Reviews

'Burnt Offerings' is a creepy yet sometimes very subtle supernatural horror film from the 1970's with a fantastic setting, stellar cast, and a dreamlike atmosphere that gives the entire production an ominous and unnerving tone as the movie progresses. Based upon the novel of the same name by Robert Marasco, this flick is certainly a forgotten underrated gem and while it may not be perfect there's a lot to enjoy here.

The Plot = Ben Rolf (Oliver Reed) and Marion Rolf (Karen Black) along with their son David (Lee Montgomery) & Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis) rent a country mansion for the summer. But the house seems to have a mysterious and power over its new residents and their lives begin to spiral out of control.

The movie's slow pacing may be a little off putting for some viewers, but there's just enough to keep you intrigued throughout its runtime. The supernatural elements are somewhat muted here as most of the tension comes from the characters themselves, which was an interesting approach as it does lead to some bizarre and unsettling moments. The direction by Dan Curtis is tight as relies more on mood, atmosphere, and palpable tension which gives the film a surreal off-kilter vibe filled with subtle dread. The only major flaws are that it can be a bit too slow at times, the predictability of the plot, and the lack of scares, but other than that the movie does have its moments and the positives do outweigh the negatives of this flick.

The fantastic cast performances are what really elevates this film with the wonderful Oliver Reed giving an excellent leading man performance with his engaging screen presence. Karen Black is fantastic here also and gives her role plenty of conviction. Bette Davis gives a solid and sympathetic performance in her understated role. Lee Montgomery gives a decent performance as the son, then finally Burgess Meredith and Elieen Heckart each gives good and memorable performances in their limited screen time.

Overall 'Burnt Offerings' is a solid 70's haunted house flick with creepy moments, interesting visuals, and a strong cast, but can be a bit on the slow side at times and the sparse scares does hold it back from being a classic, but a solid effort nonetheless.

'Jaws' has gone down in history as the film that gave birth to the modern-day summer blockbuster and therefore has changed the landscape of cinema forever and for good reason it's a masterpiece that manages to blend horror, action, adventure, and drama together perfectly without becoming overstuffed and not sacrificing the storytelling or character development. Based on 1974 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, this flick has managed to surpass that classic novel in every way possible and has taken a legendary status of its own. What's even more impressive is that even now several decades later its still considered as one of the greatest summer blockbusters ever made.

The Plot = A killer shark unleashes chaos upon the small town of Cape Cod during the summer season, its up to the local Sheriff Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and a local fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) to hunt down the great white monster and stop it once and for all before it kills again.

What can I say about this that hasn't already been said time and time again, it's simply brilliant and its one of those rare movies that has it all with everything coming together at the right moments. The premise is simple yet effective with an interesting and well-paced narrative that never outstays its welcome. The direction by Steven Spielberg is masterful as he elevates the production with style and suspense. The shark itself was effective and used sparingly (due to issues with the effects), but that worked better in its favour as it gives off a mysterious yet terrifying presence and generates more scares and intensity by the mere fact that you don't know when or where it will strike next.

The performances are flawless from each of the cast members. Roy Scheider is outstanding as the kind-hearted and courageous Sheriff Brody and brings many layers to his character as the film progress's. Richard Dreyfuss is brilliant as the hotshot young scientist and brings depth and believability to his role. Robert Shaw delivers a scene stealing performance as Quint who injects plenty of personality to his complex role. In-fact all 3 of the main stars works well of one and another with their amazing on-screen chemistry together.

Overall 'Jaws' is a tense, exciting, horror thriller masterpiece of cinematic history and something that's not only special but will always resonate with audiences then, now, and many years from now.

'The Stepford Wives' is a chilling sci-fi horror classic that was ahead of its time during its original release with its feminist themes and satirical nature which even to this day remains relevant. Based upon the 1972 novel of the same name by Ira Levin, this marks yet another fine adaptation of his work (although not quite on the level of "Rosemary's Baby") with its clever ideas, fantastic performances, eerie atmosphere which builds tension throughout and effectively combines satire and scares.

The Plot = Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) who along with her husband Walter (Peter Masterson) and kids moves from Manhattan to the small town of Stepford Connecticut where she quickly realizes that the local women about town are not quite themselves. Joanna discovers there lies a sinister truth of the all too perfect behaviour of the wives of Stepford.

This movie works better as a first-time viewing experience and of course not knowing what the conclusion to the final climax is, as those final moments are shocking and disturbing. However, upon further viewings the movie does loses its impact somewhat due to its sluggish pacing, but there's still enough to enjoy here such as the strong direction by Bryan Forbes who gives the movie a dreamlike paranoia infused quality to the production, full of unnerving dread around every corner. Then of course there's the fantastic performances from Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss who displays excellent on-screen chemistry together and plays off brilliant with each other.

Overall 'The Stepford Wives' is a fantastic 70's cult classic that works really well as a horror flick and you're better sticking with this instead of that awful 2004 remake.

'Race With the Devil' is a fun hybrid of horror, action, and thriller genres that instantly grabs your attention with its engaging premise, awesome car chases, and nerve-racking tension and as soon as everything kicks into high gear, it doesn't let up until the end credits. Despite being a product of its time, this criminally underrated gem is a great flick that never fails to entertain and deserves far more love and attention than it's gotten over the years.

The Plot = Frank (Warren Oates) and Roger (Peter Fonda), along with their wives Alice (Loretta Swit) and Kelly (Lara Parker) goes on a vacation together in their new R. V. going from Texas to Colorado, but after stopping for the night at secluded part of the woods they witness a murder during a Satanic cult ritual and soon find themselves terrorized by the cult members.

Even after the initial set-up the movie manages to successfully build tension and paranoia throughout its runtime by stirring up mystery and danger around every corner along with the exciting action sequences thrown in for good measure. All of which is pulled off effectively thanks to the stellar direction by Jack Starrett who keeps the movie going at a relentless pace and the fantastic performances from the 4 main cast members who each brings relatability and strong on-screen chemistry together. This movie is simply fantastic with a great setting and non-stop thrills that enhances this 70's horror/thriller to cult classic status and leads to a powerful and terrifying climax that still packs a punch even to this day.

Like I've already said the cast performances are fantastic with Peter Fonda and Warren Oates delivering strong performances as the male leads and plays off each other brilliantly making their friendship feel genuine. Loretta Swit does well in her role and Lara Parker manages to enhance the horror of the movie with her performance by displaying terrified quite convincingly.

Overall 'Ride with the Devil' is a solid good time through and through with plenty action, suspense, and excitement to keep you entertained. I would highly recommended checking this out for yourself.

'The Beast Must Die' is a ridiculous yet fun horror flick that combines a werewolf movie with an Agatha Christie styled whodunnit murder mystery where you the audience try and figure out who the werewolf is. Despite its absurd concept the movie doesn't know where to take the story once past the initial set-up and soon struggles to maintain interest throughout. But there is some enjoyment to be had here such as the solid cast, grisly death scenes, and some unintentionally hilarious special effects that does provide some entertainment and the mystery itself is quite intriguing.

The Plot = Calvin Lockhart (Tom Newcliffe) invites seven people to his high-tech island estate for the weekend in the hopes of revealing one of them as a werewolf so he can hunt them down and destroy them once and for all.

This movie should have been far more entertaining than it actually is, or at the very least been so bad it's good, but instead its very tame with dreadfully dull writing and sluggish pacing with far too many boring talking scenes and not enough werewolf action. They could have added a few more clues and red herrings to keep things interesting, but even that falls flat as nothing's really developed past its concept. The only reason I'm not giving this a lower rating is that I liked the gimmick idea, as well as the hilarious werewolf effects and the finale did amp up the tension and suspense a notch. Other than that, I wouldn't call this a lost classic in any sense of the word and can see why this got lost in the shuffle.

The performances here are decent if a little on the hammy side. Tom Newcliffe gives a strong performance as the male lead. Peter Cushing is a joy to watch as always even with that questionable Scandinavian accent, he still manages to elevate the material. Charlies Gray and Michael Gambon each gives solid performances even if they're characters are a little underdeveloped.

Overall 'The Beast Must Die' isn't a terrible movie and does have some enjoyable moments, but gets bogged down by bad writing and in more capable hands this could have been far better.

'Don't Look Now' - A haunting supernatural psychological horror thriller masterpiece that deals with complex themes such as trauma, scepticism, intuition, and grief. Based upon a short story by Daphne du Maurier, this movie uses that original concept and elevates it to a whole other level by creating an elegant, suspenseful, and well-crafted slow burn horror experience. This movie is simply a fine example of pure emotional horror and there's a reason why its endured such a classic legacy.

The Plot = A married couple John and Laura Baxter (played respectively by Donald Sutherland & Julie Christie) grieving the death of their daughter in a tragic drowning accident, travels to Venice where they encounter two elderly sisters Heather (Hilary Mason) and Wendy (Clelia Matania), one of which is psychic and brings them a warning from beyond. Then John begins seeing a red-hooded figure that he thinks could be his daughter.

This movie is a stunning piece of filmmaking from director Nicolas Roeg who uses utilizes skilful techniques and excellent camera work to give the film a beautiful yet hauntingly surreal look to the production filled with plenty of atmospheric dread and impending doom and gloom and by using its natural settings it manages to create more fear and scares rather than relying on gore like a lot of other horror movies do. The narrative manages to be both engaging and emotional at the same time as you're kept on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime as you experience the journey and mystery that these characters go through.

The acting performances are outstanding with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie both giving equally exceptional performances that really elevates this film to masterpiece levels and both shares excellent symmetry and chemistry together.

Overall 'Don't Look Now' is truly something special and even after more than 50 years it still holds up remarkably well.

'Asylum' is a creepy and entertaining British horror anthology film from the early 70's and made by Amicus studios, who have produced many classic anthology titles such as "Tales from the Crypt" and "The House That Dripped Blood". This is another strong effort from them that features a solid screenplay, top-notch cast, and a heavy dose of thrills, chills, gothic imagery, and plenty of disturbing fun.

The Plot = A young doctor named Dr Martin (Robert Powell) arrives at Dunsmoor Asylum where he's supposed to have a job interview, instead he's met with a challenge. The previous head doctor Dr Starr has gone insane; Martin must guess who the doctor is from interviewing 4 patients who live at the asylum and correctly identify which one of them is Dr Starr?

This was the 5th anthology film made by Amicus and by this point they'd established a formula, so you'd know what to expect. But here they decided to switch things up by taking a risk and going in a more unusual and experimental direction by having thick layers of black comedy running throughout each segment, which works for the most part and much of it comes off successfully thanks to the excellent direction by Roy Ward Baker who injects plenty of atmosphere within each story with some genuinely suspenseful and intense set pieces. The narrative itself is intriguing thanks to the strong writing by Robert Bloch, and while some of the stories fails to deliver, he still manages to craft a compelling film overall with plenty of twists and turns.

The wraparound segment is easily one of the strongest I've ever seen as it not only sets up each story effectively by adding those extra layers of suspense and mystery which makes it more than just the usual framing device, in fact it really elevates the entire movie.

The first story "Frozen Fear" is a strong start to this anthology by taking that usual trope of an affair gone wrong to somewhere unexpected with a supernatural twist and while it's certainly chilling with some decent special effects work, it does lack atmosphere and doesn't feature any likeable characters, but its still a hell of a lot of fun.

"The Weird Tailor" is simply fantastic and features powerhouse performances from Barry Morse and the legendary Peter Cushing. The storyline's highly engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout with its gothic and macabre atmosphere and cool visuals. This did feel rather rushed and wished it could have gone on a bit longer.

"Lucy Comes to Stay" is easily my least fave out of these segments with its basic and uninspired plot and a painfully obvious twist that anyone can see coming a mile away. The story also lacks any sort of scares or tension and pales in comparison to the other stories. The performances from Charlotte Rampling and Britt Eckland were decent and the story did have potential, it just fell totally flat.

The final segment "Mannkins of Horror" is kind of hard to rate on its own as it doesn't last very long and its basically a set up for the finale. But as its own story its fantastic, fun, and ridiculous with its interesting and unique concept, omnibus atmosphere, and stellar central performance from Herbet Lom.

Overall 'Asylum' is a well-polished gem and one of the very best horror anthologies from the 1970's. A definite must see for any fans of British Horror flicks.

'Twins of Evil' is a fun and sexy gothic horror vampire film brought to us by the legendary Hammer film productions. Haunting, atmospheric, and cruel in nature this fantastic flick features a well-constructed plot, solid cast, decent production values, and a sexy yet brutal tone which all combines into one hell of a hammer horror entry and stands as one of the studio's finest and most enjoyable offerings.

The Plot = Set in Europe during the 19th century and follows a religious sect called The Brotherhood led by Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing) who hunts all women suspected of witchcraft and burning them at the stake. Soon enough his two young niece's twins Maria (Mary Collinson) and Frieda (Madeleine Collinson) comes to stay with him after the death of their parents. Rebellious Frieda decides to visit the mysterious Count Karnstein's (Damien Thomas) castle only to find that he's a vampire.

This macabre masterpiece was one of the earliest horror movies I ever saw and will always have that sense of nostalgia towards it and even now it still holds up incredibly well. While it may be lacking in scares it more than makes up for that with its unsettling violence and well-paced narrative along with the cool gothic visuals which provides a genuine haunting feel for the story that matches the tone of the atmosphere. This is a prime example of Hammer studios in their prime.

The movie's ensemble cast of energetic characters helps bring this gothic tale to life. Peter Cushing does a fantastic job of carrying this film with his stellar performance and helps bring that engaging screen presence that he always delivers to everything he's ever done. Mary Collinson gives a decent performance as the sweet and innocent twin Maria. Madelleine Collinson is also great as the wicked twin and like her sister looks beautiful and works well with the rest of the cast. Damien Thomas gives a sadistic and entertainingly evil performance as the Count. Then finally David Warbeck gives a solid performance as the hero of the film.

Overall 'Twins of Evil' is a lively and outstanding 70's vampire horror flick that holds up incredibly well and plus it's a hell of a lot of fun.

'Girly' also known as 'Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny, and Girly' is an unhinged British Horror Comedy cult classic that thrives in its oddball nature and twisted satirical premise and delivers something that's equal parts disturbing and humorous. The movie manages to balance of these elements effectively well and moves along at a brisk pace and keeps you entertained throughout its runtime.

The Plot = A wealthy yet disturbed British family known as Mumsy (Ursula Howells) her 2 adult children Girly (Vanessa Howard) & Sonny (Howard Trevor), and their servant Nanny (Pat Heywood) kidnaps unsuspecting men and if they don't play by the rules then they are killed. However, their new friend (Michael Bryant) adapts to their rules and plays the family at their own game.

This movie is seen as something of a lost gem and still to this day isn't very well known, which is a shame as it's a fascinating and enjoyable British horror movie that revels in its intense and macabre atmosphere with an added dose of black humour thrown into the mix. There's also a certain cleverness to it in terms of how well written the story is, and the usage of a certain nursery rhyme within the context of the movie which adds a layer of dread as you know what's gonna happen. The direction by Freddy Francis is solid as he incorporates some interesting camera shots which gives things a strange claustrophobic feel at times, and he captures the unsettling tension perfectly even when things appear to be normal.

The cast here are fantastic with Ursula Howells delivering a strong performance as the matriarch Mumsy, with a mesmerizing and elegant screen presence that's both terrifying and yet intriguing at the same time. Pat Heywood delivers a well-rounded performance as Nanny with many interesting layers to her character. Howard Trevor gives a solid performance as Sonny the only male member of the family and somewhat of a thankless outsider. Vanessa Howard proves to be the main standout here in her role she's simply excellent as the psychopathic Girly, definitely the most fascinating character in this flick.

Overall 'Girly' is a fun twisted and yet very unconventional British horror cult classic that deserves far more attention plain and simple.

'Tales from the Crypt' is a superb and tremendously creepy British horror anthology film which features five chilling tales that will get under your skin. Comprised of a fantastic cast and an imaginative premise, this outstanding Amicus Studios outing astounds in its stylish and atmospheric production and visually macabre set pieces. From iconic moments to murderous mayhem this movie has it all.

The Plot = Five strangers ends up getting lost inside a crypt they're exploring. They meet up with the mysterious Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson), who tells each of them a story of how they will die.

Based upon the EC comic titles from the 1950's such as 'Tales from the Crypt', 'Vault of Horror', & 'Haunt of Fear', this movie does a wonderful job of bringing these stories to life with the overall look and feel of each tale being diverse and well thought out and featuring a nice combination of zombies, psychopathic killers, and the supernatural. The movie manages to move at a good pace and features some amazing production design and compelling visuals that gives everything a haunting vibe.

The first segment "And All Through the House" stars the legendary Joan Collins who does a fantastic job in the lead role here and sets the tone perfectly for what's to come, it's very intense, tightly paced, eerie, and highly influential as it's an early slasher that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

"Reflection of Death" which is the weakest segment of the bunch which has the shortest runtime so thankfully it doesn't outstay it's welcome, the concept was interesting and the central performance by Ian Hendry was solid, the twist at the end of it was way too predictable and I didn't feel any investment in this story.

"Poetic Justice" is thankfully a vast improvement and ranks up there with the best of best as far as horror segments go. Peter Cushing's performance here is incredible as he brings a real sense of sadness to the role. The emotional hook here is fantastic with some incredible horror imagery and an unsettling atmosphere, this is simply perfect.

The 4th segment "Wish You Were Here" is another strong outing with its intriguing premise, fantastic performances, and disturbing finale. This one felt a little too short and lacking in depth, but overall, it's still a decent segment.

The 5th and final segment "Blind Alley" the longest story and mark a great ending to this saga with stellar performances from Patrick Magee & Nigel Patrick, an interesting narrative, disturbing imagery and features a lot of emotional depth to it. The wraparound segments round everything off perfectly with its haunting atmosphere, creepy visuals, and standout performance from Ralph Richardson as The Crypt Keeper.

Overall 'Tales from the Crypt' is a definite must see for horror fans and in my opinion ranks as one of the greatest horror anthologies of all-time.

'The Return of the Living Dead' is an hilarious horror comedy cult classic that's drenched in cool 80's nostalgia and completely warped, this outstanding zombie film is entertaining as hell with its interesting and diverse cast, clever script, and plenty of grotesque zombie mayhem, this movie uses all of the archetypes from the genre and turns it on its head by ramping up the comedy elements and successfully pokes fun at its influences while at the same time paying respect to them. The movie is a riot from start to finish.

The Plot = Two employees who works at a medical supply warehouse accidently release a deadly gas into the air, causing the dead to rise once again and to feast upon the living.

The direction by Dan O'Bannon is impressive as he successfully blends comedy with the dark and morbid approach and gives the film some effectively creepy moments and a strange sense of claustrophobia that creates plenty of disturbing moments. The overall look of the production is outstanding with plenty of macabre filled imagery which gives the overall visual a hauntingly beautiful look. Despite being a horror/comedy this zombie flick thankfully doesn't skimp on the good stuff as there's plenty of over-the-top gore sequences and unhinged violence presented in a tongue in cheek attitude. This movie well and truly deserves its status as a cult classic as it's a demented masterpiece plain and simple.

The cast of interesting characters is what really brings this flick to life. James Karen and Thom Matthews are fantastic as the bumbling fools who accidently brings the dead back to life. Both have amazing chemistry together and marks a fabulous introduction to the movie. Clu Gulager turns in a strong performance as Burt and adds some great fun to the production. Don Calfa delivers a quirky yet memorable performance in his role. Miguel Nunez Jr & Mark Venturini each provides standout performances as the punks, and then finally Linnea Quigley gives an hilarious performance as the rarely clothed Trash.

Overall 'The Return of the Living Dead' stands as one of the finest horror comedies of all-time and an all round 80's horror classic.

'Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil' is the 4th and final instalment in the 'Prom Night' franchise that goes back to its traditional slasher roots which was where it started back in the 1980 original. This is a decent if a little forgettable early 90's slasher flick that manages to be entertaining and the fact that it returns to a more grounded stalk and slash approach feels quite refreshing for the series after the previous two sequels were more over the top horror comedies.

The Plot = Beginning in 1957 at Hamilton High; where a psychotic priest Father Jonas (Jimmy Carver) slaughters two teens and afterwards he's locked away in the church's basement, but 33 years later he manages to escape and stalks four teens who are ditching their prom to have their own party at a secluded summer home, unaware he's on the loose.

This entry in the series was very well-made for a direct to video effort with some slick camera work and solid cinematography which gives the movie a competent and above average production value. The film's central gimmick about a derange priest killing off teens who sin was a fun idea, if a little on the nose. However, what lets things down are the muddled plot threads which fails to explain certain things, the somewhat slow pacing, and the lack of any inventive death scenes which could have really elevated things. What was also lacking was any real tension, especially with a plot this bare and I know this came from the early 90's, but I found this very predictable which results in a very lacking viewing experience.

The acting performances were fine with Jimmy Carver providing a hammy and over the top performance as the maniacal priest, but he does inject life into what could have been just another basic killer. The teen characters were decent and likeable with Nicole De Boer, Alden Kane, Joy Tanner, & Alle Ghadban each turning in solid and relatable performances and had great chemistry together.

Overall 'Prom Night 4' is a basic fun slasher and while it may not be as strong as the previous 3 entries, it's far better than that god awful remake from 2008.

'Prom Night III: The Last Kiss' is a campy supernatural slasher flick that continues the Mary Lou Maloney storyline that was set up in part 2. Entertaining and cheesy as hell this entry manages to mix horror and comedy quite well along with some inventive deaths and some solid special effects despite its low budget and light-hearted tone.

The Plot = The vengeful spirit of Mary Lou Maloney (this time played by Courtney Taylor) has escaped from hell and returns to Hamilton High where she manipulates a naïve student Alex Grey (Tim Conlon) into helping seek revenge and cause havoc upon the teachers and students at the school.

This movie is pure guilty pleasure fun that takes a slight step down in quality from the previous sequel in the franchise due to its sillier tone that sacrifices any sort of horror element and goes for comedy which is corny and doesn't always land but fits with the tone of the film. The film does feature some clever ideas and fun moments even with its flat production design. However, despite its cheap look the movie does manage to feature some imaginative visuals and a self-referential nature which was a sign of things to come later down the line.

The acting performances were decent for the most part. Tim Conlon gives a somewhat decent performance as the male lead, even if he was a little bland at times, but his charisma did carry the film. Courtney Taylor takes over the role of Mary Lou Maloney in this entry and does a great job as the seductive supernatural killer & while she wasn't as strong as Lisa Schrage from part 2, she still manages to create a memorable slasher villain.

Overall 'Prom Night 3: The Last Kiss' is a fun entry in the 'Prom Night' franchise, but isn't quite as strong as the first 2, but it has plenty of charm.

'Zombie 4' AKA 'After Death' AKA 'Zombie Flesh Eaters 3' is your typical sleazy 80's Italian zombie b-movie that features lots of gore, terrible dubbing, cheesy dialogue, and plenty of outrageous moments combined with a jumbled mess of a plot. The 3rd (or 4th) flick in the 'Zombie' series is not a good movie by any means, but it does have some atmosphere and enough disturbing and disgusting enough to satisfy gore fans, other than that there's not much else.

The plot = Jenny (Candice Daly) goes back to the island where her parents were killed many years ago where they had been working on a cure for cancer and accidently raised the dead by angering a Voodoo priest. Along with Jenny is a group of mercenaries and researchers who again raises the dead and all hell breaks loose.

Despite a promising highly stylized opening featuring some cool action and gruesome kills, it's a shame that the rest of the film doesn't maintain the same energy and flair, thankfully the movie moves at a breakneck pace that bombards you with constant action and mayhem, but its devoid of any intelligence or thrills. The zombies themselves looks very cheap and uninspired; they just look like a bunch of extras with white makeup caked onto their faces. The gore effects are pretty good for such a low budget production. The direction by Claudio Fragasso is fine and the movie is shot quite well, but the plot is just pure nonsensical, and the dialogue is stupid and horrendous. This entry is definitely lacking when compared to the other 2 movies in the 'Zombie' series.

The acting performances are really hard to judge when the movie is dubbed. Jeff Stryker gives a likeable performance as the male lead and emotes quite well. The rest of the cast range between average and over the top for this kind of film.

Overall 'Zombie 4' is a somewhat dumb yet entertaining Italian zombie flick, but there's much better out there and don't waste your time with this one.

'Zombie 3' also known as 'Zombie Flesh Eaters 2' is a fun trashy follow-up to Lucio Fulci's classic 'Zombie Flesh Eaters' (also known as 'Zombie 2'). This is a very low-grade Italian zombie film when compared to the first entry that aside from its troubled production, dreadful acting, and convoluted plot is actually quite entertaining in a so bad it's good sort of way thanks to its non-stop zombie mayhem, goofy low-budget gore and overall ravenous approach to the genre.

The plot = A sample of a bacterial virus called Death One is stolen by a group of terrorists who inadvertently expose the deadly virus into the atmosphere of an island community and transforms the majority of population into blood thirsty zombies and caught up in this mayhem is a group of friends on vacation and some army troops out on leave who band together and are forced to fight for survival.

This entry is known to have a troubled production as initially it was meant to be directed by the legendary Lucio Fulci but after some disagreements and several other problems, he left the production, and the directing duties was passed onto Bruno Mattei which results in a rather disjointed effort with both directors' styles of filmmaking clashing throughout. The humid tropical setting does give the film a foreboding atmosphere and the production does manage to create a tone that's both unsettling and adventurous and yet insanely off-kilter at the same time. The low budget execution gives the movie a decent amount of sleaze and gore that can be felt throughout making it feel more like a Bruno Mattei flick than Fulci unfortunately, but still manages to be a wildly entertaining b-movie romp.

Overall 'Zombie 3' is a sequel in name only and while it doesn't compare to the greatness of the original, it's still a hell of a lot of fun, just don't overthink it and enjoy for what it is.

'When a Stranger Calls Back' is the far superior sequel to the original 1979 film 'When a Stranger Calls' and once again written and directed by Fred Walton. Despite this being a made for TV movie that doesn't take anything away from it quality wise as this is a well-made production with plenty of frightening and suspenseful moments, and crafting an effective mystery element that gets you engaged throughout its runtime.

The Plot = Five years after a terrifying baby-sitting ordeal, Julia (Jill Scholelen) is trying to put her life back together when she starts getting stalked again by the same guy as before, but the police don't believe her. However, coming to Julia's rescue is Jill Johnson (Carol Kane) and enlists the help of retired detective John Clifford (Charles Durning) to catch the stalker once and for all.

The original 'When a Stranger Calls' had a strong opening, but faltered after that and became more of a boring character study. This is where this sequel excels as while it does have a similar first act, it's just different enough so it doesn't become derivative and does a great job of setting up the tension and dread. The middle act does slow down a bit but manages to keep you invested thanks to the interesting characters and building an interesting narrative, before ramping up the tension again for the last act, which makes everything a satisfying viewing experience.

The performances are great here with underrated scream queen Jill Scholelen giving a compelling and sympathetic performance as Julia and she does manage to keep you invested in her character's struggles throughout. Carol Kane reprises her role from the first movie and does a fantastic job as the older and wiser Jill and gets a lot more to this time around. Charles Durning also makes for a welcomed return as the retried detective Clifford and adds an engaging screen presence to this movie.

Overall 'When a Stranger Calls Backs' is one of those rare sequels that manages to surpass the first one with its fantastic lead performances, tight pacing, and plenty of suspense thrown in for good measure.

'Mother of Tears' is the third and final instalment of The Three Mother trilogy directed by Dario Argento, with the first two being 'Suspiria' in 1977 and 'Inferno' from 1980. Now we finally get the long-awaited final entry of the saga 27 years later and how does it measure up well... not great unfortunately as it fails to live up to those first 2 films in almost every way and therefore creates a disappointing final chapter.

The Plot = An ancient urn is found in a cemetery outside of Rome, and after American art student Sarah Mandy (Asia Argento) accidently opens it, it triggers the return of Mater Lachrymarum - the third mother and soon a series of violent incidents occurs, causing havoc around the city and it's up to Sarah to try and stop her once and for all.

The fact that it took so long to be released may have laid far too much anticipation on this and given that the first 2 were released when Dario Argento was at the top of his game, but by the time this came out he was way past his prime and after viewing this it became evident that this was never gonna recapture his former glory. That's not to say that there wasn't some enjoyment to be had here and there are some redeeming qualities such as the rather tight narrative, over the top violence and the direction does show some signs of Dario's unique artistic flair. However, what lets things down are the lack of style, the over reliance on unconvincing CGI (which looked dated even back then), the weak characters, terrible effects, and the very weak climax which bogs everything down.

The cast performances vary in quality with Asia Argento giving an overall good performance in the lead role. Udo Keir makes for a solid addition to the cast and elevates things slightly. Cristian Solimeno & Adam James both gives decent performances in their respective roles and Jun Ichikawa gives one of the more memorable and over the top performances here.

Overall 'Mother of Tears' is nowhere near the epic ending it could have been, but it does feature some entertaining moments even if this does come across as more camp than horror.

'Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed' is a solid sequel to the original cult classic from 2000 that reinvents its own universe and puts a fascinating new spin on the unique concept from the original. The second film in the 'Ginger Snaps' trilogy doesn't quite hit same the levels of originality like the first one did, but its still an entertaining horror flick and takes the teenage themes explored here and gets a lot more mature with them.

The Plot = Shortly after the events of the first film, we find Brigitte (Emily Perkins) on the run and trying to find a cure for her werewolf blood lust before the next full moon. After a gruesome encounter with another werewolf, she's sent to a rehab clinic, but soon enough the werewolf tracks her down and begins killing people at the clinic.

What I liked about this entry is that despite the story being an extension of the first film, it doesn't come across as a cheap retread and instead goes for a darker and grittier tone with a slower pacing that takes its time exploring new characters and themes, and therefore creates a more dramatic and emotionally charged film. The horror elements on display here are also strong with its cold and clinical colour scheme which gives the movie an eerie atmosphere with compelling visuals and a healthy amount of blood and gore thrown in for good measure. The main problem I have with this is the ending which wasn't bad by any means, but it did leave things up in the air and left me wanting more, and sadly we didn't get a proper resolution. Other than that, this is still a fantastic and well-made werewolf genre film.

The performances here are top notch with Emily Perkins taking centre stage this time and gives one hell of a performance as Brigitte and proves that she's more than up to the task of carrying the film with her more well-rounded character. Tatiana Maslany gives a scene stealing performance as Ghost and she was simply phenomenal in her role. Katharine Isabelle makes for a welcomed return although in a limited screen time was a smart move and shows why she's a legendary screen queen of the horror genre.

Overall 'Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed' is a worthy follow-up to what is perhaps one of my all-time favourite werewolf horror films, and while this may not be as great as that said film, this is still a definite must see.

'The Dentist' is a fun darkly comedic and fairly twisted 90's horror flick with an intriguing premise that plays off a very common fear of not only going to a dentist but what if you're dentist goes psychotic and decided to drill your teeth out, and this movie does a pretty good job with that concept as it does get pretty intense at times, but its let down slightly by its off-kilter pacing and rather flat cinematography. Thankfully what elevates this above mediocrity is the central performance by Corbin Bernsen.

The Plot = A successful dentist named Dr. Alan Feinstone goes off the deep end when he catches his wife Brooke (Linda Hoffman) cheating on him and despite getting his revenge on her, he decides to enact cruelty on his staff and patients.

I remember seeing this at my local video store way back in 1996 and being a big fan of horror films, I just had to seek this out and at the time I really liked this and even now viewing it again many years later I still found it rather enjoyable. Directed by Brian Yuzna and while it's not his greatest work, but like all of his films there's still fun to be had here. His direction is solid here and he does throw in some pretty nerve-racking scenes, but the overall look of the film feels very made for TV with some very questionable set designs. This is one of those movies where the idea is better than the execution as it lacks consistency and fails to maintain interest all the way through. Thanks to the strong performances namely from Corbin Bernsen who turns in a fantastic performance as the demented lead, there's just enough to enjoy here.

Overall 'The Dentist' is a pretty good horror slasher flick even if its lacking in some areas. Still decent though.

'Blue Sunshine' is a weird horror flick from the late 70's which is drenched in a paranoid drug infused illusions and crazed frantic moments that captures the tense atmosphere of the film brilliantly. Intriguing and altogether masterfully shot this psychedelic horror thriller takes you on a hell of a journey as it delves into one outrageous moment to the next in this rather surreal and bizarre outing by director Jeff Lieberman.

The Plot = Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) who at a party witnesses a horrific triple murder involving his old friend Frannie Scott (Richard Cristal) who has mysteriously turned into a homicidal maniac. Then a bizarre series of murders begins in L. A., involving the same pattern and could this be down to a dangerous form of LSD called Blue Sunshine which the killers took ten years before be causing this mayhem?

The movie is an odd cinematic experience that can't quite figure out which genre it really belongs to and that's what makes it so entertaining with its off-kilter premise and equally unhinged presentation. The direction by Jeff Lieberman is solid as he pushes the tone of the production to almost unbearable levels of insanity that manages to somehow work in its favour and thanks to its quick pace it never becomes dull, and the story unfolds at a steady pace. This is a weird yet fascinating horror flick with political elements that will hold your attention and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime.

The performances here are strong with Zalman King who takes on the role of the unfortunate hero and he gives a fantastic performance in giving you someone to root for as he seriously puts all of himself into his performance. Deborah Winters gives a solid and likeable performance as Alicia and helps keep the movie grounded. Mark Goddard plays the sleazy politician perfectly. Robert Walden gives a solid performance as Doctor Blume and finally Ray Young gives a fantastically over the top performance and helps round the cast out wonderfully.

Overall 'Blue Sunshine' is a one-of-a-kind cinematic oddity that could have only came out in the drug infused 70's and we're grateful for it.

'Cube' - a mind bending and brilliantly original sci-fi horror flick with a simple yet effective premise which uses the framework of a traditional sci-fi set-up and instead turns everything upside down by having ideas open to interpretation as you follow these characters on their abstract journey that's devoid of reason, while at the same time the movie manages to be clever and philosophical without ever becoming boring. This movie is a great example of how to execute a unique idea to its fullest potential.

The Plot = A group of strangers awaken to find themselves trapped inside a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.

I remember seeing this when it first came out and became instantly enthralled by its surreal nature and interesting characters which is what makes this movie really work as well as the engaging mystery element as you're kept on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime. The direction by Vincenzo Natali is outstanding as he makes full use of its obvious limited budget and creates something incredibly thought provoking and yet entertaining at the same time.

The cast here are simply excellent and well written with each character brining their own individuality to their roles. Maurice Dean Wint is outstanding as the unhinged cop Quentin, Nicole De Boer is great as the intelligent schoolgirl with plenty of wit, David Hewlett provides interesting depth as the cynical Worth, while Nicky Guadagni provides solid support as the levelheaded doctor Holloway, and then finally Andrew Miller rounds off the cast nicely as the autistic Kazan, a firm standout performance.

Overall 'Cube' is something that well and truly transcends its genre and the end result is something incredible and unique. A must see for any fans of sci-fi horror.

'Damien: Omen II' is a solid sequel to the first 'Omen' film in that it successfully continues the storyline established in the original film without feeling stale and repetitive and further develops the Damien character as he comes to terms with who he really is. However, this follow-up doesn't quite manage to live up to the greatness of the original due to a few flaws, but there's enough here to enjoy such as the effective narrative, chilling atmosphere, interesting characters, and elaborate death scenes, all of which do makes up for some of the movie's shortcomings.

The Plot = It's seven years after the events of the first film and Damien Thorne (Jonathan Scott Taylor) is now living with his uncle Richard Thorn (William Holden) & Aunt Ann (Lee Grant). Damien is about to turn 13, and finally learns that he is the son of the Antichrist. And must follow his destiny. Meanwhile dark forces begin to kill anyone who gets in his way.

The direction by Don Taylor is effective as he infuses the movie with a level of care and consistency by delivering a more character driven story with the family dynamic being a firm highlight of this sequel. The movie also manages to move along at a decent breakneck pace without any dull or boring parts. Although what holds this movie back from being a classic is a few things, firstly the strange storyline decision of not having Damien knowing who he is which not only made things rather confusing but given his names in the title he has very little to do here. There's also a severe lack of suspense and scares, but thankfully the over-the-top death scenes and satisfying finale does make this film a satisfying viewing experience.

The acting performances here are top notch and each of the characters do gives the movie the emotional weight. Jonathan Scott Taylor delivers a strong performance as Damien as he goes from wide eyed innocence to emotionless and creepy effectively, he's simply brilliant in the role and in a lesser actors' hands would have brought the whole film down. William Holden and Lee Grant both delivers fantastic performances, and both elevates this production with their engaging characters and brilliant chemistry together.

Overall 'Damien: Omen II' is a satisfying sequel to the classic original that manages to continue the storyline without staining it's legacy (that would come with some of the later entries).

'The Exorcist III' is the third film in 'The Exorcist' franchise and next to the iconic original, this is widely considered to be the best sequel and rightly so as in my opinion this is the only one that can even be compared to the original in terms of quality and overall greatness. Written and directed by William Peter Blatty and based upon his own novel 'Legion' and here he creates an effective horror movie with a tense and thought-provoking narrative that moves at a slow but never boring pace with plenty of great twists and turns throughout and some genuinely unsettling scares thrown in for good measure.

The Plot = Detective Kinderman (George C. Scott) gets more than he bargains for as he investigates a series of murders which strangely resembles the work of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif), only he died 15 years ago. Could there be a copycat killer or is he still alive or could there be supernatural forces at work?

The movie takes a wildly different tone from the other films in the series as this entry goes for a darker mystery psychological thriller with supernatural elements thrown in and that's what not only sets it up apart from the others but helps it stand on its own as a strong entry. The atmospheric dread, the surreal set pieces, haunting visuals, and psychological approach is what makes this flick so strong and compelling. Although I wouldn't call this a perfect flick as there are some minor problems such as the writing seemed a bit sloppy in parts, which I know was down to the studio re-shoots and changing the director's original vision and the overblown ending feels a little at odds with the rest of the movie, but again that was studio interference. None of these minor elements takes that much away from the overall quality of the flick as it's still an intriguing viewing experience.

What really makes this movie work is the excellent acting performances from everyone involved. George C. Scott takes on the detective character originally played by the late Lee J Cobb in the first 'Exorcist' and well and truly makes it his own and delivers a compelling and well-rounded performance. Ed Flanders is also great here as Father Dyer and his chemistry with George C. Scott is a high point of the film. Jason Miller also delivers a strong performance here and then finally Brad Dourif who delivers a steal stealing performance as The Gemini Killer, demented, and engaging at the same time, he really gives this role is all and ranks as one of his finest performances of his career.

Overall 'The Exorcist III' may not be as iconic as the 1973 original but it's a more than worthy follow-up and far better than any of the other awful sequels that came before and after it.

'Exorcist II: The Heretic' is the utterly baffling, awful, and yet somewhat fascinating sequel to the classic 1973 original 'The Exorcist' by William Friedkin, which still to this day ranks as one of the scariest movies of all-time. How it managed to spawn a sequel as bad as this is beyond me. There are almost no redeeming qualities to this flick down to the bad direction, muddled plot, dull pacing, and lacking any sort of scares or tension. This movie is an awkward and weird mess from start to finish.

The Plot = Set 4 years after the events of the first movie with Regan (Linda Blair) trying to life a normal life after her demon possession from the previous entry and is now under the care of psychiatrist Dr Gene Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). Meanwhile a Priest Father Lamont (Richard Burton) is investigating the death of Father Merrin, which leads him to New York and comes to discover that the demon still lurks within Regan and must find a way to destroy it once and for all.

One thing that you could admire about this flick is that its certainly ambitious and at the very least it wasn't just a safe retread of the first film. However, what we do get is a truly bizarre disaster of a film that takes a huge risk but falls flat. This is a prime example of directors John Boorman and Rospo Pallenberg having too much free reign. However, the visuals are somewhat impressive with some interesting camerawork and decent special effects, but that's about the only positive I could give to this.

The performances here are decent with Linda Blair again giving a strong performance despite the awful writing. Richard Burton brings some much-needed screen presence to this flick, and he does a commendable job with the clunky dialogue. Louise Flecther gives a fine performance as the psychiatrist.

Overall there's a reason why 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' is considered one of the sequels of all-time as its simply horrendous.

'Night of the Living Dead' is a solid remake of George A Romero's 1968 classic which essentially has the same premise as the original, yet updated to fit a more modern archetype and features excellent practical effects and a lot more violence and gore, but still maintains the creepy atmospheric tone of the black and white classic. Directed by the legendary Tom Savini who injects a cool visceral quality into the movie that really brings everything to life.

The Plot = Barbara (Patricia Tallman) and her brother Johnnie (Bill Mosley) are visiting their aunt's grave where they find themselves attacked by a zombie. Johnnie is killed while Barbara manages to escape to a remote farmhouse, where she meets Ben (Tony Todd) who tells her that the dead are coming back to life, and soon more survivors turns up and they must fight against the zombies to survive.

This is a remake that justifies its existence thanks to the tremendous effort by everyone involved and thanks to Tom Savini's fantastic direction the movie opts for a more realistic take on the zombie genre with its graphic nature of the zombies, intense violence, gorier content, and an array of effective scare scenes that calls upon the original film. This is one of those rare instances of a horror remake being almost as effective as its original counterpart and its well worth seeking out.

The interesting characters and the line-up of wonderful actors to portray them is another aspect that helps this rise above the usual remake fodder. Patricia Tallman is sensational here and her character arc going from victim to badass zombie killer is outstanding thanks to her heartfelt and genuine performance. Tony Todd is equally as impressive in his role with his engaging screen presence and intensity, he's truly a fantastic actor. Tom Towles delivers a fun and over the top performance as the antagonist Harry and finally the inclusion of Bill Mosley is pure casting genius, and he really makes the most of his limited screen time.

Overall 'Night of the Living Dead' doesn't quite top Romero's classic, but it's still a fantastically entertaining watch in its own right and deserves far more love than it gets.