1980’s

[7] Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani star in this disturbing horror film from writer/director Andrzej Zulawski. Adjani’s character asks Neill’s for a divorce, but when Neill refuses to let her go, both of them descend into madness. Possession is part psychological thriller, part dark fantasy, eventually introducing threatening doppelgangers and a weird octopus monster that scores with Adjani. If you ask me what Possession means, …

[6] There were a few dozen Godzilla movies released between the original in 1954 and this one, but The Return of Godzilla is a reboot of sorts. It takes a slightly more serious tone than its predecessors and acts as a direct sequel to the ’54 film. The lowdown: Japan doesn’t want to believe it, but Godzilla has been resurrected from the ocean depths and …

[7] Katsuhiro Ôtomo directs this adaptation of his sprawling manga series about (okay, deep breath…) a futuristic biker who squares off against a former friend who has turned evil through scientific experimentation, transforming him into a dangerous super-being of both scientific and religious ramifications. As the friend is unable to control his lethal powers, the biker rallies his friends and a trio of other ‘experiments’ …

[5] Armand Assante plays the title character in this ‘cajun western’ about a medicine man who tries to hold his 1800s Louisiana bayou community together while one half tries to run the other out of town. I had a hard time following the story, especially since many of the characters speak in thick accents. But from what I gather, part of the town is relatively …

[7] Christopher Walken plays an alien abductee coming to grips with his experience in Communion. Walken’s character goes through denial, then embarrassment, then fear, and finally an odd sort of acceptance over the course of the film. The supernatural elements play out in bizarre, theatrical, but compelling ways — but most of the film centers on Walken’s emotional state and the conflict it causes with …

[6] Stephen King wrote this three-tale horror anthology centered around a cat who wanders in and out of high-stakes situations. In the first, James Woods stars as a man who joins a mysterious program called Quitters Inc that has an excellent reputation for helping people quit smoking. The secret to their success becomes ominously clear when Woods learns each and every one of his infractions …

[7] Director Sidney Lumet (Network, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead) brings Ira Levin’s hit play to the big screen, showcasing Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve as warring playwrights who resort to real murder to further their careers. Caine plays the mentor desperate for a comeback after suffering a series of duds. Reeve plays the idolizing student whose written a new play Caine thinks will …

[4] There’s really no way to make a good sequel to Poltergeist and retain any sense of dignity in the doing. But even if you go into Poltergeist II: The Other Side knowing it’s one of the most unnecessary sequels ever made, you’ll probably still find yourself disappointed. The Freeling family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke, and Oliver Robins) are back, living with …

[3] A young man preys on women along the Virginia coastline, picking them up for rides in his camper only to kidnap, torture, and kill them. When one victim’s estranged boyfriend gives pursuit, things get more complicated for all parties involved. Hitcher in the Dark, shot primarily in broad daylight, is a low-budget, direct-to-video sort of movie directed by Umberto Lenzi (credited as Humphrey Humbert), …

[8] Director Tim Burton (Batman, Ed Wood) followed his debut feature, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, with this stylish fantasy-comedy about a young deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) trying to haunt an annoying new family out of their quaint countryside home. When the new family ends up more amused than alarmed by their ghostly antics, they’re left with no choice but to summon the …

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