Category: Horror
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Criterion: Shivers / They Came from Within (**1/2) feels like a bad date
It’s effective, for sure. Not my gig, even slightly, but it is not a bad film. It might even be considered good for the time.
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Freaky (***1/2) gets in touch with its other self
If you ever enjoyed Vaughn and wondered where his comic chops have gone in the last decade, look here. His skill at evoking laughter from a mixture of intelligence and physical comedy is near top form.
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Criterion: Deathdream (*) Should have stayed dead
This is a film for no one. Save your time by staring at the wall. It will feel less awkward than 95% of the dialogue of this film.
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