[6] Razorback is a passable midnight horror movie from Russell Mulcahy, who would go on to direct the cult fave Highlander a few years later. Razorback is about a giant boar that terrorizes the Australian outback. After an American reporter disappears, her husband (Gregory Harrison) goes down under to investigate. He’s aided by an old hunter (Bill Kerr) who has been tracking the big piggy ever …
[7] A zombie apocalypse road trip movie with amusement park overtones? Oh, hell yeah. With its strong character humor and plenty of sight gags, Zombieland is a joyously exploitative horror comedy that deflects any serious criticism. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson are the keys to this movie’s success. Eisenberg is a disarming combination of sweet and ridiculous, while Woody Harrelson gets the juicy opportunity to …
[7] Dee Wallace plays a TV reporter who escapes to the country after a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the country turns out to be filled with werewolves! The Howling is a well-made horror flick from director Joe Dante (Gremlins), who likes to mix genuine scares with tongue-in-cheek humor. The werewolf effects, created primarily by Rob Bottin, are pretty darned good. The wolves themselves are gigantic, large-eared …
[6] Hammer Film’s loose adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s story focuses on revenge and doesn’t really touch upon the subversive romantic potential between the Phantom (Herbert Lom) and Christine (Heather Sears). Since that’s kind of the whole point, the film largely misses the mark. But as usual with Hammer Films, I like the production design and general atmosphere — especially the Phantom’s underground lair. Herbert Lom …
[7] Director Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, The Hurt Locker) serves up a stylish, brooding vampire tale set in the southwest. I dig Bigelow’s tone, atmosphere, and terrific casting. Bigelow tapped into the Aliens ensemble to cast Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and Jenette Goldstein as a family of nomadic vamps. Paxton and Henriksen bring much-needed energy to the somber storytelling in a pair of fearless, over …
[6] Part two in the Amityville franchise is actually a prequel exploring the grisly deaths of the previous family who lived in the cursed home. The first half of the movie builds to a pretty shocking climax, where the oldest son (Jack Magner) shoots his parents and three siblings to death. The second half is an attempt to immitate The Exorcist, with the family priest …
[8] This is more of a remake than a sequel, but most fans agree that it tops the original. Director Sam Raimi continues his imaginitive use of camera angles and movement, sound effects, and low-budget visual effects, but the winning ingredient is returning star Bruce Campbell. It’s in this film that the character of Ash begins to take on the status of horror movie legend. …
[6] James Brolin and Margot Kidder move their family into a house with an evil past. The previous family was murdered in the house, and now evil spirits are determined for history to repeat itself. I could have done without so many unrelated scenes with Rod Steiger, whose priest character brings a lot of unnecessary religious mumbo jumbo into the story. The house is creepy …
[6] Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in this somewhat faithful adaptation of Shelley’s spectacular novel. While it hits most of the plot points, it doesn’t quite capture the essence of Shelley’s work — that if you tinker irresponsibly with nature (or play God), you’ll reap the whirlwind. This could have been achieved if Branagh gave a more believable performance. He and Helena Bonham Carter are …
[7] Of the handful of silent films that still have shelf life, Nosferatu is perhaps the most popular. It’s the cornerstone of the entire horror genre, as well as the first time audiences ever saw a vampire on film. It’s an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but for legal reasons, the character names have been changed. The pacing, like most silent films, requires a little …
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