Wrong Turn (****) backwoods Rashomon
In this Wrong Turn, if you’re looking for woke, you got it. You want several traps and gory death, you will get that too.
Sea Fever (***1/2) is The Thing in the Sea
For those unfamiliar with Alien or, better John Carpenter’s The Thing, Sea Fever will be a surprise.
Another Look: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare wears down through the years
The gifts that Craven had as a storyteller would not be acknowledged here, as this film made the least of the entire series. There is little accounting for taste or reaching beyond the same old stuff.
Come Play: Unloneliness (***)
Come Play is another debut by a director who turns a successful short into something hopefully better with studio support. The results are mixed, but overall this is the kind of film one shows their kids if unsure whether or not they’re really ready for a scary movie.
3 Questionable Choices: Velocipastor, Porno and Jiu Jitsu
Two films that you might watch if you have nothing else to do and expect to live long enough to even out the waste of time. And Jiu Jitsu.
The Empty Man (***) – Long time for a short trip
If you want something to watch as it turns dusk, you could do worse. From dusk till dawn, though, you should try for something with more than chills.
Color Out of Space (****) They’re not my family
If you ever wanted to see what Stanley has in his mind in any given moment, give this a try.
Shudder’s Host (****) possession for the Zoom generation
This is the perfect film for teenagers who see the world through a Tik Tok lens.
Train To Busan presents: Peninsula (***) Mad Max for the Dead set
This is an enjoyable film, even if every single moment is telegraphed.
Criterion: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? – Idols lost to time (****)
This is not a brilliant film. It’s a great film for its time, and it has a sobering message for those wondering how great entertainers have it when the limelight fades and the jealousy has time to grow.
Criterion: The Brood (***) is every mother’s little helper
Overall, this is an effectively creepy story that is more contained than his other stories of horror breaking out everywhere. The explanations behind it all are interesting enough. The gore is grotesque enough. Still, it’s only slightly better than an average film.
Criterion: The Driller Killer (*) is no one you want to know
Absent the reputation this film has acquired, there is little reason for one to watch this film. I may stumble into Bad Lieutenant someday and think, perhaps I misunderstood all along. I won’t hold my breath while I wait to find out.
Criterion: The Long Weekend (*) – Preoccupation Blues
By the time we get to the last act, we are tired of the couple and find sympathy for anything that crosses their path, especially their dog
Criterion: Rabid (***) has the makings of stardom
If you want to see the state of low to mid-budget horror in the late 70’s, this is as good a place as any to start.
Criterion: The Hills Have Eyes (**) clunking through legends
The film would be better if there were more characters like the dog The Beast. At least that character knows when to stay quiet and when to sneak up behind an idiot savage and push him off of a high place.
Criterion: The Witch Who Came From the Sea (*1/2) Swings and misses at pop psychology
We’re supposed to connect dots that have since been shown to be tentative at best. It feels like an irresponsible stab at cheap entertainment.
