**_Needing deliverance in the backwoods of Basque Country, Spain_**
A Spanish-UK production, this is a psychological thriller-adventure in the tradition of “Deliverance,” just with an added element of “The Shuttered Room” and themes reminiscent of “Straw Dogs.” Its original Spanish title translates to “Forest of Shadows,” which is superior to the generic “The Backwoods.”
Like “Deliverance,” the proceedings are kept realistic, which is good in my book. The “Wrong Turn” flicks, by contrast, are so overdone they’re goofy rather than genuinely horrifying.
Gary Oldman was 48 …
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When her boss and mentor “Governor Bill” (Albert Brooks) tells his lieutenant that he’s got himself a job in the cabinet, “Ella” (Emma Mackey) is excited that she can now get hold of the state’s infrastructure to institute her radical political agenda - for at least the next fourteen months. Her husband “Ryan” (Jack Lowden) is also thrilled, though perhaps not for quite the same reasons and her aunt/confidante “Helen” (Jamie Lee Curtis) is delighted for her news but sceptical about her husband being a bit of a ticking time bomb. “Ella” is more of a detail person and that has the ability to bor…
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Fog, Fear, and Family Curses: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Review
HBO's Welcome to Derry Season 1 chills the spine of Stephen King's It universe, unearthing 1962 Derry's festering secrets in a taut eight-episode prequel. Showrunners Andy Muschietti and Tommy Brennan sidestep the Losers' glow, spotlighting the town's doomed denizens: pie-baking matriarchs, boozy cops, and wide-eyed kids teetering on Pennywise's abyss. It's folk horror distilled—less spectacle, more soul-rot—building from insidious whispers to a finale blaze. Grade: A-.
Jovan Adepo's Leroy Hanlon, a Black vet battling racism and …
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When the orphaned “Eric” (Ben Radcliffe) is sent by his nuns to deliver a message to “Lord Davenport” (Damian Lewis) at his stately pile, he is barely through the door before he is mistaken for a job applicant and employed as a hall-boy. He’s quite a savvy young man who can think on his feet, so before too long he is heading up the hierarchy behind the green baize door and even flirting with the daughter of the house. Now he’d already had a bit of an altercation with “Rose” (Thomasin McKenzie) on his way up the drive on arrival, so she’s feeling a little guilty and she’s also quite taken by th…
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An old adage in Hollywood advises against remaking the classics, since there’s a good chance the new iterations won’t live up to the quality of their predecessors (of course, given the plethora of reboots that have flooded the movie market in recent years, that admonition obviously hasn’t stopped ravenous producers from attempting to cash in). About the only way to potentially avoid the pitfalls of that trap is to devise remakes that provide different spins on their original stories, coupled with fresh new looks visually, changes akin to applying a new coat of paint. And, to a great degree, th…
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When his gadget-peddling dad returns home one evening with an early Christmas present, he tells “Billy” (Zach Galligan) that he must take extra care not to get it wet, nor to expose it to bright light and - most importantly, no nibbles after midnight. That might have been ok, save for his friend who accidentally breaks one of the rules. One becomes two, becomes four, becomes… They are quite cute and cuddly little critters, so no harm seems to be done - until one of those gets hold of a late night snack and then the malevolent “Stripe” emerges to take charge of a veritable army of hungry and fa…
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Overall, this film feels quite clichéd, both in its story and execution. There are many moments that feel off, especially in the way the supporting characters are written. One clear example is Arya, who comes across as nothing more than a narrative device—someone who exists simply to give Raim an obstacle to overcome. Beyond that, his character doesn’t really go anywhere. As a result, Arya feels insignificant, especially when the real barrier to the relationship is actually religion. His character could have been explored more deeply, rather than just being portrayed as another man in love wit…
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**_Artistic no-budget flick shot at a near defunct carnival north of Philly_**
Shot in late 1970, but not released until the spring of 1973, this indie combines elements of “Carnival of Souls” and “Night of the Living Dead” with bits reminiscent of “The Mansion of Madness,” aka "Dr. Tarr's Torture Dungeon.”
There is a sense of low-budget macabre artistry with the amusement park “in its death throes” being the highlight, but the characters aren’t fleshed out and so the story becomes tedious. Furthermore, plain Jane Janine Carazo is serviceable as Vena, but the production needed so…
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Our opening is a croup of older young adults out for a bit of an adventure, and they're just ridiculously silly, which in this genre is setting us up for a good time.
Looks like they're up to some mischief, and they may not be alone or there in the wilderness. Looks as if the perverts in our group and they're are even more depraved than I was willing to guess at, and now I'm hoping for Pure Hell to be unleashed.
Trouble is finally Creeping about, and I'm hoping for Pure Terror to unfold as the film continues. We've Gloriously Gruesome scene to gaze upon, and it appears we've more W…
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The only reason Shakespeare was considered to be the best writer of all time was because Isayama was not born yet.…
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