Darko's Recently Viewed Diary

My Bloody Valentibe (original) - perhaps the second most effective of the holiday themed slashers. The decision to cast adults who play adults is one if the films most interesting aspect, there's no teens in danger here and as such it's easier to invest in the characters. Rather than simply utilise cheap for the film instead prefers to spend much of the running time building a sense if opposing tension. The kills are infrequent but grisly and far more memorable than one would expect. Harry may not be the most motivated of killers but he had more presence than most and swings a mean pick axe. As far as slasher films go Ny Bloody Valentine is a cut above and deserving of a far better reputation than it has.

Zoombeavers - far better than it has any right to be, it's a horror comedy that succeeds at being both funny and with good gore. At only 71 minutes it really could do with a few extra minutes and its a sin that Bill Burr has do little screen time. Still for a film about zombie beavers it's a damn enjoyable film with genuinely likeable characters and some of the most adorable villains you're ever likely to see.

Under the Bed - an effective low budget horror that feels like a throwback to the 80s and deals with some weighty themes. The FX work is sparingly used but very well done and the creature itself can be read as manifestation of the sense loss which is at the heart of the film. There's a few missteps along the way but its expertly directed and offers something a little different.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever - more yucks than shocks or scares this is the kind if over the top, anything goes sequel that favors spilling every possible bodily fluid over all else. It's a gross and unapologetically nasty little sequel that sadly never really gets into gear. To West directed but the producers fired him in post and it shows, there's a real lack of cohesion to the film and never seems to be able to settle down into its groove. Still for easy to watch nonsense it's not half bad.

Saint - a fun 80s inspired slasher homage that never quite achieves the sense of fun it so wants. The kills are good and the killer is great but much if the action occurs off screen and the ending is a little abrupt.

Slashers - a decent pie budget horror satire that could do with an edit and some better actors. The set up is great and you could easily believe it occurring in real life but the Slashers aren't all that creepy and there's some rather dodgy deaths. Still there's a sense of fun to it and the one take shooting style is well used.

Trailer Park of Terror - a gun zombie hillbilly romp that's just the right duds of tongue in cheek. Good FX work, inventive kills and likeable characters help it standout from the crowd. It's not a great film by any stretch but at times all you want us something fun.

Riding the Bullet - another Mick Garris directed King adaptation and it's one if the odder efforts. The story is all over the place and it really would work better as a short but there's some incentive imagery and performances are good.

Intruders - one if those frustrating genre films which squanders a brilliant set up. There's a lot of tension created but the ending wastes it on a conclusions that doesn't make much sense and is far too conventional for what has can't before.

Wolfcop - A enjoyable slice of B movie nonsense with a great dumb set up and plenty of fun moments. It's the kind of old fashioned 80s trash you'd expect to see debut on VHS and there's a certain rustic charm to it all.

Child's Play - A fun slice of 80s horror with one of genre cinemas most infamous villains. Brad Dourif is great as Chucky and there's a certain mean spirited feel to the film that makes for a nice change of pace.

Suck - the best rock musical horror comedy ever made. It's one of the most enjoyable and fun genre films I've seen in many a year with great musical numbers, good performances, fantastic cameos and wonderful use of stop motion. It's the kind of gem that you wish they'd make more of.

Zombie Apocalypse - A dull and generic zombie film that features a plot so familiar that you know exactly how everything is going to play out. A few decent actors are wasted on the sub par material and the films best idea, a zombie tiger would work a lot better if it hadn't been created using mid 80s technology.

This is the End - One of the most enjoyable comedies in many a year as well as being fun and rather inventive horror. It's childish, dumb as hell and a whole lot of fun. The kind of unassuming thing you throw on and just go with.

Oculus - One of the best horrors of the past few years, a creepy and genuinely unnerving genre picture that's more concerned with building a sense of foreboding than it is cheap jumps. There's more wit and imagination in play here that in pretty much the rest of the years genre fare put together and it's one that I'm looking forward to revisiting down the line.

Frankenstein's Army - A great set up and some inspired creature designs help this stand out a little. The story is nonsense and never really gets going and the found footage aspect suffers due to a lock of consistency. Still it's a lot better than most recent FF fare and there's some nice ideas in play.

Knights of Badassdom - A hell of a lot of fun with some rather wonderful moments. It's the kind of horror comedy fare that's more deserving of a wide release than most. The biggest issue is that it's not the version that Joe Lynch wanted us to see and it's obvious that a lot has been sacrificed, there's a neutered fell to much of the film that leaves you anxious to see the film as intended.

You're Next - Last year's A Horrible Way to Die from writer Simon Barrett and Director Adam Wingard was an exceptional piece of work that stands as not just one of the best genre films of the past decade but, a damn fine film that put pretty much every big screen release to shame. Wingard and Barrett further collaborated on the wonderfully witty short Q is for Quack from last years ABC's of Death, as well as entries from both V/H/S and it's sequel. And now, their latest feature length horror opus, You're Next, has received a wide mid-week release, something which is almost unheard of for anything other than a 200 million dollar CGI infused blockbuster and as such expectations are high with many claiming that You’re Next is a game changer, a film that was revolutionizing the horror genre as we know.

From the start it's only fair to point out You’re Next is not a game changer, nor is it a film which will drastically alter the horror landscape, and that is not a criticism of the film. Hyperbolic statements such as those do little more than create expectation in the viewer and it's unfair to saddle any film with such expectation.

You're Next tells the story of Paul Davison, his medicated wife Aubrey and their dysfunctional, grown up kids and significant others coming together to celebrate Paul and Aubrey's 35th weeding anniversary. As one expects, things are far from cosy and it's not long before old rivalries and childish squabbles are reignited. Things come to head during a particularly heated family dinner when just as things are about to explode the not so quiet tranquility of this family gathering is shattered by a crossbow bolt, followed swiftly by the introduction of a gang of murderous, animal mask wearing party crashers.

You could be forgiven for reading the above plot description and assuming that You’re Next is yet another in the seemingly never ending line of home invasion slashers and while there's nothing striking original in the set up, You’re Next manages to be one of the most satisfying entries in the genre to date.

Wingard and Barrett playfully toy with genre conventions and expectations in such a refreshing and impressive manner that nothing here feels stale. Even the pre-credits death, one of horrors most generic and tired conventions is playfully mocked in a manner which defies expectations. There's a visual punch and a symmetry between imagery and sound that creates some genuine tension in these opening moments. The closest comparison one could make is to the infamous opening death in Scream, only You’re Next manages to surpass it both stylistically and inventively.

The manner in which viewer expectations are toyed with in You’re Next is perhaps the films ace in the hole. The opening invites us to sit back and enjoy a familiar ride but once the mayhem kicks in You’re Next takes the path less traveled. Genre expectations and the rule book are thrown out the window and the mid film twist is a thing of beauty that few will see coming. Thanks to the smart script and assured direction the transition from slasher flick to revenge thriller never feels jarring. It feels like a natural progression for the genre and one that opens up a whole host of possibilities that the film gleefully embraces.

One of the films more striking aspects is the score, which is highly reminiscent of many 80s genre classics, most noticeably the work of John Carpenter. It's deeply unsettling and adds a real sense of foreboding to the film. It works as both an homage to the films Wingard and Barret so clearly love as well as welcome change from the more heavy metal orientated scores of modern horror. The use of this old school synth score is perfectly offset by the repeated use of the wonderfully toe tipping and upbeat Looking for the Magic by Mind the Gap, a song that would feel more at home during the final moments of an episode of Gossip Girl than in a traditional horror film. The juxtaposition of such an infectiously happy, pop number with such unrelentingly grim violence is a stroke of genius on the filmmakers part and perfect highlight the streak of dark humour running throughout the film.

You’re Next is the perfect balance of horror and fun and manages to craft a truly unnerve sense of dread throughout. This is not some generic, sanitised teen friendly horror but rather a superbly acted, brutally violent and unrelenting ride with a number of truly inventive and memorable kills. It's a messy, messy ride that once our villains appear rarely stops for breath and has so much fun subverting audience expectations that one can't help but fall in love with they mayhem. Genre fans owe it to themselves to experience You're Next and everyone would be a fool to miss what is by far, the cinematic highlight of the summer.

Dracula - This adaptation from 1979 is one of the better versions with a damn good Dracula and a game cast having a lot of fun. There's some gorgeous imagery and a few nice changes to the material but it still feels a little too familiar though that's not so much a criticism of the film.

Detention - One of my favorite films from the past few years. An insane, balls to the wall ridiculous slice of genre heaven that involves everything from time travel, a intergalactic traveling bear, aliens, an axe wielding serial killer and more genuine charm and with than you'll find anywhere else. it's a truly unique film that should be a must watch for everyone.

The Locals - A nice spin on a generic and familiar set up help elevate this low budget New Zealand horror. The likeable leads and good twist make for a far more interesting film than you'd expect. Nothing ground breaking but certainly a lot of fun.

Dracula Untold - Utter garbage, one of the blandest and most generic retellings of the classic story that you are every likely to see. It's all played out like a superhero origins story and hasn't a single original idea or image, it lifts from pretty much every blockbuster of the past decade and comes across like a low rent syfy film of the week rip off. The final scene, sequel set is laughable and I really hope that the franchise just goes away.

28 Weeks Later - A sequel that strives to do something different and largely succeeds. It may be a little familiar in set up but it has a number of interesting ideas and the helicopter vs. zombies scene is one of the finest laugh out loud moments in horror history.

Friday the 13th: Part 2 - Saw this on the big screen and while it remains a generic paint by number slasher sequel there's a lot of charm to be found. The characters are likable, there's some inspired kills and there's an innocence to proceedings that rather nice.

Sightseers - One of the funniest films around, heartwarming, wonderfully demented and quaint it's very much a Midsummers Murders spin on Natural Born Killers. The violence is rather gross, murder is played for laughs and it's one of those little gems you know is destined for cult classic status.

Kill List - This remains one of the best low budget horror films ever made, a kitchen sink The Wicker Man that's dark, unrelentingly grim and creates a real sense of foreboding. This is a film all about atmosphere and it's a masterclass in how to create tension which builds throughout the film before exploding during the final scene which is one of the most terrifying in cinema.

Cheap Thrills - Cheap Thrills may not be a film familiar to most; it’s a low budget, shot in 14 days genre picture that, sadly, went direct to disc in most countries. As such, it’s easy to overlook it as you flip through the new releases but to ignore Cheap Thrills would mean depriving yourself of what is by far the best film of the past year. It’s a skillfully put together feature that’s thought provoking, deliciously dark and twisted and far smarter than it has any right to be. It’s a psychological roller coaster of a ride which invites you to peer into the rabbit hole of depravity before sucking you down and making you complicit in a number of unsavory and questionable actions.

Cheap Thrills tells the age old story of just how far an ordinary man will go in order to provide for his family. With an eviction notice posted to his door and his boss after letting him go, Craig decideds to drown his sorrows in a dive bar when he meets Vince, an old friend who he hasn’t seen in quite some time. As these two unlikely companions get reacquainted they make the acquaintance of Colin and his trophy wife Violet, a couple who aren’t afraid to splash the cash around. Colin and Violet are out celebrating Violet’s birthday and are looking for something a little less ordinary. It begins small, with Colin daring his new found friends to drink a shot quickly or slap a strippers ass, but as the night grows darker so do the deeds and events quickly spiral out of control.

As the night’s events take a turn for the darker, director E.L. Katz wonderfully deconstructs the American dream. In this world the rich use their wealth to exploit those without. The film works as a startling statement on how the working poor are little more than playthings to the rich. Cheap Thrills is at its heart a film about the class struggle and Katz uses it to make a number of bold statements about inequality in America as well as the plight of the working class. It’s refreshing to find a genre picture which has something to say beyond needless gratuitousness. It is thanks to the satirical streak which runs thorough the film that Cheap Thrills is just so damn entertaining.

The acting performances in Cheap Thrills are superb all around and, if the Oscars genuinely recognized all film and not just cookie cutter Hollywood fare, then both Ethan Embry and Pat Healy would be in serious consideration. Healy perfectly captures the desperation of a decent man who willingly gives up his innocence and humanity in order to do right by those he loves. There is a moment toward the end where Craig butchers himself for the sake of a few grand and Healy’s reaction is just mesmerizing; a masterclass in acting that is worth the price of admission alone. Vince is the much less sympathetic character but Embry is just exceptional in the role. He brings a quiet humanity and empathy to the character and, honestly, it’s hard to say just which performance is better. Both actors are absolutely brilliant and manage to effectively play a number of contradictory emotions at once.

Cheap Thrills is this year’s finest release; a mischievous, visceral, bloody, adult morality tale which wonderfully defies expectation and features a number of wonderful touches, most impressively of all the manner in which Katz plays with the colour palette as Craig and Vince sink deeper into depravity. Simply put, Cheap Thrills is by far the best release of 2014. It’s the rare film that perfectly walks the tightrope between horror and comedy and while it features gross, gratuitous gore, it never feels there simply for the sake of it. Cheap Thrills is just an exceptional piece of cinema and one that any serious film fan needs to track down.

The Mist - Watched in Black and White as Darabont intended and The Mist is even more terrifying. It's a 50s creature feature only far smarter, scarier and fun than anything for that period. The ending is one of the most dour and downbeat and easily betters the book. That this was dumped straight to DVD is a sin as it's one of the past decades best films/

Identity - A great set up and some good kills elevates this generic slasher fare out of it's late night made for cable feel. The cast are are good and obviously having fun but the film runs out of steam well before the end. Still taken for what it is, a shockly piece of genre cinema it's not half bad.


Deliver Us From Evil - One of those inspired by a true story horrors that seems to be more interested with lifting the best bits out of a dozen genre classics. Eric Bana is way too good for this bargain basement late 90s nonsense that seems to want to say something about the subject of faith and evil but continuously gets bogged down in trying to recreate the look of Se7en.

Resident Evil: Retribution - After the fun of Afterlife, Retribution starts off with a brilliant slow motion sequence that the film never comes close to matching. The story is nonsense and doesn't make a lick of sense, the action is shoddy and would be at home in a 90s Roddy Piper film and the FX work is seriously lacking. The film also manages to squander a talented cast with dialogue so poor you assume a child wrote it.

The Purge: Anarchy - The Purge was another in the seemingly never ending line of generic home-invasion thrillers only with the added fun of some dystopian sci-fi thrown in for good measure. It was a rather stilted, dull and not exactly thrilling film that squandered a great set up. The Purge: Anarchy is everything the original should have been.

Anarchy keeps the set up and politics and actually does something with them. Much like Aliens significantly upped the ante, writer/director James DeMonaco takes a leaf out of Cameron's book and allows his sequel to play out on a much grander scale. Whereas the original took place almost entirely in one location, Anarchy has an entire city against which to unleash mayhem.

Following a group of strangers come together with the simple goal of getting from A to B, Anarchy is very much a stripped down B movie of yesteryear. It's pretty much The Warriors or any number of cheap and cheerful Corman productions but with some genuinely brilliant ideas in play. DeMonaco's script is jam packed with great ideas and explores a number of adult and interesting themes and issues. From the futuristic Black Panthers to the high society who pay to hunt the lower classes to the government sponsored death squads, there's a lot more going here than first appears and there's a real sense that we are following our heroes as they stumble from one exploitation film to the next.

Best of all the film never gets bogged down in trying to shove a message down the viewers throat. Simplicity is the name of the game here and there's never a sense that we are being preached to. Instead DeMonaco suggests much but never forgets that we're here for the mayhem and not the message. Visually the film is at times breathtaking and features some genuinely beautiful and haunting imagery. An early shot of a grizzled looking Frank Grillo cruising the city as a burning bus rolls down the road behind him is amongst last years most stunning compositions.

At the end of the day, The Purge: Anarchy is never going to set the world on fire. It's at heart a B movie, the like of which they don't make any more but it also explores some interesting themes and issues while never being anything less than fun. After the first Purge I would have been happy to see the proposed franchise not get up off the ground but Anarchy is so good that I can't wait to see where DeMonaco takes us next. Hopefully at least one of the proposed sequels will follow Michael K. Williams character aswell as bring back Grillo who would make one hell of a Punisher. In fact, it's quite easy to watch The Purge: Anarchy and recognise it as the best Punisher film we've ever seen.

Also nice to see the homeless guy from part one return and save the day.

The Crow: City of Angels - May not technically be a horror film but all the elements are here, it's just a shame that the whole thing comes across as a shoddy, shot on the cheap rip off of the original. Featuring one of cinema's most miscast leading men, City of Angels is a dull, vapid and generic looking film whose sole redeeming element is the presence of Ian Dury having a little fun. Everything else here is so bland that you'll have trouble remembering what happened 5 minutes ago. It's the cinematic equivalent of the dirty water one has left after doing the washing up.

Citizen X - This made for HBO TV film is one of the best serial killer dramas ever assembled. Based on a true story it's a dark and unrelentingly grim tale of one of history most prolific killers. Focusing on the politics of power in Russia at the time it's an intelligent and adult drama that stands head and shoulders above most big screen fare.

Greatful Dead - One of the oddest, most demented and ridiculous genre films that I have seen in a long time. It's another in the never ending line of Japanese films where torture, death and sex all come together in an eye watering barrage of escalating nonsense. As a film it's like the bastard off spring of Takashi miike and Shion Sono and every bit as wtf? as you'd expect.

Wyrmwood - An enjoyable slice of down under hookum that looks and feels like a throw back to the Ozploitation of old. It's cheap as hell, dumb as they come and it never quite comes together but given it's low budget there's a lot to admire here. The cast are decent, the practical FX work is good though the CGI is dreadful and way over used giving the whole thing a late 90s, shot on the fly look.

Tokyo Gore School - A missed opportunity if ever there was one. The central idea is ripe for exploration and in the hands of a more skilled film maker could lead to a number of interesting questions and themes being explored. Sadly, this seems more interested in stringing out proceedings as much as possible. For a film so titled, there's a surprisingly lack of gore on display, there's no memorable moment that sticks in the mind like is to be found in Tokyo Gore Police or Machine Girl, instead what we get is cheap looking FX that never really stands out.

Bloodsucking Bastards - A great set up but it never really reaches the levels of manic insanity that's needed. Much of the acting, particularly early on is broad and falls flat and there's a lot of forced gags which never really go any where. The action when it comes is decent but much of the film takes place against rather woeful looking greenscreen and is quite distracting as simply shooting it practically would have been much easier.

Bloodsucking Bastards isn't a bad film, nor is it the classic many make it out to be. It's a pretty average low budget genre film that delivers a little of what it promises and doesn't outstay its welcome.


Tremors - Not sure if this qualifies as horror but a few consider it one so who am I to argue. One of those fondly remembered monster films of my youth that still stands up, funny and sweet in equal measure with two great leads that seem more like a couple than than friends. The old school FX are great and have a presence that CGI can never match.

Repo Men - One of those films that I recall being far better than it is. Appearing at the same time as Repo the Genetic Opera and covering many of the same themes and story beats but without the wit or ingenuity of its competitor. Repo Men has more than a few good ideas in play but it seems unsure as what to do with them, the plot is old hat at this stage and if you can't see every twist coming ten minutes before it happens then I must congratulate you on having seen your first film.

Law and Whitaker are good and play well off of one another but most of the rest of the cast are wasted, though Liev Schreiber is great as the sleazy boss who'll do anything to close a sale.

Visually the film is a treat, featuring as it does a number of inventive and fun moments such as the rather brilliant scene in which Law and Braga engage in some odd sex during which they scan the barcodes inside their gaping wounds.

A hallway fight right out of Old Boy also impresses as it's played more for comical affect than anything else and as such it feels less like a poor imitation and more like a tongue in cheek piss take.

Repo Men isn't a bad film, it's just a rather mundane one that never does much with such a great set up. It's perfect for killing an evening with but you'll struggle to recall much of it the next day.

It Follows -

Visually one of the most vivid and vibrant shot horrors to come along in years, the use of the camera as a character is wonderfully implemented and coupled with the superb score by Disasterpeace marks It Follows as one of the more interesting genre films around.

The setup is simple, like all great horrors it feels like something ripped from a nightmare and has a underlying sense of dread that is palpable. The film is at it's best when slowly building tension and the repeated wide shots of the characters alone are well handled though there is a sense that the film is over directed. Repeated pans feel a little bland and unnecessary, especially when they come across as being there simply for the sake of showing off.

It Follows is one of those films which suffers due to unfair expectations it simply can't meet. It's a film that's all about atmosphere and does so very well but it's not quite the game changer many claim.

Split Second -

Nowhere near as good as the film I recall. A dark and drab creature feature without much of a creature and far too much time spent on our lead being rugged and mysterious. Dialogue is poor, the story feels like someone edited down a much longer film and the action is all rather cheap and uninteresting. The Creature FX is excellent, though it does feel like an Alien rip off and it's sadly not seen near as much as it should.

While not a dreadful film, Split Second is very much a missed opportunity. Overlong and not all that interesting.

Vampire Wars - One of the blandest and least interesting anime films I have seen in a very long time. The story is woeful and the dubbing (only option on DVD) is a shambles. Vampire Wars is cheap, it looks and sounds like an afterthought and seems to mistake gratuitous violence as being adult.

Gun Woman - An enjoyable slice of sleazy b movie trash with a plot that can only really be described as ludicrous. Gun Woman is the king of film that they really don't make any more, an unashamedly cheap and cheerful slice of genre cinema that manages to pay homage to a number of genre classics and yet never feel like empty fan service. This isn't a film that will be celebrated or one that will stay with you for long after the credits roll but while it lasts it's an enjoyable diversion that kills 80 minutes and is one of those films that really needs to be seen to be believed.

It's October which means that once again I do 31 Days of Fright.

Elfie Hopkins - It really is a shame that Jamie Winstone inherited some of her father's looks but none of his talent. Her lead performance in Elfie Hopkins is one which will define the term "wooden" for years to come. And she's not alone, the rest of the cast are equally inept though Rupert Evens does seem to be having fun which is more than can be said for the audience. The script is poor and feels like a whimsical British take on The Burbs but with none of the wit or charm. About the only memorable part of this truly disastrous mistake of a film is a rather strange cameo from Ray Winstone during which he adopts an accent has to be heard to be believed.

Late Phases - A genuinely great werewolf film that places the emphasis not on FX work or gore but rather on character building and atmosphere. Nick Damici is great in the lead role but even with the old man make up still looks far too young for the character. The supporting cast including Tom Noonan is game and well served by a script that is smart and fun. A real slow burner, this is one of those great horrors where it all comes together in the end for a tense and thrilling finale that plays out perfectly.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) - An interesting take on the remake formula, this meta horror uses the original as the foundation upon which to build a fun if at times a little too familiar slasher film. Performances are good though it's easy enough to guess who the killer is and the gore is nasty in that manner which so many horrors lack. It's not a great film but it's far better than it has any right to be.

Film number 4 of 31 Frights was a rewatch.

The Incident (aka Asylum Blackout) - A dark and moody horror that's all about the atmosphere and in that regard The Incident is a hit. Dark and foreboding, this is a film which makes great use of a striking setting and while the characters who inhabit it may be a little stock, the performances are strong enough to carry the film.

Rupert Evans who you may recall from the first Hellboy takes center stage and his experience is one which the film hinges upon. It's a rather uncomfortable trip through the dark with repeated images of grotesque violence and one of the most startling implications of rape that cinema has produced in a long time.

This is a film which strives to be something more than a simple genre piece and that it largely succeeds is a credit to the script and direction though ambiguous ending may leave many feeling a little cheated.

Film number 5 of 31 Frights is the first from the far East.

Higanjima - It's surprising that Higanjima hasn't already been remade as a summer blockbuster as at heart it's a film made for 15 year old boys. Full of over the top blood shed and barely taking the time to slow down between set pieces this is the kind of genre film that just goes with the flow and never lets things like logic or common sense get in the way.

Melodramatic to a fault, there's more teenage angst on display here than you can keep track of and at times you're not sure what's the more violent, the scenes of claret spraying everywhere or the manner in which our heroes let their emotions be known through repeated scenes of teary eyed whining. Out hero is so over wrought with emotion that he even takes time mid fight to mourn over a friend of his who not 30 seconds earlier was about to kill him.

And yet, Higanjima is never less than entertaining. The barrage of over the top action is fun and the finale, featuring CGI straight out of a PS2 game is the kind of gleeful nonsense that we could do with more of. This is a film that will never set the world on fire and could easily lose 20 minutes, yet I really hope that the teased at sequel is a thing as I'd happily spend 120 more minutes on Vampire Island, just give me less emoting and more tearing of flesh.

Film 6 of 31 Frights was a genre classic.

Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell - Made alongside 3 other sci-fi horrors to cash in on the recent success of Godzilla, Goke is one of the more interesting and out there Japanese genre pictures of the 60s. The dreamlike sense to the film creates an interesting dynamic and the use of cheap FX gives the whole thing a kitsch quality that is rather comforting. The opening scenes are the kind of over the top nonsense that you hope to see more often and the subsequent "big" set piece is amongst the cheapest ever put on screen and yet it works wonderfully in creating a deeply unsettling mood.

Goke is a deliriously demented picture with an emphasis on building suspense through visuals and theme rather than gore. The hookey effects work and cast who are all game work brilliantly together and while the film has little to say on any grand scale, it's incredibly fun and the apocalyptic ending is one of cinemas most striking.

Arachnid - A creature feature so familiar that you can tell how it's going to play out from the second the cast are introduced. The opening scene ranks up there amongst the most unusual and bonkers that you are ever likely to see. An invisible alien space ship creates a tornado in the middle of the ocean, sucking up whales and what not before an American stealth plane crashes into it causing both to crash land on a tropical island. On the ground our pilot stumbles across and alien from that looks like it's cut and pasted in from an early PS1 title before it swiftly gets devoured by a large spider like creature.

From here things get a little more mundane and we follow a group of fodder into the jungle in search of the spiders which have paralysed some random nobody. The fodder is made up of the usual bunch of over the top scientists, gung-ho ex-soldiers and the plucky female lead who gets her top off within the first 30 minutes.

Directed by Jack Sholder who gave us the genre classic The Hidden aswell as A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, expectaions are rather higher for Arachnid that other similar creature features. Coupled with the rather great box art cover one can't help but expect rater good things but alas Arachnid is another in the never ending line of cheap creature features that does nothing of note. The FX ranges from the passable to the downright dreadful and the plastic nature of the giant spider makes it hard to take in any way seriously. There's no suspense or tension to speak of and the cast, some of whom come off really well are saddled with dreadful dialogue that no one could make work.

Arachnid is the most banal kind of creature feature, there's not a single original idea to be found here and it doesn't even work as a good bad film, it's just a poor film that really has no reason to exist.

Interview with the Vampire - One of those revered genre films which really doesn't add up to much. The Gothic horror that it so aspires to is sadly absent from this rather dull and lifeless vampire tale which squanders a great cast and some interesting visuals on a story that never really goes anywhere. Pitt and Cruise are both on top form and Cruise in particular is having a blast and the supporting cast is made up of some game familiar faces though whoever thought that Stephen Rea was a good choice really should be forced to endure his truly dreadful performance on repeat for eternity. He seems to be in a totally different film to the rest of the cast, that the film seems to be a production by The Asylum tells you all you need to know.

There's so much promise here but Jordan seems lost and unsure of the story he wants to tell. What at first appears to be a love story between men throughout the ages is quickly forgotten in order to tell the story of a father and his rather annoying little child who someone really should have ended long before. As soon as Cruise leaves the film it grinds to a halt and while attempts are made to resurrect it, the entire Paris set final third feels like it's been ripped out of a much longer film and just feels tacked on.

The final scene sets up a sequel which could actually be far more fun that the preceding two hours were as it has a sense of fun to it that the rest of the film is sadly lacking.

Fright number 9

Livid - A gothic horror fairy tale that plays out like a stream of conscience or a half remembered dream. The striking imagery and startling violence creates a genuinely unsettling tone but it's never quite sure what to do with them. Jumping wildly from one genre niche to the next there are elements of a hundred films evident here and while the ever changing tone means that it's impossible to know what will happen next it also gives the film a wildly disjointed tone where none of the elements ever really come together.

Still I'd take a film as adventurously playful as this over pretty much any horror released over the past few years, Livid may never reach the giddy heights of terror intended but it makes for incredibly satisfying cinema and features some of the most lurid and memorable imagery in quite some time.

Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz -The original Outpost is one of those great little genre films which works due to the atmosphere and mood created through startling visuals and a script which realises that the less you show the more horrific it can be, the sequel like all great follow ups took the set up and upped the ante creating a different film yet retaining the sense of fun of the first. Part 3 unfortunate does no such thing and instead attempts to tell the origin to it all, only it does so in such a dull and banal manner that it's hard to care.

Shot with that cheap digital sheen that so many direct to disc sequels favor, Rise of the Spetsnaz feels less like an Outpost film than it does a generic war film that somebody accidentally edited together with some rather boring Nazi Zombie footage. There's a number of striking and memorable moments here but they're lost amongst the shuffle. Far too much of the film is devoted to our heroes running down corridors or through woods. There's not a whole lot going on and at 80 minutes or so feels at least 40 too many.

It's hard to really care about anything here, it's just so formulaic and goes through the motions in a most uninteresting of manner.

Tremors 5 - A far better sequel than it has any right to be and one of the few films to ever make Jamie Kennedy tolerable. The fifth or sixth if you count the TV series, in a franchise that few ever expected to be quite so successful, Tremors 5 is the kind of dumb fun that's perfect for a drunken Friday night post pub watch.

From Beyond - Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Dennis Paoli, Barbara Crampton and the truly sublime Jefrrey Combs re-team once again to tell a tale of Lovecraftian horror that never quite reaches the giddy heights of their earlier collaboration.

The story is fun and it's obvious that all involved are treating with just the right amount of tongue in cheek though Ken Foree seems to have stumbled in from a very different film and gives a performance that feels like a diluted Terry Crewes from Brooklyn 99. He hams it up but just can't get the tone right which is a shame given how game he is and how well suited the rest of the cast are. Combs is once again that star and has a likability that is infectious, even as he devours frontal lobes he's never less than good fun and the film suffers when it puts the emphasis on other characters.

From Beyond is very much a relic from the 80s, it's from a time where practical FX were king and here the film shines. There's a playful nature to the FX work that gives it a timeless feel and even now, almost 30 years later it looks great.

From Beyond is no Re-Animator but it's damn good fun though is one which is best watched in your teen years.

Sometimes They Come Back - A poignant and eerie Stephen King adaptation that succeeds not through excessive gore and violence but rather the poignant and eerie tone which is established. The story is King at his most humane, a tale of an adult haunted by the mistakes of the past and stuck in an almost perpetual state of inflection. Matheson embodies the role perfectly, the melancholic nature of his character works well to create empathy and make him incredibly likable.

As this is made for TV, it has a somewhat episodic feel which undermines much of the tension throughout. The time frame is a little hard to decipher and you feel that this is one of those tales which would work so much better with a bigger budget and more room to breath. The rushed ending is muddled and it's not quite clear what is happening and for why.

Still, this remains superior King, no quite up there with the like of The Mist but far superior to a lot of the tosh that has his name attached.

Fear Clinic - Considering the talent involved it's hard to believe just how generic and familiar Fear Clinic is, the story is a mess with no idea of just what it wants to say and as a result, the game cast can't do much to muster up a whole lot of enthusiasm.

The story or what passes for one involves Robert Englund's fear doctor helping the survivors of a shooting cope with the aftermath. The shooting itself is never really delved into and feels like an after thought, which sadly isn't helped by the script which tries to place it at the very heart of the film but seems confused as to just what happened. Thomas Dekker's character is shown as both victim and gunman and what could be an interesting dynamic never goes anywhere. The rest of the story and writing is equally confused and the whole concept of Fear stalking it's victims is just poorly handled.

Most disappointing of all is the truly poor FX work which looks cheap and feels like it belongs in a high school production. There's no sense of menace or threat to any of it and more often than not it's more comical than anything else.

Fear Clinic started like as a web-series and should have been left there. As a feature it simply doesn't have enough going on to justify it's existence, it's a bland and boring film which is more likely to put you to sleep than anything else.

The Final Girls - A great set up that never really goes anywhere of interest, there's a number of knowing nods to the genre and a few inspired moments but for some reason the makers opted to create a PG-13 film which resulted in a neutered and safe film that is never able to properly pay homage. The lack of any blood or gore gives this the look and feel of a mid 00s horror and it's really is a shame as The Final Girls could have been far better.

Taken for what it is, this is a film which believes itself to be far funnier and intelligent than it is. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it doesn't make for great cinema and ends up just being good when it could so easily have been great.

Extinction - A dark and brooding apocalyptic film with two good performances from the lead and an foreboding atmosphere that is infectious. The story is familiar but rather than hinder it helps. A lot goes unsaid and the viewer is left to draw their own conclusions which is a brave and interesting way to tell the story.

The real star here though is the cinematography, obviously shot on a set the film looks gorgeous and the fairy tale look gives it a unique fell. There's a number of sumptuous visuals and some truly great moments, disorientating the evolved zombies with some classic rock is great fun and gives the film a light touch so few ever manage.

Cooties - The rarest of things, a horror comedy that's actually funny. Cooties from writer Leigh Whannell is a good old fashioned slice of gore where the laughs come thick and fast with Whannell being the stand out performance. He's by far the funniest character on stage and the film suffers a little when he's not being inappropriate and taking center stage.

Cooties isn't a classic but it's a lot of fun and one of those films where it's obvious that all involved had a blast making it and it actually shows on screen. There's also something incredibly fun about watching kids go mad and murder all that moves aswell as a reassuring feeling when the horrible bullies are killed in a gloriously over the top manner.

Hellbenders - Very much a film which strived to do so much but was held back but budgetary constraints. Hellbenders is wickedly dark and funny horror comedy about the apocalypse and the team of debauched exorcism priests tasked with dealing with the worst of the worst. When a film features one priest telling another to go and sodomise another you know that you're in for one hell of an interesting time.

Hellbenders has the feel of a film that should have been a big budgeted spectacle but due no doubt to the subject matter was made for the catering budget of Edge of Tomorrow and the like and at times suffers as a result. The big finale where the gates of hell are opened look and feels a little small but it has no real negative effect on the film for this is one more concerned with ideas than it is spectacle.

The cast are well game for this with Clancy Brown in particular being an absolute riot from start to finish. He gives the film his all and is obviously having a lot of fun shouting obscenities and acting depraved. The rest of the cast are equally up for it and it's refreshing to find a cast so game to debase themselves.

As the credits roll on Hellbenders you're left with a desperate need to see where the story goes next and in a just world we'd be seeing hundred million dollar blockbuster sequel but sadly it seems that this will be the only time we see The Augustine Interfaith Order of Hellbound Saints doing what they do, and you know what, it's rather glorious.

The Quiet Ones - Some good performances and an interesting set up make this far better than it has any right to be, but the muddled story, illogical leaps, no sense of time passing and an ending that is rushed and nonsensical drag it all down.

The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires - Utter nonsense of the more enjoyable kind with a game Peter Cushing hamming it up and having a blast. The combination of Hammer and Shaw Brothers' is a winning one though the script is rather lack-struck and the whole Dracula living in China for the past hundred years makes little sense considering that Van Helsing fought him in Europe not long before.

Deep Rising - A big dumb creature feature with the emphasis solely on having as much fun as possible. The script is full of one liners and nods to previous genre entries and at times the whole thing feels pretty much like Aliens only with the added addition of tentacles and that's not a bad thing.

The tongue in cheek humour works well and the FX stands up rather well for the most part, shots of the creature are rather 90s but the pimplier FX work such as faces cut in half look great.

Deep Rising isn't a deep or intelligent film and has no need to be. It's good dumb fun that is almost as much fun now as it was when first watched as a 13 year old.

Bone Tomahawk - Bone Tomahawk is by far my favorite film of this past year and many before then.
A dark and brooding western that is one of the grimmest film I've ever seen and is pretty much The Searchers by way of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Cannibal Holocaust. It's incredibly visceral and nihilistic film and the violence is stomach churning but it never relishes in it, instead death and violence are grotesque acts that are over before they really begin. That my all time favorite actor, Kurt Russell is exceptional in the film helps and he really deserves award recognition for it. And yet it's Richard Jenkins character who has perhaps the most presence, he's adorable beyond belief and is the films real heart.

Count Yorga, Vampire - A film whose widely respected reputation makes no sense, that this began life as a porn film makes perfect sense given the standard of acting on display. Quarry is the only exception, he's obviously having fun with the role and giving it his all, though his more psychical scenes have an unfortunate comedic slant.

There's not a whole lot going on here and the story isn't exactly original but it is diverting fun and the kind of film you can pay little attention to while you go about your day.

Hotel Transylvania - A nice twist on some age old characters with a sense of playful humour that creates a likable if rather pedestrian film. Like a less Mad Monster Party, Hotel Transylvania is a distracting 90 minutes with a good voice cast and plenty of gags. It's big and dumb and all the better for it.

ParaNorman - Just as great the 100th time as it was the first time. It's a kids film that manages to be both beautifully haunting and fun at the same time. It's a lovingly crafted homage to the horror films of the past aswell as stop motion as a medium. Really cannot recommend it enough, it's just a joy to watch.

The Monster Squad - Featuring Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein's Monster and the Gill Man it's a delightfully fun kids film from a time in which death and scares weren't uncommon in films aimed at the under 12s. That it has such broad appeal, appealing as it does to both kids and adults alike is down to the truly superb screenplay by Fred Dekker and Shane Black.

It's pure unadulterated fun which is immensely rewatchble and features what is perhaps the definitive Dracula.

Suspiria - A brash and loud giallo that simply can't live up to expectation. Visually it's stunning with great use of color, in particular red which is sued throughout the film in a startling and atmospheric manner. Sound is used equally well with the store repeatedly drowning out all else to rather brilliant effect but the script and performances simply aren't up to it. The use of overdubbing robs the performances of any nuance which gives the film a rather generic sound. The script, written to be played by 12 year olds has a innocence and dream like quality that is interesting but when played by adults it comes across a little too odd.

Suspiria is one of those films that comes with so much expectation that it would be impossible to meet them. It's not a great film but it is an interesting and unique one and a film which tries to do something different.

Fear City - Another Abel Fererra film that looks great but is let down by a lack-struck script that tells a generic story that we've seen time and again. The cast are good and the insight into a now forgotten New York is fascinating but at the best of it, Fear City is little more than a by the book serial killer film which we see on procedural TV every night of the week

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Some decent sight gags but overall a rather poor film that never really musters up much in the way of anything original. The cast are fun and the smutty tone suits the film but it never quite gels and the mix of horror and comedy just doesn't work.

Hellions - One of those off kilter horror films that's a joy from start to finish. Smart and inventive this is the kind of inventive genre film that we could do with more of, understated and adult thanks to the themes it explores and not due to excessive gore, Hellions is a gem in the rough.

The Hound of the Baskervilles - Hammer horrors take on the Sherlock novel is one of the better adaptations, rich in atmosphere and dread the film works thanks to how straight it plays everything. With gorgeous scenery and Hammer's trademark style, this is a treat from start to finish.

The Ninth Gate - One of the dullest and most uninteresting films about opening the gates of hell that one is likely to come across. Depp sleepwalks his way through the poor excuse for a script that strives to be deep and dark but is instead dull and boring.

Hotel Transylvania 2 - A fun and slight animated comedy that's far more fun than it has any right to be. It's easy to watch trash that won't make you think and is all the better for it.

Fairy Tale Killer - One of those boring thrillers that people seem to think is far more worthy given that that it's in a foreign language. Over long, boring and with a script that's bland as hell, Fairy Tale Killer is waste of time.

Revenge: A Love Story - A dark and brooding crime thriller that features some of the most startling acts of violence in many a year. The nihilistic nature of the film makes it hard to warm to but it's a powerful and adult piece that will have you winching and shocking in equal measure.

The Return of the Living Dead - A fun horror comedy that plays everything with a knowing wink. The script is more concerned with raising laughs than it is the undead and it takes great strives to get one of the leads out of her clothes as soon as possible and then keep her out of them. The Return of the Living Dead is very much an 80s feature, cheap and cheerful and with a punk rock score that works win it's favor.

The Old Dark House - One of those films that is celebrated by aficionados of the genre but is in reality very much a product of it's time and not all that good. It looks great but the story is slight and there's a real sense that not a whole lot happens. Not a bad film or anything, just a rather familiar one.

Southbound - A horror anthology that works due simply to the fact that each segment feeds into the next, the ongoing narrative allows the film to feel like an actual feature length horror and not just a collection of shorts. The gore is great, the story strong and there's some genuinely good ideas in play.

The Beyond - Very much a relic of it's period this gore filled caper takes a simple premise and makes the most out of out. The gore is great and there's a rather infectious sense of dread that is well handled and results in a great wtf? ending. The final scene is beautifully haunting and feels like it's been taken from a far more somber and mature film. The real stand out here, apart from the gore is the atmospheric score that infuses everything with a rich and unnerving feel.

Zombie Holocaust - The kind of cheap and cheesy 80s horror nonsense that you can't help but be entertained by. This is the kind of film in which a mannequin is thrown off of a roof top and when it hits the ground the limbs bounce off, the kind of film where tattoos are drawn on in lipstick and where logic is thrown out the window. And it's all the better for it. The gore is decent, the acting non existent and everything is feels and looks like it's been lifted from somewhere else. Zimbi Holocaust is far from a good film but that doesn't make it a bad one.

The Voices - A pitch black comedy that deals with issues such as mental health in an adult and shocking manner. Reynolds is genuinely great here giving a brave performance that never feels trite or cliched. He plays the role perfectly, never crossing over into camp or going full on crazy and it's the underrated nature of the performance that really resonates.

The rest of the film never quite reaches the same levels, The Voices is a bold and at times shocking film but the finale feels like an afterthought and some of the supporting performances are a little underwhelming. Still the film manages to explore mental health in an intelligent manner that never strays into melodrama or excess. What we get is a story about a damaged individual who just wants to live his life but obstacles such as a cat who pushes our lead to kill derail all attempts to live a normal live.

The Voices may fall apart toward the end but the journey there is fantastic and this is one of those rare films destined for deserved cult status.

The Darkest Hour - The kind of god awful trash that makes you think that the producers are in possession of incriminating material against all involved. This atrocious mess of a film is cheap as hell, sure it looks good but when your aliens are invisible it's easy to do so, though you do wish that they kept them that way for the entire film given that when we do see the creatures natural form they resemble something out of an early PS1 title.

The Darkest Hour is a bad film, there's no redeeming qualities to be found here. The script is an afterthought and the sequel setting finale is insulting, seriously, if you are going to try and set up a sequel then don't spend the previous 90 minutes boring the audience. Even the cast are bored, you'll find better performances in any day time soap and the less said for the set pieces the better. Yes, The Darkest Hour is hands down a dreadful waste of time, squandering a good cast and behind the scenes talent who really should know better. The Darkest Hour is not the one found on screen but rather the one where someone decided to spend tens of millions of dollars on this dross.

Extraterrestrial - It's pretty much every other young people go to party in the woods but discover something far more threatening, but this time with the inclusion of aliens rather than some inbred killer. The FX work is top notch and features some genuinely stunning moments though like so many low budget affairs, acting and story take a back seat to spectacle.

There's a lot of potential evident here and while the film never quite manages to be all that it can there's a real sense of bravado to what unfolds building to one of the more interesting finales in quite some time. This isn't a film destined for cult status but for those open to something a little different there's a lot to like here.

Night of the Living Deb - An enjoyable low budget horror comedy that relives far too heavily on cheap one liners at its detriment. From director Kyle Rankin, Night of the Living Deb is a far better film that one would expect, yes the comedy may be strained at times but it's never less than fun and the lead performance from Maria Thayer is the films most impressive aspect. Thayer plays Deb as full on nuts and it's with such wild abandon that much of the film works, her post one night stand nuttiness is a thing of joy and her ability to be so chipper when faced with the death of everyone in her town is a treat.

When the film falters is the budget, this is a low budget film and much of it feels that way. The zombie attacks are decent if uninventive and the whole thing looks rather cheap. The finale features a couple of rather nice FX sequences but they only highlight how cheap everything else is.

Night of the Living Deb isn't the new Shaun of the Dead but taken on it's own merits, it's an enjoyable slice of low budget comedy horror that doesn't take itself too seriously and the game cast help elevate it far beyond the limitations of it's budget.

Genocide - A mid 60s Japanese creature feature that succeeds thanks to it's low key efforts in creating a dark and foreboding atmosphere rather than simply going down the route of giant monsters attacking. That the creatures are kept normal size actually adds to the overall sense of dread, and while it's all utter nonsense there is a certain attempt at realism.

FX work is what you would expect, performances are acceptable and the script does try to do some interesting things even if the budget can't quite stretch to what they makers wanted. Genocide is very much a product of its time and as such it needs to be approached with the right mind frame. Go in looking for big spectacle and you'll be disappointed but go in with the hopes of a smart and small tale of foreboding and you'll be richly rewarded

Dream Home - Dream Home is one of the most demented, dark and down right ugly films to come along in quite some time. This depraved and at times vile slasher film may on the surface appear to be a throw back to the Cat 3 genre films of early to mid 90s Hong Kong cinema but there's an intelligence beneath the surface that many will gloss over. Dream Home is a satirical black comedy about the lengths some people will go to be home owners. Most skimp and save but for Cheng Lai this isn't enough given that the whole world seems against her and in an acto of desperation Cheng Lai, decides that the best way to bring down real estate prices is through good old fashioned murder.

Told in a fractured narrative, Dream Home is likely to offend most. This is after all a film that features scenes such as a pregnant woman being smothered, a man having his intestines drop onto the floor, a penise being removed mid sex and that's just the tip of the ice berg. Yes, Dream Home is a splatter fans dream 90s minutes but it's also got enough going on to appeal to anyone looking for something a little different. Much of the comedy is of the darkest variety and some of the social commentary is laid on a little too heavy but taken for what it is, Dream Home is one of the smartest gross out horror films in a long time.

RoboGeisha - From the minds that brought you Machine Girl, Zombie Ass: The Toilet of the Dead and the rather damn brilliant Karate-Robo Zaborgar comes RoboGeisha, the kind of over the top nonsense that you can't help but enjoy. Cheap as hell with FX work that would have looked dated a decade earlier RoboGeisha is the best film to ever feature machine gun breasts, ass swords and giant robots dropping a nuclear bomb into a volcano.

RoboGeisha is trash, of that there is no doubt and it's all the better for it. This is the kind of slightly offensive trash that we could do with more of.

The Mutilator - A by the numbers 80 slasher that manages to be far better than many of the genres more famous offerings. That the identity of the killer is known from the start lends things a rather off kilter feeling and actually contributes to the suspense rather than take away from it. The performances are adequate, it's shot with a lil artistic merit and best of all the gore is very well done, there's a grisly feel to the deaths that makes the film out from many of the decades more comedic offerings and each kill has a real sense of presence.

The Mutilator isn't a great film but it is a great example of the genre, dark and downbeat it's everything one wants from the genre and it's hard not to love a film that features a theme song that would feel more at home in a mid 80s sitcom than a film about a father killing his son.

Scanners - Very much a product of its time, Scanners is the closest that Cronenberg came to creating a mainstream sci-fi epic. Only it's clear from the very start that Scanners is a film hampered by the fact that they were making it up as they went along. The visual spectacle of the early head exploding moment has defined the film so it may come as a surprise to many just how subdued and subtle the film is. This is not a film of big moments but rather one where story drives it all, the violence when it occurs is harsh and swift and nobody walks away unscathed.

Scanners is good old fashioned fun whose low budgets origins do detract somewhat from the experience. Much of the dialogue appears to have been done in ADR and some of the performances are a little one note and trite. And yet Scanners is still a lot of fun, there's great gore, an inventive and fun story and the head exploding scene still stands up

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - A film evidently set up as the start of a franchise, only one that really never transcends beyond the heights of your average Saturday night Syfy film of the week. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the kind of fun idea dreamt up over one too many pints and never really manages to be anything other than a fun idea. The gore is rather bland, performances are unexceptional and the comedic moments rarely works, this is the very definition of middle of the road and as a film, only really sparkles when the dialogue is obviously lifted from the original Austen novel.

It's hard to write a whole lot about a film such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it's inoffensive and relatively easy to watch but one where you'll have forgotten it all before the end credits roll.

Highway to Hell - One of those late 80s curios that really deserves a far better reputation than it has. Cult as they come, Highway to Hell is one of the oddest and most down right fun genre pictures one is likely to see. The game cast, great fx work, inspired sight gags and a story that's just the right side of tongue in cheek mark it out as essential viewing for anyone who likes their cinema a little outside of the mainstream.

Helldriver - One of those films that is impossible to look at from a critical standpoint, given that the film falls down in pretty much area. The script is lacking, the FX work is plain bad, acting is non existent and yet the whole thing has a manic energy that makes it hard to dislike. At almost 2 hours, Helldriver is at least 40 minutes too long and for a film in which the credits don't appear till near the hour mark it's hard to know just what they were thinking. With a decent editor to cut the fat there's a chance that Helldriver could be an 80 minute gem but taken for what it is, it's 2 hours of madness that features a zombie plane, zombie car, excessive gore and a sense that anything goes.

He Never Died - One of those films that comes out of nowhere and blows everything else away, He Never Died is the kind of low key genre entry that puts pretty much all big budget fare to shame. Rollins is on fire here, he's in almost every frame of the film and it's all the better for it, he gives the performance of his life and leaves you hoping that he may be offered more leading roles.

It's hard to talk about He Never Died as it's one of those films that you can best enjoy knowing nothing of beforehand. The way the story untangles itself is masterful, there's an intelligence here that most low budget cinema would kill for.

Goosebumps - A far better film than it has any right to be though the presence of Jack Black does drag the film down somewhat. Black's decision to "act" and put on an accent are grating, especially when the accent drops every other line and his performances is the wrong side of broad, this isn't Black at his worst just Black at his most mundane and bland.

Thankfully the rest of the cast make up for him, they all bring just the right tongue in cheek game and give the film a real throw back 90s feel. But let's be honest here, no one is watching Goosebumps for the humans and generally the monsters are good with Slappy the dummy being the most effective. The rest of the monsters bar the giant Praying Mantis don't get a whole lot of screen time but they're still largely effective and I can easily see younger viewers getting a good scare here.

Edge of Sanity - A great premise is squandered in a film that looks and plays out like it was originally set to be a soft core porno. From the opening scene it's clear that Edge of Sanity is cheap titillation of the worst kind, gratuitous, over long and without an original idea in it's head, the film wastes a good performance from Perkins and the idea of Mr Hyde as Jack the Ripper. This is a film for those looking for cheap and nasty fare, for those with low expectations.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - One of the all time greats, a pitch perfect homage to the best of Hammer and Amicus with all the fun one would expect from Ardman. Featuring some of the best sight gags in cinema history, a great plot and some of the most developed characters and relationships in any film. Curse of the Were-Rabbit is that most unique of things, a genuinely brilliant film which deserves a place in every home. It's as close to a perfect film as you'll get.

We're Going to Eat You - Tsui Hark delivers a truly bonkers gonzo kung fu cannibal film with some great gore, some Cory Yuen choreographed kung fu and some of Hark's mad cap comedy. We're Going to Eat You is balls to the wall 90 minutes of utter insanity in which limbs are torn off, men are assaulted by a giant woman and blood sprays the screen at every opportunity. Yes, this is the kind of film that is best experienced, the story is utter nonsense and best ignored in favor of just sitting back and being swept up in the insanity.

Eaten Alive - A truly awful film that never manages to come close to living up to the lurid poster art. A good cast are wasted on awful material and the whole thing looks like it was shot on the cheap with a dirty lens that no one bothered to clean. With aesthetics of a 70s movie of the week and weak gore, Eaten Alive is a boring waste of time that is in no way deserving of its reputation.

Der Samurai - One of those great genre entries that comes out of nowhere and transcends genre. Der Samurai is a mystifiyingly beautiful film about repressed homosexuality framed in the mould of a revenge thriller. Tonally the film is all over the place and all the better for it, there's a fragmented dream like quality to the film that makes on think of a half remembered dream.

Der Samurai is a film best experienced cold, a film whose greatest pleasures lay in how the film unfolds. Full of symbolism and Lynchian moments, this is one of those films that deserves to be seen.

jh79

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - One of the all time greats, a pitch perfect homage to the best of Hammer and Amicus with all the fun one would expect from Ardman. Featuring some of the best sight gags in cinema history, a great plot and some of the most developed characters and relationships in any film. Curse of the Were-Rabbit is that most unique of things, a genuinely brilliant film which deserves a place in every home. It's as close to a perfect film as you'll get.

We're Going to Eat You - Tsui Hark delivers a truly bonkers gonzo kung fu cannibal film with some great gore, some Cory Yuen choreographed kung fu and some of Hark's mad cap comedy. We're Going to Eat You is balls to the wall 90 minutes of utter insanity in which limbs are torn off, men are assaulted by a giant woman and blood sprays the screen at every opportunity. Yes, this is the kind of film that is best experienced, the story is utter nonsense and best ignored in favor of just sitting back and being swept up in the insanity.

Eaten Alive - A truly awful film that never manages to come close to living up to the lurid poster art. A good cast are wasted on awful material and the whole thing looks like it was shot on the cheap with a dirty lens that no one bothered to clean. With aesthetics of a 70s movie of the week and weak gore, Eaten Alive is a boring waste of time that is in no way deserving of its reputation.

Der Samurai - One of those great genre entries that comes out of nowhere and transcends genre. Der Samurai is a mystifiyingly beautiful film about repressed homosexuality framed in the mould of a revenge thriller. Tonally the film is all over the place and all the better for it, there's a fragmented dream like quality to the film that makes on think of a half remembered dream.

Der Samurai is a film best experienced cold, a film whose greatest pleasures lay in how the film unfolds. Full of symbolism and Lynchian moments, this is one of those films that deserves to be seen.

Is that the Hooper or Lenzi Eaten Alive not that either are of any note