosphere.
Jason Robards as usual is terrific, playing single father to Vidal Peterson's Will, the main character of the film. For a child actor he's pretty good, a far change from the insufferable arseholes that are littered through most modern Hollywood movies.
As good as they are, Jonathan Pryce steals the show as the charismatic Mr Dark, who is head of the new carnival in town. Offering true wishes, it isn't long until he has the Town in his grip and its up to Robards to stop him.
Of course, this is more spooky than scary. It is Walt Disney after all, but if your in the look out for a horror tale with quality acting and terrific production design you should look no further than this cracker.
6th October 2023
Another Disney film tonight after yesterday's Something Wicked This Way Comes. Now, the last time Disney based a film on one of their theme park rides it resulted in Pirates of the Caribbean, so it's understandable why Disney would attempt this second adaptation of one of their other popular rides.
Although it didn't exactly open to terrific reviews, I was willing to give tonight's movie a shot.
6. The Haunted Mansion - Like yesterday's film, more creepy than scary with it clearly being aimed at a family audience. That's not to say there's not fun too be had and while the film isn't exactly a home run, it's better than its poor reviews would suggest.
Director Justien Simien creates a fun, spooky atmosphere and gets good performances from his cast. However, there are some pacing issues. A film of this ilk has no need to run over 2 hours. Also, while I said it's meant to be aimed at a family audience, there is an uncertain tone, with it possibly being too creepy for young kids but not scary enough for adults. Honestly, there were bits that were straight out of Scooby Doo.
Additionally, while the cast do well, some of the characters aren't as likeable as they should be. This is especially true of LaKeith Stanfield in the lead role. Stanfield is a talented performer but this doesn't cover the fact that his character is a dick. At first his sarkiness was funny, but as the film progressed he continued to just be an arsehole. Thankfully when more of his backstory is revealed it at least becomes understandable, if not exactly forgivable.
Luckily Owen Wilson was on hand, who even with his shady Priest is as likeable as ever. The same is true of Rosario Dawson, who plays more of a straight role, especially in comparison to the over the top antics of Tiffany Haddish. I couldn't speak off the cast without mentioning the always welcome Danny Devito who can make even the most mundane lines seem hilarious.
Smaller roles are filled by Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis and celebrity cult leader and sex beast Jared Leto.
Like the majority of recent Disney productions, the CGI is a mixture of good to mediocre. It amazes me that such large scale productions would skimp on one of the films most important aspects. On comparison, I watched the Creator last night which amazingly cost 80 million, 70 million less than the Haunted Mansion. The sheer scale and special effects in that film put this to shame.
The quality set design somewhat makes up for the poor CGI, with the Mansion set itself, where most the action takes place, being wonderfully designed.
An enjoyable failure, and a major improvement on the Eddie Murphy version from 2003. Still, Disney really need to pull their fingers out their arses, as I can't remember the last time they had a real hit on their hands, with even their Marvel output dropping in quality.
7th October 2023
Been sitting on tonight's horror for a while. I had done the same with the first film in the series before being pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Looking at the poster you may think once again I have settled for another kids horror, but other than the fact the main character is a teenager this is strictly for adults.
7. Wrath of Becky - Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote take over directing duties this time but keep very much the same vibe of the first film. The script doesn't exactly bear close scrutiny, with a serious amount of suspension of belief, with the second outing of Becky falling more and more into fantasy, with her even brandishing a rocket launcher at one point.
Also, would a bunch of murderous terrorists really be willing to keep a dog alive because a 16 year old girl threatens them. But looking for believability in a horror is maybe asking too much.
The fun of seeing a child going against a gang of Criminals is somewhat lost with the sequel, with Lulu Wilson looking a good deal older than she did first time round. Even so, she is still great in the lead role, with her dispatching her enemies in an assortment of gruesome ways. The solid work she has done in these films as well as the likes of Annabelle: Creation and Ouija: Origin of Evil I'm surprised she isn't better known.
Like the first film, a great deal of the fun is seeing a normally comedic actor portray the villain. The first film had Adam Sandlers best pal Kevin James cast as an evil Neo nazi. James was great in the role and proved the King of Queens could do more than simple comedy.
This time round it's Stifler himself, Seann William Scott. Sure, he has done serious stuff before, but his role as a violent terrorist leader is far removed from anything that's come before. I would have liked for him to get more to do, as we only really get a peek into how evil he can be, with one particularly brutal scene showing him killing one of his own men.
Running a brisk 83 minutes, it never gets a chance to get boring. An enjoyably violent small scale horror/thriller that unfortunately doesn't live up to its predecessor. Even so, it's a fun time and I'd be more than open to the further adventures of Becky.
Oh, spoiler for all you animal lovers. Don't worry, the dug makes it.
8th October 2023
he 8th of October's venture into horror found me once again revisiting a classic. As much fun as the other nights Lost Boys is, I always felt that it unreservedly overshadowed this much superior film.
8. Fright Night - Tom Holland's almost perfect vampire movie has it all, wonderful performances, a terrific script and spectacular special effects. Special effects I must add that still manage to hold up to this day, with the practical work done on set overshadowing the shocking CGI work that currently features in the majority of Hollywood blockbusters these days.
Tom Holland had already made something of a name for himself as a screenwriter, most famously writing the screenplay to the classic Psycho 2. Coincidentally, his script for Fright Night would also be inspired by the works of Hitchcock, with the opening segments being reminiscent of Rear Window where William Ragsdale's characters voyeurism gets him into more trouble than he can handle.
Speaking of Ragsdale, I always thought his work here would lead to better things, but other than the sequel his career is mostly made of lesser supporting roles. As great as Ragsdale is, due to the straightness of his role he is greatly overshadowed by his co-stars.
Chris Sarandon is one of the coolest vampires to grace the screen. As my old mother told me whilst watching this with me, "that fella is a right sexy bastard, how can I naw get a man like that". Well, let's just say auld Sadie didn't exactly appreciate my answer, but I have to say I couldn't disagree with her on Sarandon. His Jerry Dandridge is that charismatic you might even finding yourself rooting for him.
Then there's scene stealer Stephen Geoffreys, whose Evil Ed leaves a lasting impression. He manages to be both the funniest character in the film as well as the most tragic. He's that good and shows so much potential here that it's perplexing that he wound up starring in hard-core gay pornography. Having never seen these films I can't judge, although I can't see the likes of Butt Blazer stretching him as an actor. Well, at least not the way he'd probably have hoped for.
Talking of scene stealers, they don't come any better than Roddy McDowell who brings so much humour and heart to the cowardly Peter Vincent. In a career spanning almost six decades, with several iconic roles, Peter Vincent still manages to be a standout.
Amanda Bearse gets the weakest of the main roles, although she certainly comes into her own in the latter parts of the film. Maybe it's the weirdo in me, but I always thought she looked a lot sexier when she became a vampire at the end. Well, that is until she transforms.
It wouldn't be right not to mention Brad Fiedel's score. The Terminator composers music is a perfect accompaniment to the action, with the 80s pop music also being suitably memorable.
Sure, the film may be of its time, but in my opinion there hasn't been a vampire film since that can match the sheer fun and enjoyment which Fright Night delivers upon. One just has to look at the remake for evidence of this, although unlike some I did enjoy that film,. Still, it pales in comparison to the mighty original.
9th October 2023
After watching the original, it only made sense that my next horror film should be its sequel. Although it pales in comparison to the first film, this is more to do with the high bar Tom Holland set first time round.
9. Fright Night 2 - Tommy Lee Wallace takes over directing duties for this fun sequel, with it still featuring all the vampire action you could hope for, with William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell proving to be a winning team once again as Charley and Peter.
Traci Lind takes over from Amanda Bearse, playing Charley's new love interest Alex. She actually seems a more believable fit for Charley in the film and is more of a hero than Bearse's damsel in distress.
Julie Carmen makes for an alluring vampire but doesn't bring the same gravitas to her performance that Sarandon brought to his Jerry Dandridge. Still, it understandable how she'd turn the head of Ragsdale's Charley Brewster.
Unlike Sarandon, who was only accompanied by his "room mate", Carmen has a host of help, starting with the hilarious Jon Gries who helps fill the void left by Stephen Geoffreys Evil Ed. Unsurprisingly, originally his role was intended for Geoffreys, with him reprising the Evil Ed role. Unfortunately he turned it down causing the part to be rewritten, making way for Gries.
Then there's one of my personal favourites Brian Thompson, who is always good value. Here he's essentially the vampires muscle. It isn't as memorable a villain as his Cobra character, but he still makes an impression.
My favourite scene is when the vampire's have a wee night out to themselves and go bowling. Just goes to show its not all murder and mayhem in the life of a vampire. Saying that, they do murder the staff of the bowling alley. Suppose some things are hard to kick.
Unlike Tom Holland, Tommy Lee Wallace is a very workmanlike director, but gets the job done. I'm always willing to give Wallace the benefit of the doubt as he seems a great guy. He also directed Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, arguably the most underrated of the Halloween sequels.
The special effects are still well done, even if they don't come anywhere close to those which featured previously. Some really great prosthetic work that like the first film puts many modern Horrors to shame.
While it doesn't match the first entry I always assumed there would further adventures for Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent. It turns out the distribution for the film was handled extremely poorly. This was partly due to Live entertainment's chairman Jose Menendez being murdered by his sons. Inconsiderate pricks.
The only other Fright Nights to follow were the remake which I mentioned previously and a sequel to that film, which in fact is yet another remake just with the number 2 slapped on it. This time Jerry Dandridge is gender swapped, but mostly its just a pale imitation of what's come before. It is undeserving to be even mentioned in the same breath.
10th October 2023
Anyone looking at these posts may notice I've favoured older horror films over newer ones. Even the modern ones I've included have been more of the comedic variety than out and horror.
Mostly this is to do with most modern horror films being utter shit. Even those that interest me don't exactly live up to expectations. One just has to look at David Gordon Green's recent shiter, Exorcist: Believer, to see the utter pish that constitutes a horror film these days.
With that it was back to another classic tonight.
10. Poltergeist - Now, there's always been questions around who actually directed this film. Tobe Hooper may be the credited director but there's always been stories beating around that producer Steven Spielberg ghost directed. It's easy to believe, as wee Stevie's grubby wee paws are all over the film, with it having very similar themes and motifs to his own films at the time.
Some that are in the know such as Hooper's friend Mick Garris have stated they know for a fact that he in fact directed the film, although Spielberg was an extremely hands on producer. No surprises there then.
While it does closer resemble the works of Spielberg, Hooper's influence also has an impact, making sure Poltergeist doesn't overload on the schmaltz similar to the like of E.T.
The real answer may never become clear, but what is clear is that through Hooper and Spielberg's collaboration they made a terrifically atmospheric horror film, one that amazingly doesn't involve any character deaths or over the top violence. Well other than an especially memorable face ripping scene that must have pushed the MPAA to its limits back in the day.
Admittedly, the first half of the film works better for me than the second. The first half is where we get to know the characters and the film ratchets up the tension, where the second is where they go for spectacle. As great as this is, it does slightly jar with the quieter early moments of the film.
Performances are all great, with Hooper and Spielberg making the smart decision to go for quality actors rather than stars. Both Craig T Nelson and JoBeth Williams actually feel like real people, rather than seeming like Hollywood archetypes. The kids are also not your typical arseholes that seem to be de rigour for modern Hollywood. The late Heather O Rourke is especially worth mentioning, with her doing especially well considering all the age of her at the time.
Then there's bad ass/short arse Zelda Rubinstein whose Tangina shows up late in the day to kick shit out of these poltergeist. She would become pretty much synonymous with this role, reprising it in each of the Poltergeist films.
Thinking on the remainder of the series, I realised I've never sat and watched the 3rd entry all the way through, partly to do with the Tragic death of Heather O Rourke and knowing she never had a chance to finish the film. Perhaps now's the time to give it a go.
Need to add that it was the recent UHD release I watched, which makes the film really shine. This is honestly the best you will ever see this film look.
11th October 2023
Tonight's venture into horror is a decidedly lower budget than the blockbuster theatrics of last night's Poltergeist.
That isn't a mark against it, many lower budget films are classics, and unlike most B movies these days which look like cheap shit, with shoddy camera work and woeful special effects, the B movie's of the 80's usually had an air of quality about them. Even if the film wasn't a classic, it always had a level of competency. This brings us to tonight's feature:
11. Freeway - Not to be mistaken with the Kiefer Sutherland film of the same name, this low budget horror thriller finds bad guy extraordinaire Billy Drago going on a widespread murder spree, hunting civilians down on the American Freeways. At the same time he phones up DJ Doctor Lazarus (Richard Belzer), believing the popular DJ is his own personal prophet. Or so I'm led to believe. Personally if I was Belzer I'd have asked Drago to speak the fuck up rather than whispering down the line. Clearly its to make Drago appear creepy, but when you have Drago playing the part, that's all the creepiness you need.
The lovely Darlanne Fluegel begins her own investigation into the killings after her husband was murdered in a drive by. The police are infuriated by her, with her only assistance being washed up ex Cop James Russo.
Performances are all decent, although Russo seems like a strange choice to be the loose cannon hero.
Also, the relationship between him and Fluegel never rings true. Even with the inclusion of a Red Shoe Diaries style sex scene, it came across unbelievable that Fluegel would be interested in this dishevelled wee short arse. Although, maybe that's her thing. As we leave her at the end of To Live and Die I L.A. it appears as if she is about to have sex with John Pankow, another man not exactly known for his height. Perhaps she got a taste for scummy midgets. Or I could just be overthinking this and the real reason Russo is in the film is because he's all the filmmakers could afford.
It was nice seeing Richard Belzer portraying a different character from his signature Detective Munch. If anything further scenes of him would have been appreciated.
Director Francis Delia is more of a music video director, but he directed the off feature, with Freeway being one of them. In no fear of being deemed a classic, Delia still makes an enjoyable horror film, that could have become better regarded if it had more of a budget and some tighter pacing. Even at just 90 minutes, there are some scenes that drag the plot down.
Still, it has a nice 80s Sheen, with a quality score by Joe Delia which is better than what usually constitutes a score in a B movie. Not the most prolific of composers, Delia is most famous for his collaborations with Abel Ferrara.
Flitting between thriller and horror, there are enough disturbing elements included to justify its inclusion as a horror movie. A fun one time watch.
12th October 2023
After last night's Freeway, tonight's feature stays on the American Road, albeit with better production values behind courtesy of New Line Cinema. Well, New Line and Millennium films, but they're not exactly known for high quality productions.
12. Highwaymen - Coming from the Hitcher director Robert Harmon, Highwaymen has certain expectations. Expectations that it is unfortunately unable to meet. Even so, Harmon brings a good deal of the same energy as he did to his cult classic, with a fair amount of vehicular mayhem on display to keep both action and horror fans entertained.
Running at a brisk 80 minutes, the film focuses on Jim Caviezel's Lone hero tracking down crazed killer Colm Feore along the American highways. He eventually teams up with reluctant survivor Rhona Mitra in the hopes of stopping him once and for all.
Harmon gives the film a nice moody feel, with there being several well done and violent action scenes peppered throughout. Its slightly let down by some poorly realised flashback scenes. Still, they aren't obtrusive enough to slow the pace down.
The original cut of the film ran over 2 hours until it was decided to cut it down to what was ultimately released. While I must agree it certain tightens up the pace, with Highwaymen never given a chance to become boring, there is still the feeling of something missing.
With these missing scenes, much of the backstories of the characters are missing. Still, the cast do well enough in their respective roles.
Jim Caviezel is probably more famous these days as a Qanon conspiracy theorist, but I've always found him to be a competent leading man. One just has to look at his work in TV show Person of Interest for evidence of this. He brings the same steely determination shown in that show to his role here,with him being mostly silent for the first half hour.
Rhona Mitra is lumbered with the damsel in distress role, so she doesn't really get an opportunity to do much with her role.
Faring better is the always welcome Frankie Faison who brings an extremely likeable quality to his traffic investigator character.
Then there's Colm Feore as the films villain, with him proving to be a particularly creepy creation. With parts of his body being replaced by prosthetics, he spends the majority of the film behind the wheel of his demonic looking cadillac.
It would have been nice to have seen more of Feore, as he has proven in the likes of Chronicles of Riddick and my own personal favourite Storm of the Century to be an extremely effective villain. His role somewhat restricts his capacity to make this role memorable but Feore gives it his best shot.
To date this is the last theatrical film Robert Harmon has made. That's not to say he hasn't kept himself busy, helming each of the Jesse Stone TV movies which come highly recommended.
13th October 2023
With it being Friday the 13th, there's no way I couldn't watch one of Big Jason Vorhees' cheery holiday adventures. With that I settled on:
13. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan - Now this is in no way the best the series has to offer. This distinction would have to go to Tom Loughlin's Part VI: Jason Lives, which is a perfect combination of horror and satire. The 8th part isn't so subtle with its horror, but it has a bit of a nostalgic feeling for me, with this being the first film in the series I saw.
Now it may seem a bit strange starting a series 8 parts in, but when your a youngster in the 80s you watched whatever was on the TV, especially when it seemed like something you shouldn't be watching. Luckily my mum didn't give a fuck what I watched most of the time as long as I didn't bother her. "That's it done mum. Oh is it. Here throw on Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That should keep you happy".
Now, watching the film as an adult it doesn't live up to the promise of the title. Jason doesn't even make Manhattan until the last 20 minutes of the film, with the majority of the film taking place on a cruise ship. While this is slightly disappointing, the ship still makes for a pleasant change from the usual camp setting the series is known for.
Even when we get to New York City, it's so obvious we're really in Canada with only some small pieces of location shooting Cut in to give the impression we're in the city that never sleeps. These scenes are effective though, with Jason stalking his Prey through Times Square being especially memorable.
Jason is played once again by the great Kane Hodder, who quickly became everyone's favourite version of the character. He would go onto play the unstoppable killer another 2 times after, with him being unceremoniously dumped when it came time to produce Freddy Vs Jason. Ironically Ken Kirzinger who took over the role from him appears here, with Hodder throwing him violently against a café wall. Additionally, he also doubled for Hodder at certain points in the film.
Director Rob Heddon never directed anything as high profile as this, with him going on to direct a fair amount of television movies and shows. He does a decent job here, getting good performances from his cast and including some memorable kills. He doesn't exactly bring a specific style to proceedings, shooting things in a workmanlike manner, but the action is clean and understandable. Only the bewildering finale fucks things up.
At the time the film wasn't met with the best reviews, but in comparison to its follow up Jason Goes to He'll, it's terrific. This would also be somewhat the end of an era for the series, with Jason Takes Manhattan being the final film produced under Paramount.
Not essential viewing but good fun, and if your a fan of the series there is no way you could give it a miss.
14th October 2023
Last night's horror once again found me revisiting a film from my past.
14. Dagon - Another of Stuart Gordon's H.P. Lovecraft adaptations, Dagon, like all of Gordon's takes on the famed authors work is an extremely loose adaptation taking only the basic premise and themes. Instead Gordon takes a lot of the story from Lovecraft's later novel, The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Even then, there are still numerous changes from Lovecraft's stories on their journey to the screen.
Like many films I revisit from my youth, Dagon didn't exactly live up to my memory of it. While Gordon still creates a palpable sense of dread, with the creepy fishing village where most of the film takes place allowing Gordon to create several well thought out set pieces.
However, the film gets slightly let-down by somewhat poor performances, not helped by the clunky dialogue the actors are asked to expel. Add in some atrocious CGI which detracts from the much better realised effects work that is used elsewhere in the film. Clearly I was more forgivable 20 years ago when I first saw Dagon, but these drawbacks are so apparent now that it is nigh impossible to overlook them.
Even so, Dagon is still a fun horror. Admittedly the first half is more effective than the second, but Gordon should still be commended for bringing the cosmic horror of Lovecraft to the screen, even in a diluted form as this. Any fans of either Stuart Gordon or H.P. Lovecraft would still owe it to themselves to check Dagon our, even if Gordon's earlier adaptations like Re-animator and From Beyond are superior.
15th October 2023
Been sitting on tonight's horror for years. It's not that this type of horror doesn't appeal to me, just that I end up watching so much other nonsense other films sift through the cracks.
On the recommendation of my cousin, I was told to give this one a go. Well, he said "it's the kind of shite you'll like". And you know what, he was right.
15. Wishmaster - Directed by special effects guru Robert Kurtzman, Wishmaster is the kind of horror that was really popular in the 80's, being akin to the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street or Hellraiser, where the main villain was the real draw. Where those films had Freddy Krueger and Pinhead, Wishmaster has the wise cracking Djinn, played by a charismatic Andrew Divoff.
Tammy Lauren doesn't make for the greatest protagonist, but with Divoff essentially stealing the film it doesn't really matter, with her character merely there to move the plot along so Divoff can carry off yet another elaborately memorable murder.
There's also small appearances from a fair amount of horror legends. As well as Robert Englund having a substantial supporting role, look out for Reggie Bannister, Kane Hodder, Ted Raimi and Tony Todd.
With the Djinn always finding a way to twist his wishes, there is a series of imaginative set pieces, with the party set finale being the best of the bunch. The practical effects work, handled by Kurtzman himself, along with his KNB colleagues Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero is terrific, which is to be expected. The quality does jar somewhat with the underpar CGI that's on show, but thankfully this isn't too obtrusive.
One of the films producers was Wes Craven, and its his name that's used to sell the film, with it being plastered over the promotional material at the time. It is certainly better than some other Wes Craven productions such as Mind Ripper and Dracula 2000.
It made sense at the time to be using Craven's name to sell the film, as he was riding high after the success of Scream. Not denying that Craven was a talented filmmaker, but it does do a slight disservice to the work Robert Kurtzman carries out here.
Wishmaster would be followed by 3 sequels, which I can't personally judge, although parts 3 and 4 look considerably cheap in comparison to Kurtzman's original. At least the sequel still features Divoff, with him being replaced in the ensuing sequels.
16th October 2023
After the enjoyable cheesiness of last night's Wishmaster, I thought tonight's movie should be more highbrow. With that in mind I thought I'd go for something a bit more romantic.
16. Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock's classic unrequited love story, where young Norman Bates' (Anthony Perkins) maw gets in the way of him making it with the lovely Marion Crane (Janet Leigh).
I've had multiple copies of Psycho throughout the years, be it on VHS, DVD or Blu Ray. Now with me purchasing the UHD boxset of the entire series I felt it was the best time to revisit this classic, especially with it being the lead up to Halloween.
Over 60 years on, Psycho hasn't lost any of its ability to shock. Even with the knowledge of the twist in the tale, you can still revel in the quality performances and Hitchcock's ability to ratchet up the tension.
Perkin's makes for an extremely likeable psychopath, with him seemingly oblivious to the monster inside. It must have been quite a shock for audiences at the time to see the handsome actor turn out to be the villain. What's even more unusual for the time is that Hitchcock makes the audience complicit in his crimes, with us following him rather than the apparent heroes for the rest of the film.
If you had never seen the film before you would be forgiven in thinking Leigh's Marion Crane is our heroine. The first 3rd of the film mostly follows her, with the tension being created through the robbery she has recently committed. Its only after the appearance of gold old Norman that the film settles into the horror that it has become famous for.
The film has rightfully become a classic, spawning several sequels and television shows. Of these I would highly recommend Richard Franklin's sequel, a terrific horror/thriller that was overlooked at the time with the idea it was just a cash grab attempt to milk the work of Hitchcock. In fact, it may just get a revisit itself on my way to Halloween.
17th October 2023
Tonight's film couldn't be further from the psychological scares of last night's Psycho. Heading into space, its hard to believe that it was 22 years ago this sci fi horror classic was released.
17. Pitch Black - David Twohy's film may seemingly be derivative of the likes of Alien, but he does a lot to make sure that Pitch Black is its own distinct feature.
Made before he became synonymous with the Fast & the Furious franchise and his ego became uncontrollable, Vin Diesel gave a career making performance as convicted killer Riddick. With the ability to see in the dark, Twohy has great fun building on the tension when our heroes find themselves stranded on a planet cloaked in darkness, with Riddick being the only feasible person that could help him. However, can this supposed psychopath truly be trusted.
Riddick isn't the only murky character in the film. Cole Hauser's John's initially would appear to be the hero, but as the film progresses it would seem that he is more a villain than Riddick could ever be. At least Riddick doesn't lie about who he is.
Then there's Rhada Mitchell's Fry. While she is probably the closest the film has to a clear cut hero, even she is willing to sacrifice others during the opening moments of the film. It is only as she and her fellow travellers journey on she becomes more heroic.
The dark world setting allows Twohy to make Pitch Black appear far more expensive than its relatively low budget would allow, with the dark covering up a multitude of sins. The quality set design and creature effects also help raise this above the genre norm.
Twohy and Diesel would re-combine for the extremely underrated Chronicles of Riddick, although the sequel falls much more into action fantasy than the original. Still, any one who liked the original owes it to themselves to give it a go. If the increased scale turns you off, there's always the third film simply titled Riddick, which goes back to the smaller scale of the first film, albeit with a larger budget.
Diesel and Twohy have teased a fourth entry for years, however with none of the films being exactly money makers, it is becoming more difficult for this to become a reality. Maybe when Diesel is done with Fast and the Furious he will focus his attention back to Riddick.
18th October 2023
For everyone noticing that I have stayed away from modern horror recently may be happy to see that I've watched a new release. It could be argued my choice isn't technically a horror as it fits under the documentary category, but I feel its relevant as it covers a supposedly real life horror tale, with enough creepy re-enactments that would please horror fans.
18. The Devil on Trial - Netflix's new documentary film covers the same story that inspired The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, but in a far less over the top, Hollywood manner.
The film is a mix of interviews and a series of extremely well filmed re-enactment. The casting for these scenes is extremely on point, and it must be said even as a non believer, the real life recordings of apparent exorcisms are creepily effective.
Focusing on the supposed possession of young David Glatzel, then the later murder case of Arne Johnson who was David sisters boyfriend. He is famous for the Devil made me do it defence he used in court, the first time such a defence was used in America. The film doesn't give any easy answers of what truly happened.
Saying that, director Chris Holt clearly has his own agenda. While he does attempt to show two sides of the story, he does seem to favour the possibility that young David Glatzel was possessed by a Demon. This is proven more with the revelation that its possible that David's mother was secretly poisoning her children to keep them subdued, an avenue that is quickly dismissed when it really should have been investigated more.
At least the film does show the infamous demonologists the Warren's to be complete scumbags. Glamourised by the Conjuring films, in reality the Warren's were a couple of fucking charlatans that fed of the fear of others. If your scared its only a ghost, well you should be terrified instead, cause Lorraine Warren has just found out it's really a Demon. These were people that were meant to help, wouldn't you put people at ease rather than scaring the shit out of them.
I would like to have seen more of a deconstruction of the legend of the Warrens, as they really don't deserve to be revered. Sure, I thoroughly enjoy the Conjuring films, but as a work of fiction. Never once did I think the events in those films were a true account.
They aren't the only arseholes on show here though. I'll let other viewers decide who I mean, but there's a fair few here.
Lastly, another quality aspect of this documentary is that it tells its story in just over 80 minutes, unlike other Netflix docs which drag the arse out their stories and stretch them over multiple episodes.
19th October 2023
I've been sitting on this one for quite a while. Doesn't seem so long ago when I sat down to watch this for for the first time, but amazingly it was 14 years ago. I was interested to see how it held up to my initial impression. The answer is pretty good.
19. Daybreakers - The Spierig Brothers vampire tale is a blood soaked tale set in a world where vampires have become the dominant species, with humanity on the brink of extinction. Mostly, humans are kept in labs to feed the vampires, but unbeknownst to the Vampire population, their food supply is beginning to run low. Without blood, the vampires begin to mutate, resembling something more like Nosferatu than the human like beings they currently resemble.
Like some of the best Horrors, the Spierig Brothers inject a fair amount of social commentary into the story, although it is subtly done and doesn't get in the way of the well staged carnage.
Performance wise, Ethan Hawke is always great. While in interviews he may come across as a bit of a "thespian", clearly he has a love for genre cinema with him also showing up in the Purge series.
Then there's Willem Dafoe, who I don't think has ever given a bad performance in his life. As expected he almost steals the film, with his freedom fighter being a true bad ass.
Of course, I can't leave out the legendary Sam Neill who plays the charismatic villain. There's a particularly poignant scene between him and Hawke, where he talks about a previous cancer diagnosis. At the time this scene would have meant little, but considering Neill's ongoing real life battle with cancer the scene becomes so more relevant.
For a while I really thought the Spierig's were going to be a great new voice in horror. Their first feature, the comical zombie feature The Undead was an enjoyable debut, very much in the same vein as early Peter Jackson movies.
Daybreakers was their follow up, and as mentioned its a terrifically realised film that offers something new to the vampire genre. It has an enjoyable mixture between outright violent horror and excitingly choreographed action scenes.
Their follow up, sci-fi thriller Predestination was even better, a literal modern masterpiece, with some heavy themes Hollywood would normally steer clear off.
Disappointingly, they would follow up what is to date their best film with a franchise movie. Jigsaw certainly wasn't the worst of the Saw franchise (that belongs to train wreck Spiral), with it actually being one of the series better sequels. Even so, it felt beneath them. Well, it did at the time. That was until I saw Winchester, a mediocre horror that was only saved by quality acting from Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke.
20th October 2023
Meant to post this earlier, but as I watched the film in the late hours of last night I didn't have time to write up my small review until now.
After the gore filled Action of Daybreakers, I thought I'd go for another gory, over the top horror. My choice this time was slightly cheesier than the Spierig Brothers film, but none the worse for it.
20. Body Parts - While not writer/director Eric Red's best work, this is still a terrifically fun horror film with a range of quality performances and a generous helping of blood filled Action, improved further by the use of practical effects, always a plus point in my book.
Focusing on Jeff Fahey's Bill, who after losing his arm in a car crash has a transplanted arm grafted on as a replacement. At first everything seems to be fine, but after some disturbing visions Bill begins to investigate just who his new arm used to belong too, leading to all sorts of carnage.
Eric Red is probably better known as a writer, with him writing the screenplay for cult classics like The Hitcher and Near Dark. Still, his directorial work isn't to be looked down upon, with him helming at least one bona-fide classic in Cohen andTate.
Body Parts doesn't reach the heights of that film but Red's ear for great dialogue mixed with extreme violence/horror hasn't alluded him.
His cast help sell the admittedly ridiculous premise. Jeff Fahey never disappoints, even if a good percentage of the films he appears in do. Honestly, I've never understood how Fahey never became a bigger star. Sure, he has consistently worked throughout the decades but he never fully reached the A list. A perfect example of how good he is was when my mother said "Y'know, he might not be a great actor, but my knickers are wringing just looking at him". Or words to that effect.
While I would have to agree with auld Sadie that Fahey is a handsome bugger, she was wrong when she said he wasn't a great actor. Fahey is an extremely charismatic performer that always manages to engage his audience.
His performance is aided no ends by the quality work of co-star Zakes Mokae, who revels in getting to play a more Heroic role than usual. I was mostly aware of Mokae from his frightening performance in Wes Craven's Vodoo classic Serpent and the Rainbow.
Then there's the always welcome Brad Dourif, who like Fahey may feature mostly in DTV shiters these days but is always a commanding presence, always bringing more to the part than what is on the written page.
The female roles played by Kim Delaney and Lyndsey Duncan are somewhat of a let down in comparison, although this isn't surprising considering most of the focus being on Fahey.
I also appreciated a small role from personal favourite Paul Ben-Victor, who acts his heart out in what is essentially a cameo. Like his co-stars I mentioned, Victor is another in a line of quality actors that whose true stardom has alluded them.
This is a definite recommend. If you enjoyed this one I'd also suggest checking out Red's enjoyable Werewolf horror Bad Moon.
21st October 2023
After a couple of gore fests, tonight's horror was more subtle and highbrow. Amazingly it went almost unnoticed on its release which is a shame as its one of the better horror/mystery films I've seen in a while.
21. I See You - Adam Randall's excellent movie isn't the film that you initially expect it to be. That's down to the way Randall constantly pulls the rug from under us, with the film constantly shifting focus to reveal further bits of information that we weren't privy to before. This brings about a level of uncertainty as we aren't totally clear on the motives of our characters. Someone we thought was our villain is slowly revealed to be something quite different when further pieces of the puzzle are shown. One things for sure, I doubt you'll guess the ending of this one.
Randall even changes up how he shoots the film, with it changing to a found footage style horror at one point, which I was initially unsure off but he ultimately pulls it off. Admittedly the last 2 thirds of the film work better after the somewhat slow opening, but at the same time these sections wouldn't work as well without it, where we're introduced to our leads and the small town setting.
The film goes into some quite dark territory but for the most part it's devoid of any gratuitous material. Even so, the subject matter in itself is horrific enough, with Randall using this to build up the tension.
The cast all work well in their roles. I hadn't seen Helen Hunt in years and while she probably wouldn't have starred in a film like this at the height of her fame, she certainly doesn't phone it in. Even better is Jon Tenney as her husband, a seemingly decent man whose juggling his marital woes with a local kidnapping case he's investigating. How his character develops throughout the film allows the actor to really stretch himself.
Owen Teague also proves to be effective. Initially he appears to be your typical arsehole teenager that appears in so many Hollywood Horrors, with his character appearing to have a real mean streak. But even then, he is more than he initially appears to be, with his involvement in the plot taking me completely by surprise.
I See You comes highly recommended, as it is one of the more original horrors/thrillers to come out of Hollywood in the past few years. Don't let its failure at the box office put you off.
22nd October 2023
A trip into the world of television for tonight's horror, with a TV movie from the 1980s based on the writings of master of the macabre Edgar Allen Poe.
22. Murders in the Rue Morgue - From prolific producer Robert Halmi, this is one of the more faithful adaptations of Poe's work. Director Jeannot Szwarc does well in creating a suitably eerie atmosphere, with costumes and sets being of a high quality and raising the film above other television productions of the time.
It is certainly a better realised film than some of Szwarc's theatrical work. Don't let the fact that this film is directed by the same guy that helmed shite like Jaws 2, Supergirl and Santa Claus: The Movie put you off.
Now, the film is in no way perfect. Being a TV movie, you wouldn't expect it to be, with it being restricted by what was allowed on TV at the time. Even so, the murder scenes manage to be effective without being overly gory. The most blood we see is after the murders have happened, with stains up walls etc.
While it is unable to go overboard on the violence, what really sells a film like this is the performances, and luckily for Murders in the Rue Morgue it has one of Hollywood's finest in the lead. George C. Scott had already starred in one of the best horror films of the 80's with the Changeling, and although his role isn't on par with that classic, he is an always commanding presence, overshadowing his not exactly untalented cast.
His Detective Dupin is very much in the mould of Sherlock Holmes, and its no surprise to learn this is where Arthur Conan Doyle took some inspiration. If Dupin is Holmes, then Val Kilmer's Phillip is very much his Holmes, assisting Dupin in his investigation. Its not the most showy of roles for Kilmer, and it would never go on his best off list. Still, Kilmer is a likeable presence, even with a slight role like this.
Ian McShane is good value as the Prefect of Police. I can't remember him ever playing a character that came across as much of an arsehole as the one he plays here. This is including when I've seen him playing murderers.
Rebecca DeMornay is mostly wasted, with her taking a side role whilst the investigation is ongoing. Her relationship with the incarcerated Adolph, played by Neil Dickson, never really rings true.
Anyone who has ever read the original will know the actual reveal of the mystery is pretty silly. Luckily the cast play it straight and manage to sell the frankly ridiculous denouement.
Murders in the Rue Morgue isn't a must see, but if you find it on television late one night, you could do a lot worse.
23rd October 2023
An old fashioned classic for tonight's movie, going back to the golden age of Hollywood.
23. The Uninvited - Touted as one of Hollywood's first attempts at a serious ghost story, Lewis Allen's film may be of its time but a lot of so called modern horror could learn a lot from it. Even so, as old fashioned as the film may seem, certain aspects of the film are certainly risqué, especially when taking into consideration when the film was made.
Originally Paramount wanted Alfred Hitchcock to direct the film. This is understandable as the film has many similarities with his Rebecca. His loss would be Lewis Allen's gain, who makes his directorial feature debut.
Like a lot of Hitchcock's work, a lot of the Uninvited is clearly set based., but rather than this being a detriment, it adds a great deal of character and atmosphere to proceedings. The sea-side house where the majority of the film takes place is a terrifically realised creation, showing the care and attention to detail studios took back in the day.
Most of the horror is subtle, with noises in the dark or a cols gust of wind. Only later in the film are we actually shown a ghost. Apparently Lewis Allen was against this, not wanting to show any ghostly apparitions with all the supernatural happenings being merely suggested. He was overruled by Paramount. Either way, the film works even with this studio mandate put upon him.
Of the cast, Ray Milland is always class. Even starring in nonsense like the Thing with Two Heads, this talented actor never phoned it in. Sure, on occasion he would be miscast, but this isn't one of those occasions. He is perfectly matched with a young Gail Russell, where the credits give her an "introducing" credit even though she had made her movie debut the year before.
The Uninvited is a definite must see, with anyone with a favour towards ghost stories or mysteries sure to be taken in by this old time classic.
25th October 2023
Tonight's horror is a bit of a variation on the old Dracula legend. Sure he briefly appears in the opening moments, but the vampire thar takes his place for the rest of the film is a much "hipper cat" than plain ol Dracula.
25. Blacula - William Crain's blaxploitation classic isn't what you'd call a quality film but there's no denying it's terrific fun. As well as being a great time capsule, what truly raises this above being forgettable, and the main reason why many think it to be a classic is the performance of William Marshall as the titular character.
If anything, Marshall is too good for the role, with him bringing a level of gravitas to the part that many lesser actors wouldn't have the ability for. His commanding voice alone is enough to sell the character, but he brings much pathos to his performance, with this Blacula being more than a simple minded killer.
Marshall isn't the only quality actor to appear. The totally underrated Thalmus Rasulala is terrific as Dr Gordon, who starts to look into the spate of murders happening in the city, with him coming to the resolution it might just be vampires.
While these performances are the main selling point, the great soundtrack and that feeling that only 70s films can deliver don't hurt it. Obviously the film is dated, with some very un PC dialogue used throughout, but for anyone smart enough to realise that life wasn't the same in the 70's should find a lot to enjoy.
24th October 2023
After watching the first film last night, I thought it was only right to follow it up with its quick on its heels sequel.
26. Scream Blacula Scream - Bringing Voodoo into the mix, Blacula's return is pretty much more of the same. Count Yorga, Vampire director Bob Kelljan takes over from the first films director William Crain. Whilst not as enjoyable as the first, its still a decent bit of fun.
Once again William Marshall is sheer class in the title role, even working from a script like this. It would appear the world has forgotten the carnage Blacula unleashed only a year before. Even when Don Mitchell's ex Cop realises what's going on and brings it to the police he is summarily dismissed. This is considering the same Police dept had half its team massacred previously by the deadly bloodsucker.
One aspect I enjoyed was Mamuwalde a.k.a Blacula's disgust at what he's become, with him stating on several occasions his inability to control the monster inside. His desire for Pam Grier's Voodoo priestess is the main crux of the plot, although there's a good few interludes of Blacula just fucking people up.
Like the first film, the finale is action packed, with the police once again descending on Blacula's lair where they proceed to take down the vampires Blacula has made during the film.
One aspect missing from the film that ultimately hurts it is the absence of the awesome Thalmus Rasulala, with Don Mitchell being a poor substitute. The lovely Pam Grier slightly makes up for his absence, but that's more just to do with her being a cinema icon than her role being particularly memorable.
Another aspect that ultimately lets the film down is the sudden, almost ambiguous ending. Perhaps the producers were hoping for a third outing which wasn't to be.
Saying that, there has been talk of a reboot coming in 2024, so it will be interesting to see how it fares. They will struggle to find an actor that brings the same weight to the role as Marshall though.
27th October 2023
Clearly Scream Blacula Scream didn't satiate my, ahem, Craven for a Black Vampire movie. So tonight's movie is essentially an update of Blacula, albeit with better production values and a better director in the form of Wes Craven.
27. Vampire in Brooklyn - A failure upon release, there's still a lot to enjoy with Vampire in Brooklyn with some top notch special effects (for 1995) and a charismatic lead in Eddie Murphy.
Written by Eddie's late brother Charlie, it's quite a change of role for Murphy. This is the only true villain he has played throughout his career, with even his gangster in Harlem Nights being very much an anti-hero in comparison.
It's understandable that the film didn't initially find an audience in 95. Not comedic enough to be a typical Murphy vehicle whilst not scary enough to be your usual Wes Craven horror. It sits somewhere in between which no doubt alienated audiences at the time. Even so, while not strictly a comedy, Murphy gives a great performance as the seductive Maximillian. Christ, the guy looks that good in the film I thought he might even turn me.
Although Murphy still gets an opportunity to show his funny side, most of the laughs are left to Kadeem Hardison. This is probably the most high profile role of Hardison's career although he did follow this up with the fantastic actioner Drive, not to be mistaken with the Ryan Gosling movie.
Then there's Angela Basset who is pretty much the lead character, with her being the object of Murphy's desire. Its not exactly the best part of her career, but Basset takes the role as serious as her career defining part in What's Love Got to Do With It. She had already proved her bad ass credentials before this in the underrated Strange Days.
In addition to the leads, Craven includes several of his previous collaborators in the cast. The most notable is the always welcome Zakes Mokae, getting to play a more Heroic role than his last part for Craven in Serpent and the Rainbow.
Additionally, eagle eyed viewers will notice Mitch Pillegi and Nick Corri a.k.a. Jsu Garcia who featured in Shocker and A Nightmare on Elm Street respectively.
There is definately better Wes Craven films out there, with the aforementioned Serpent and the Rainbow being one of them. Still, I personally think it's miles above some of his better regarded films like Scream 3 & 4. It's best to remember too, that while Craven may be regarded as a master of horror, he helmed several heaps of shit throughout his career. Vampire in Brooklyn is definitely not one of them, although some may disagree.
Regarding Murphy, his career started to take a bit of dip during the 90's. Sure, he had a hit with the Nutty Professor but a lot of his films ended up failing at the box office. Although I won't make any arguments for shit like the Distinguished Gentlemen , Doctor Doolittle or Holy Man he still had several quality films in this decade worthy of reappraisal.
Metro features another mostly straight role for Murphy but is still an excellent action thriller directed in a clean, no bullshit manner. Then there's my own personal favourite Life, which teams him with Martin Lawrence for a hilarious prison comedy. Lastly, I can't forget Bowfinger with him stealing the show once again.
28th October 2023
Leaving the vampire's behind for tonight, it's on to one of the best horror films of the 90's, one that was overlooked at the time but thankfully has been reappraised.
28. The Exorcist 3 - The only problem with William Peter Blatty's masterpiece is that it had to follow John Boorman's redundant Exorcist II: The Heritic. Blatty didn't have an easy time on the film, with much studio interference resulting in changes to his original cut. He got to rectify this somewhat years later with a Directors Cut, but Personally I find the original theatrical release a better film overall.
I wrote a more in depth review of the film some time back for my own site, so if you're interested in hearing further ramblings from this arsehole on a bona-fide classic, click on the link below.
29th October 2023
It could be argued that tonight's film isn't exactly a horror film, but as it was a reboot of one of Universal's most famous monsters, I think it more than fits under the banner of horror.
29. The Mummy - Alex Kurtzman's take on the titular character was meant to be the launch of Universal's Dark Uinverse, a franchise that would bring together sone of Universals most popular monsters such as Dracula, the Invisible Man, Frankenstein's Monster etc.
Clearly this never came to pass, with the supposed failure of this putting stop to the franchise before it even got a chance to begin. This is disappointing as it would have been interesting to see how the plot would have developed to bring all these monsters together, with it sounding like a dark take on team up movies like the Avengers.
To best enjoy The Mummy, I think its best to look at what it is rather than what it could have been. Rather than being like the classic Boris Karloff starring vehicle, this take is more in line with what Stephen Somners gave us back in the late 90's, with a preference for action/adventure with an injection of horror to keep things moving.
Unlike Sommers film, Kurtzman's film is set in modern times but still has a similar set up, with adventurers/mercenaries uncovering an ancient Mummy's Tomb, only for said Mummy to wreak havoc on the human population.
The main Mercenary in question is superstar Tom Cruise. At the time, critics complained off his casting, saying he was too famous and that this fame overshadowed the production. In a way I can understand that, as he is the selling factor of the film rather than the title character. This said, personally Cruise is what makes the film what it is. He throws himself right into the action just as he does with his Mission Impossible films. There's nothing here on the scale of those but there's still some excellent set pieces throughout.
Cruise's character is a good bit different from his typical heroes which is refreshing. In fact, I'm not sure you could exactly call him a hero, well not initially. He's an immoral thief that puts himself above others and even when confronted by The Mummy, his first Instinct is to run away rather than fight.
He is well matched with Annabelle Wallis' treasure hunter, who becomes his only real ally to stopping The Mummy.
Well that is until he meets Russell Crowe, who pretty much runs away with the film whenever he appears, having great fun as both Doctor Jekyll and his alter ego Mr Hyde. The original plan was for Crowe to reprise his role throughout each of the separate monster movies, with him being the joining factor.
Then there's Sofia Boutella, who puts in a very physical performance as the title character, although she pales in comparison to Arnold Vosloo's Mummy in the Sommer's film.
Speaking of Sommer's film there's a good Easter egg here for Eagle eyed viewers.
Even so, Boutella still does well and it is through her scenes that the film gets to lean most into its horror elements. The most effective is her discovery by the police at a crash site, where she silently takes down the investigating officers in order to regain her strength.
There's also some nice homages to an American Werewolf in London, with Jake Dorman's zombie like character accompanying Cruise on his adventure, similar to how Griffin Dunne did to David Naughton in John Landis' masterpiece. Like that film, most of these scenes are played for laughs.
The Mummy may not be all it could have been but its still a fun action/horror hybrid that should have led to better things.
30th October 2023
I saw tonight's horror movie when it came out earlier in the years, but when I saw it going so cheap on Amazon I thought it was time to pick it up. It was still pretty fresh in mind, but I thought the hell with it, it's worthy of a re-watch.
30. The Pope's Exorcist - Julius Avery's horror plays like a missing Conjuring film, with it having many of the same traits as James Wan's blockbuster franchise.
What rises this one above is that it stars Russell Crowe, playing real life Exorcist Gabriel Amorth. Now I for one don't believe this fella has really been exercising Demons all these years, but taking away the supposedly true element out of the equation, this is a decent wee horror film with several great set pieces.
It follows the typical tropes made popular by the Exorcist, with levitating, super human strength and kids telling people to go fuck themselves. My only real issue with the exorcism scenes is the Demon is voiced by Ralph Ineson. No offence to Ineson as he's great, but his voice didn't sound demonic, he just sounded like himself. It's like Finchy from The Office turned truly evil.
One aspect I appreciated was Crowe's explanation that the majority of his cases are to do with mental health, not demonic possession. This was a surprise, as I expected it to overplay the possession angle.
Unlike Avery's earlier Overlord, The Pope's Exorcist doesn't go over the top with the blood and gore. That is until the last 20 minutes when it appears Avery changed his mind with the finale being filled with violence and nudity.
The end of the film teases further adventures for Amorth, which by sone reports looks like its already about to happen, with a sequel heading into production.
As an aside, William Friedkin made an interesting documentary a few years back about Amorth's life. The Devil and Father Amorth shows him towards the end of his life, and proves to be gripping stuff even if at the end it's ultimately a let down with its promise to show a real life exorcism never coming to fruition.
31st October 2023
Quite an apt film for Halloween, considering when it takes place as well as this adaptation of Agatha Christie's work taking a more supernatural approach than previous Hercule Poirot stories.
31. A Haunting in Venice - Released to VOD just in time for Halloween, Kenneth Branagh's take on Agatha Christie's Halloween Party is possibly the best of his three Poirot movies. What sets this apart from Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile is that Halloween Part is a lesser known and adapted Christie story.
Changing the setting to Venice does the film wonders, with the picturesque city being a spookily perfect setting for the story, bringing about similar creepy feelings that Nicolas Roeg brought to us years before in the classic Don't Look Now.
Branagh not only has fun in the title role, but does excellent work behind the camera. His film is dripping with atmosphere, with him leaning full in to the more horror aspects of the story, even if you know that there will probably be a rational explanation. Even do, this is probably the closest Poirot has come to being a full on horror.
Taking place all on Halloween Night, with the majority of the film taking place in an old, decaying Palazzo which Branagh perfectly uses to set up a series of tense set pieces, filled with a generous amount of jump scares.
Like nearly all Poirot adaptation, be it for television or film, A Haunting in Venice has a first class cast. It plays almost like a Belfast reunion, with young Jude Hill and Jamie Dornan appearing, once again playing Father and Son.
Then there's Kelly Reilly who will be best known for her role in Yellowstone. Unlike her character in that show, she is subdued with a fair bit of class. It is her character that much of the plot revolves around.
Tina Fey is especially effective as another popular Christie character, Ariadne Oliver. The closest thing Poirot has to a friend, she still lends her character a sense of ambiguity, with you never being sure whether she can be trusted.
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has limited screen time but as always gives a stellar performance in the short time she appears.
A Haunting in Venice may be overlooked by those thinking its a bit too old fashioned, but this is a beautifully filmed mystery. It is certainly one of the better films I have watched this month on my journey through horror.
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