I didn’t post the last trailer for j-horror mashup Sadako vs Kayako, but those who watched it have probably noticed that this thing is starting to look pretty thoroughly silly. And I mean silly even for a film about two dead Japanese girls with wet hair making gurgling noises at eachother. The film, however, would appear …
The Complex Written by Junya Kato and Ryûta Miyake Directed by Hideo Nakata Japan, 2013 After several recent ventures into other genres with rather mixed results, The Complex marks Hideo Nakata’s return to what he is best known for: supernatural horror. The director who helped put Japanese horror on the map with his groundbreaking Ringu …
The Sixth Sense has come and gone as has its (alleged) twist ending. It’s hard to categorize The Sixth Sense but like The Shining or Inception I shall dub it as part of the puzzle picture genre that keeps appearing then disappearing only to come back. At first sight, the very existence of puzzle pictures …
Special Mention: The Fake Trailers from Grindhouse (2007, USA): The four fake trailers featured in the otherwise disappointing Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino double-feature: Machete by Robert Rodriguez, Werewolf Women of the SS by Rob Zombie, Thanksgiving by Eli Roth and Don’t by Edgar Wright-are all very entertaining trips down horror/exploitation film memory lane and are …
In the ensemble tour de force that is John Luessenhop’s Takers, Idris Elba masterfully says, without a hint of irony, “We’re takers, gents. That’s what we do for a living. We take.” Apparently, along with being a competent actor by day, Elba also moonlights as Captain Obvious by night, but in addition to being heavy …
Ok, so that may be slightly misleading, but I had to get your attention. The truth is that remakes and sequels, horror or otherwise, tend towards merely being insipidly contrived shadows of their predecessors; retreading formulas with less impact or merely upping the genre staples whilst degrading the narrative, acting, and soul. But every once …
The Ring (1927, b/w) Director: Alfred Hitchcock When digital technology fails you, sometimes it’s good to fall back on the virtues of a 35mm print, a new piano score, and one of London’s finest cinemas. I watched Hitchcock’s The Ring, at the Barbican, after two recent screenings of new releases on poor quality DVDs. It …
Last Friday, Dinner for Schmucks, directed by Austin Powers director Jay Roach and starring Steve Carrel, Paul Rudd, and Zack Galifianakis opened to an estimated $23.3 million. The comedy follows Tim (Rudd) who is able to find the perfect guest, Barry (Carrell), for his boss’s monthly event, “dinner for idiots.” What many people don’t know …
There have been very few satisfying horror movies in the last decade. As for most of those that were in theatres, I’ve literally sat there screaming “Don’t look under the bed!… Why are you going in the closet?! … Look, everyone heard the noise! You heard it, I heard it, the guy four rows …