Category: Film
The Corridor
A movie which feels like the filmmakers knew what they wanted to achieve, but were unsure on how to go about it.
The Bay
Piecing together its story in multi-format, it's an interesting spin on found footage, but it falls victim to an over-zealous edit.
247°F
Two opportunities for interesting subplot that could alleviate the tedium of watching an unlikeable trio pant and bicker were missed.
The Fallow Field
That rarest of films, one that genuinely keeps you guessing to culminate in some palpable tension come the third act.
Dracula (1958)
This new cut includes previously excised moments, while the top-drawer special features are worth the retail price alone.
Midnight Son
Eschews many of the vampire subgenre's tropes to present something more akin to a quietly observed character study.
Piranha
Schlocky good fun, but Piranha straddles the line between dull and entertaining, twiddling its thumbs between fish attacks.
Vampire Ecstasy
After I had viewed it as many times as I could stand, I had to put on Red Roses of Passion to restore my respect for Sarno.
Christmas Evil
A classic in its own unique way, embraced now for 30 years by those who savour off-beat films that foil expectations.
The Night Child
As the epitome of seventies B-movie charm, it boasts the strong elements of enjoyable kitsch that one would hope for.
Excision
Masquerades as a teen horror comedy, but the real story is the degenerative mental condition of the lead character.
Some Guy Who Kills People
Wants to be a comedic horror film with hidden depths, but the horror is scarce and the humour largely average.
Stitches
Lacklustre, featuring little by way of horror or indeed comedy, relying on thinly spread visual gags over real thought.
Basket Case Trilogy
This limited edition steelbook is a sight for sore eyes; teeming with extras, no B-movie aficionado should be without it.
The Devil Rides Out
As a classic tale of good versus evil, the film required a strong representative of either side, and does not disappoint.
Cube
Vincenzo Natali's debut holds a beauty in purity that matches the mathematical conundrum its characters find themselves in.
The Curse of Frankenstein
The transfer does not hold quite the same clarity as other recent restorations; an important package nonetheless.
Rosewood Lane
Really, this is average TV drama fodder at best, plodding its way to a clumsily made point that makes little sense.
The Thompsons
More concerned with style over substance; fast and fun, there is no pretence here for anything other than a bloody ride.
Frankenweenie
The puppetry is simply superb as is texture; it's excellent attention to detail from puppet-makers Mackinnon and Saunders.
The Harsh Light of Day
An arduous affair with a cringeworthy script that provides no value for the subgenres it attempts to straddle.
The Pact
Juxtaposes the supernatural with real-life threat, whilst holding a very strong point in maintenance of mystery.
Arachnoquake
There's very little to recommend this film; any comedy present is lacklustre, while the predictability is too pronounced.
Santa Sangre
A trip that was calculated carefully, the near constant use of slightly off-key circus music adding to its hypnotic quality.
Dragon Wasps
The biggest mistake here is that the genetically-engineered insects of the title take a backseat. Truly dreadful.
The Devil’s Business
With a hell that breaks loose quietly, The Devil's Business metes its tension effectively to insidiously creepy result.
ParaNorman 3D
The puppetry is impressive — the ghosts and zombies are a feast for the eyes — and the stop-motion is fluid.
A Night in the Woods
A taut atmosphere is effectively created, emphasised by drip-feeding of subplot, with one particular twist genuinely surprising.
Underground
Dreadful acting and a basic, sweary script is the order of the day, with poor use of light making the film difficult to follow.
Berberian Sound Studio
Strangely accessible for a giallo come art-house film; a pleasure from beginning to end, with lavish attention to detail.
The Possession
The exorcism makes a refreshing change in not being Bible-based, but this is strictly Hollywood horror by numbers.
[REC] Genesis
A bizarrely playful addition to the [REC] series that opts for comedy over horror, despite plenty of blood on offer.
The Inside
Refreshing for its solid reason for found footage, with some effective moments, but let down by uncontrolled camera.
Supernatural Activity
The humour wears thin due to puerility and the editor needed reining in, but some of the comedy is surprisingly well timed.
The Reverend
Bordering on unbearable, The Reverend pushes the limits of patience, the script basic and the acting self-consciously bad.
Zombie 108
A reasonably good start rapidly falls victim to a lack of direction, resulting in an incoherence that does not entertain.
Axed
Intriguing at first with some style to be had and attention to detail, but let down by a lack of direction and poor acting.
Absentia
Will keep you guessing, until all possibilities for explanation are eventually tied together in an excellent balance of subplot.
Grave Encounters
It's pure pantomime and about a decade too late, but with the lights down and sound up there's fun to be had.
Seance: The Summoning
Despite the potentially ominous setting, this is a lethargic outing augmented by lifeless direction and a leaden script.
The Innkeepers
It's only really for specific moments that The Innkeepers very obviously feels like a horror film, yet it is effectively creepy.
Chernobyl Diaries
The set piece needs more attention, but the attacks are done reasonably well, an instil of progressive tension reasonably effective.
The Amityville Haunting
Cliches abound, as does overkill, while the characters are irritating. And yet, a wound-up tension is impressed without noticing.
Father’s Day
Has everything one could desire of a daft evening's entertainment, from sibling incest to a meeting with the Devil/God himself.
Skew
Found footage is a tricky subgenre to add an original concept to and Skew makes a good attempt. But it's not enough.
666: The Prophecy
You would almost expect tongue planted firmly in cheek, yet this sagging clod of a movie takes itself quite seriously.
The Watermen
A stalk-and-slash film with very little stalking or slashing, little happens until the inevitably contrived conclusion.