Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

[6] Like the first movie and The Blair Witch Project before it, PA2 utilizes a faux verite approach to exploit some of our most primal fears. I'm not sure I want this crude, unpolished treatment to become a full-blown sub-genre,…
Them! (1954)

Them! (1954)

[6] Often regarded the best of the atomic age 'giant critter' flicks, Them! is best in the beginning, during two police officers' discovery of a little girl roaming the desert in a catatonic state. Looking for her family, they come…
Piranha 3D (2010)

Piranha 3D (2010)

[6] Gore, boobs, and monsters have always been a recipe for success -- at least a moderate degree of it. Piranha 3D, Alexandre Aja's remake of Roger Corman's cult classic, proves the recipe may well be immortal. This flick is…
Street Trash (1987)

Street Trash (1987)

[7] Street Trash is grade-A schlock, precisely the kind of movie that would make your mama cry if she knew you were watching it. An unwitting liquor store owner discovers an old crate of booze and starts selling it to…
Dracula (1979)

Dracula (1979)

[6] You'll find immense, beautifully dressed sets and breathtaking oceanside locations in the 1979 Dracula. You'll also hear a richly romantic John Williams score. These elements go a long way in creating a mood and atmosphere that are more lush…
The Visit (2015)

The Visit (2015)

[7] M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) returns to form after over ten years of sub-par and crappy output. The Visit is a small-scale but clever character-driven thriller about two children who go for a week-long visit with grandparents they've…
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

[3] I went into Jaws: The Revenge (the fourth movie in the series) thinking, 'Hey, it can't be worse than the third one.' And I was right. It's exactly as bad as the third one. Though for slightly different reasons.…
Jaws 3-D (1983)

Jaws 3-D (1983)

[3] The shark is back, this time working its way into Sea World in Florida where it threatens the tourists. Now, I'm okay if you want to keep bringing back the same shark for four movies, even though it is…
The Dunwich Horror (1970)

The Dunwich Horror (1970)

[5] Dean Stockwell and Sandra Dee headline this so-so adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. I gotta say, I've yet to see a Lovecraft adaptation I really like. The internalized dread and abstract horror just don't translate to film very…
Strange Behavior (1981)

Strange Behavior (1981)

[4] Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters) co-wrote this low-budget horror flick that dovetails two storylines -- one involving a scientist medically experimenting on teenagers to turn them into controlled assassins, and one about a widower sheriff trying to solve the…