Being Film #27 for Hooptober 2022 There are a lot of folks saying that Dark Glasses, the first film from Dario Argento in a decade and his return to giallo in even longer is a return to form. Certainly it's his best film in over 20 years, but if you look at those film (and... Continue Reading →
Something that rarely works is the “prestige” horror film. Before elevated horror was a thing, studios occasionally tried to legitimize horror films by casting with A-list stars instead of genre stalwarts, getting well known directors, and making the films variations on classic stories. The idea being they would make the “good” horror film. These films... Continue Reading →
Being Film #26 for Hooptober 2022 I don't know if Troll 2 is the absolutely worst horror sequel from the 90s per the Hooptober guidelines, not do I know if the documentary about the film is correct in labeling it the "Best Worst Movie". What I do know is the film has gained enough notoriety... Continue Reading →
One of the toughest criteria for Hooptober this year was the Lon Chaney requirement. I originally read it thinking his son and planned to watch Spider Baby again until a friend pointed out my mistake. When I started looking for a replacement and one that was Phantom of the Opera, that proved difficult since 102... Continue Reading →
A friend and I earlier this year lamented that Yoshiaki Kawajiri hadn’t directed a movie since a 2006 animated Highlander movie. If Japanese animation, or anime, hooked you in the 90s, that disappointment is palpable. Kawajiri’s work on the surface displays every cliche about anime from the 90s. His work tends to be both ultra... Continue Reading →
Being Film #25 for Hooptober 2022 In the annals of studio meddling few stories break my nerd heart more than reading about how much grief and outright bullying Miramax and the Weinsteins laid down upon Guillermo del Toro and Mimic, his first foray into the Hollywood system. 14 years after the film's release some semblance... Continue Reading →
Being Film #24 for Hooptober 2022 I came into the latest remake of Firestarter with little in the way of expectation; I left with those little expectations satisfied, but not in the way I thought. The biggest sin of Firestarter is that it feels so small and uninspired, like it's just there to get you... Continue Reading →
Being Film #23 for Hooptober 2022 Of course, every Hooptober must contain a review of a Tobe Hooper film, and Dan has maybe forced me to re-assess my negative experience with Eaten Alive based on his review. And I may still do that, but for this year's entry I needed to return to something else,... Continue Reading →
When you watch a classic Universal horror film, you have certain expectations of them. Monstrous figures wander gothic backdrops. Expressionist lighting and excessive fog create ghostly atmosphere. These films are meant to evoke “the old world” or the horrors of science gone wrong. There’s exactly one scene like that in Dracula’s Daughter. Gloria Holden’s Countess... Continue Reading →
Being Film #22 for Hooptober 2022 It would be a huge mistake to look at the filmography of Noriaki Yuasa and dismiss The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch. Because yes, while his entire filmography as a director is almost exclusively limited to Gamera films I would argue that 1) the Gamera films are pretty... Continue Reading →
Cinema Dual 