Mike in desperate need of wit There’s a good idea rattling around in BenDavid Grabinski’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. Before enduring this surprisingly dull exercise, I didn’t realize I needed a time travel-hitman-buddy-movie-dramedy. Ironically, after sitting through this slog of a movie, that need remains. Even after my plot summary you may […]
horror films
Posted inFilm
Messy Bride never finds its footing, Protector a waste of time, money and talent
Bride a shambling mess of a movie In the interest of full disclosure, I need to say upfront that I’ve seen James Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein more than any other movie. It never ceases to entertain, the filmmaker’s inventive combination of gothic horror, dark humor and fairy tale elements are as fresh today as […]
Posted inFilm
Dracula shows some life, Send Help doesn’t end well
Cast finds life in flawed Dracula Estimates as to how many times Dracula has appeared on film range from approximately 200 to 500. The low number is tabulated by purists who only count productions that feature a version of Bram Stoker’s character while the latter figure included parodies or knock-offs of the seminal vampire. He’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Oculus a clever exercise in low-budget horror
Following the maxim, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Blumhouse Productions continues to adhere to the formula that’s made it one of the fastest growing, small production arms in Hollywood. Sticking to budgets of $5 million or less, offering profit participation to lure the occasional name actor and aggressively promoting their modest horror films, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Carrie a worthy, emotional update
While it might not be Citizen Kane, Brian De Palma’s 1976 version of Carrie is a film that many fans view as a landmark work where horror films are concerned. Not only was it the first big screen adaptation of a Stephen King novel but that it had such a strong female protagonist was, at […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Horrific Sinister succeeds despite flaws
There is no question that Scott Derrickson’s Sinister is a flawed movie. While we expect horror films to test the boundaries where an audience’s suspension of disbelief is concerned, this movie obliterates it halfway through. And yet, the movie manages to keep us in its grip thanks to the pervasive sense of terror that Derrickson […]
