Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
Henry V is yet another fine Kenneth Branagh Shakespearian drama with great performances all around including future Dame Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Emma Thompson while Christian Bale makes an appearance in one of his early roles. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory has good audio, merely acceptable video but sadly no features.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is certainly a weak sequel especially compared with the original; however, it’s still a functional entry into the series (not saying much considering the third is a wreck).
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Squirm is gleefully cheesy and although it is pretty bad, it’s one of those so bad, it’s good films which got ribbed on “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” although I would suggest watching this version first as the “MST3K” one edited out the gory parts.
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Monkey Shines is certainly one of the more interesting entries into George Romero’s illustrious career and although it wasn’t my cup of tea (I guess the monkey killer subgenre doesn’t quite do it for me), yet it does have its moments and Jason Beghe gives a good performance.
The Squad is a well made movie coming out of Colombia but it’s not without its problems nor does it take advantage of an interesting plot. Still, it might be worth a watch so long as it’s only the cost of a rental.
The Battery actually is a well made indie horror-drama with more emphasize on drama with only a few zombies thrown in, but instead focuses on the two main characters and their day-to-day interactions.
Pumpkinhead might not be most well made horror movie coming out of the ‘80s but it has gathered somewhat of a cult following and there are some things to be admired from the late and great creature creator Stan Winston marking his directorial debut, one of only two feature films.
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Kind of forgotten in the wake of James Cameron’s The Abyss, Leviathan is an OK if not uneven sci-fi adventure. The cast is good and some of the creature effects aren’t bad either, but at the same time it comes across as a rip-off of Alien sans suspense and compelling storytelling.
The Legend of Hell House is an effective British supernatural-horror-thriller with fine performances all around but with special notice on Roddy McDowell and Pamela Franklin.
Motel Hell is another quirky release in the Scream Factory line and it has its moments headlined by a good performance from Farmer Vincent himself, Rory Calhoun.
Phantom of the Paradise is a well made and quirky adaptation of the classic opera. The performances, both sung and acting, were good headlined by William Finley and Jessica Harper
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Without Warning is a low-budget and sometimes laughable sci-fi/horror but seeing Jack Palance and Martin Landau was fun and it at least kept my attention until the end
There’s no real shock here, but Deadly Eyes, based on a novel entitled “The Rats”, is a cheesy little picture but it has its fan base and honestly, even though this kind of horror isn’t my thing (I have a preference for the slasher subgenre), it’s at least quasi-entertaining.
The Final Terror actually isn’t a terrible movie. It’s low budget and the acting isn’t always the best, though it is fun seeing Daryl Hannah and Joe Pantoliano before they were big, and some of the shots done by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) were quite impressive.
Lake Placid is a fun horror-comedy, with more emphasis on humor, that might not be the best written flick but it’s a breezy enough 82-minutes of sarcastic one-liners and characters, albeit mostly on-dimensional, that you actually enjoy watching, especially a fouled-mouthed Betty White in a small yet pivotal role.
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