Category: Film

Return of the Living Dead

A superb package teeming with extras; a fitting tribute to a film that fully justifies its reputation as a cult classic.

/ June 4, 2012

The House

Visually, there are some good moments, but it's a hotchpotch of story-telling technique, none of which stick.

/ June 3, 2012

Juan of the Dead

Zombie fans will enjoy the numerous genre references, but many will see the same old tired and perfunctory plot devices.

/ June 2, 2012

Deadball

Exploitative, splatter-comedy fun that is hugely entertaining and self-knowingly plays to its strengths effectively.

/ May 31, 2012

Island of Lost Souls

The foreboding set piece complements the horrific story wonderfully, while Charles Laughton is genuinely sinister.

/ May 27, 2012

Osombie

Quite possibly one of the most lacklustre attempts at a zombie film ever made, Osombie is simply excruciating.

/ May 14, 2012

Dark Shadows

At first glance Dark Shadows is fun, but there is simply little story to be had, with a script that relies on just the one joke.

/ May 11, 2012

The Monk

An unusually restrained Vincent Cassel is a pleasure, but it's a drawn-out story that runs out of steam before a rushed conclusion.

/ April 27, 2012

Cassadaga

Enough strands are left to ponder to deem writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley as worthy of keeping an eye on.

/ April 16, 2012

Break

Deeply irritating; places far too much focus on stunted, badly-acted banter that is difficult to understand at points.

/ April 16, 2012

The Cabin in the Woods

A perfect introduction to the genre, accessible enough to reel folk in. The rest of us will go giddy counting the references.

/ April 13, 2012

Sometimes They Come Back

A painfully average film, its classic horror status somewhat baffling. Purchase to complete your Stephen King collection.

/ April 9, 2012

The Revenant

D. Kerry Prior's limited experience mostly lies in SFX, but you wouldn't know it from what is perfect comedy timing.

/ April 2, 2012

Dellamorte Dellamore

Its own bizarre entity; a curious commentary on the protagonist’s descent into madness as he combats love, loss and zombies.

/ March 20, 2012

A Horrible Way to Die

A non-linear approach wears thin, initial intrigue giving way to frustration as the story continually dances away with the cuts.

/ March 19, 2012

Evidence

There is probably a good film hidden somewhere in here, but the entire experience feels like a waste of time.

/ March 10, 2012

The Raven

John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe is immensely watchable, but the story is downgraded to a bog-standard thriller.

/ March 9, 2012

The Shrine

Effectively creates tension to complement an overall creepiness, to deliver a climax that keeps the viewer in the dark.

/ February 28, 2012

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Under the impressive visuals and solid cast there are genuine flaws, and it allows itself to surrender to cliché too easily.

/ February 16, 2012

Kill List

A superbly crafted piece of dark cinema and well worth a watch. Just brace yourself for the final act; it’s a bit of a jolt.

/ December 20, 2011

Grindhouse Trailer Classics 3

Nucleus Films continue their mission to educate the masses on the concept of the grindhouse subgenre. Go purchase.

/ November 30, 2011

Rabies

The central story is drowned in subplot after subplot, red herrings running amok to the point of frustration.

/ November 22, 2011

The Human Centipede 2

Laurence R. Harvey turns in an excellent performance, but there is no escaping the knowledge of a rapidly hashed idea.

/ November 19, 2011

Snowtown

A truly effective film that will stay with you long after the credits roll; to have achieved this in a debut is quite remarkable.

/ November 18, 2011

Straw Dogs (1971)

This 40th anniversary edition, hosting a plethora of extras, is surely one of the year's most essential releases.

/ November 10, 2011

Straw Dogs (2011)

The dumbing down of the violence to tiresome torture porn, robs it of its parallel to David Sumner's psychological shift.

/ November 3, 2011

Evil Things

On the whole achieves its aim of imitating amateur home video, as director Dominic Perez steers the ship to a solid finale.

/ November 3, 2011

The Awakening

The raison d'être is ludicrous and sewn up in minutes, but the cast is very good, as is the cinematography and symbolism.

/ October 28, 2011

Season of the Witch

B-movie fluff at best, dull at worst, and not a patch on the films it tries to emulate. Fortunately, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

/ October 27, 2011

The Rig

The Rig fails to capitalise on any initial potential and becomes more tedious with every dragging minute of screen time.

/ October 26, 2011

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Not quite as funny as you’d expect if you have seen the shorts, the film plays it straight.

/ October 24, 2011

Cannibal

Occasionally inspiring, often harrowing and depressing, the film throughout is artistic, engaging and intriguing.

/ October 15, 2011

The Woman

An interesting statement on misogyny, albeit subtle as a sledgehammer — but then, this is from Lucky McKee and Jack Ketchum.

/ October 14, 2011

Buried Alive

A required watch for fans of Frank Darabont, creator of The Walking Dead, if only to see what a difference 20 years can make.

/ October 13, 2011

Death Bell

Believes itself brutal, when in reality a small number of strong images are tied loosely together with a basic story.

/ October 10, 2011

Evil Rising

The script really is slow, with nothing remotely interesting happening until the final few minutes. But what an ending.

/ October 10, 2011

Red State

A disappointing film with a script that is too basic for any kind of social commentary Kevin Smith may have been aiming for.

/ September 16, 2011

The Silent House

Florencia Colucci is superb, easily shouldering the film. Also impressive is some genuine creepiness courtesy of clever lighting.

/ July 18, 2011

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated

Despite the odd flare of brilliance, the concept fails. For rabid collectors only.

/ May 31, 2011

The Rite

All a rather predictable outcome that doesn't offer anything we've not seen before, but Anthony Hopkins saves it.

/ May 30, 2011

I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

The cartoon violence on display here completely removes all sense of realism, shoving the film into torture porn territory.

/ May 28, 2011

Let Me In

The performances are faultless, but clumsy CGI removes the delicateness that had us so in love with the original.

/ May 27, 2011

Julia’s Eyes

A mixed bag and too ambitious for so early in a career, however Guillem Morales should be noted for the future.

/ May 20, 2011

5150 Elm’s Way

A confused affair that is a bizarre mishmash of clashing styles, with the barest of subplot revealed in just one line of dialogue.

/ May 19, 2011

7 Days

A masterpiece that will make the world sit up and take notice of what is the perfect portrayal of the psychology of a man.

/ May 1, 2011

Confessions

A cruel indictment on contemporary Japanese youth and their despondency, which unravels its cruel web satisfactorily.

/ April 30, 2011

Insidious

With huge jump scares and more subtle, creepy moments, this is a film which has mastered the whole spectrum of horror filmmaking.

/ April 29, 2011

Peeping Tom

A timeless and sublime masterpiece that presents an incredibly intelligent and moving picture of psychological struggle.

/ April 24, 2011

Attack the Block

Stands on its own two feet amongst the usual Brit comedy suspects, which is largely due to its cast of unknowns.

/ April 22, 2011

Wasting Away

This low-budget indie is a star turn, with a clever, funny script that shows life from the point of view of the zombie.

/ April 21, 2011