The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

[8] A young man's soul is transferred to a mysterious portrait that bears the decay and debauchery of his lifestyle. The most interesting thing about this Oscar Wilde tale is that you are never told what Dorian Gray's sins are,…
The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

[5] Hammer's third Frankenstein film (following Revenge of Frankenstein) is more of a one-off than a sequel, having little to do with the films before or after it. Despite the return of Peter Cushing to the role of Baron Frankenstein…
From Beyond (1986)

From Beyond (1986)

[6] The 'alternate universe' aspect of Lovecraftian horror is something I don't think I'll ever appreciate, but if that's your bag, Stuart Gordon's From Beyond might float your fancy. I like the psycho-sexual stuff going on, especially when everyone's pineal…
Wolf (1994)

Wolf (1994)

[5] An odd and perhaps ill-fitting choice of material for director Mike Nichols (The Graduate). Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer give decent performances, but James Spader leaves a greater impression as a backstabbing protege. Wolf focuses more on the psychological…
Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead (2013)

[7] As much as I hate remakes on the whole, this new Evil Dead movie greatly surprised me with how well made it is and how genuinely scary and tense it is. It also avoids contemporary horror pitfalls -- the…
Ghost Story (1981)

Ghost Story (1981)

[7] Four old men and their families are haunted by the ghost of a woman the men accidentally killed decades ago in this John Irvin film of the Peter Straub story. It could have benefited from a more visionary director,…
City of the Living Dead (1980)

City of the Living Dead (1980)

[4] A priest's suicide triggers a zombie apocalypse in this loose sequel to Zombie (aka, Zombie 2), both directed by Lucio Fulci. The story here is silly and the movie takes a lot of detours. The dead priest opening the…
The Monster Squad (1987)

The Monster Squad (1987)

[6] When classic movie monsters invade their town, a group of kids band together to keep them from finding a magical amulet that will enable the creeps to rule the world. The Monster Squad is an ebulient if uneven little…
Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

[7] Megan Fox (Transformers) may never be put to better use than she is here, playing a stuck-up, conceited high school babe who gets possessed by a demon and starts eating all the boys in school. Amanda Seyfried plays her…
Shock Waves (1977)

Shock Waves (1977)

[7] Nazi zombies rise from the sea and prey on a group of youngsters stranded at an abandoned island resort. You either love the sound of that, or you don't. I dig it. Peter Cushing makes a welcome appearance as…