The Colossus of New York (1958)

An atomic-age update of Frankenstein, 1958’s The Colossus of New York takes Mary Shelley’s concept of man resurrecting the dead and puts a 1950s spin on it. Directed by Eugène Lourié (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,) the film has some visual panache, but is hampered by a weak script andContinue Reading

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

One of the charms of the original Evil Dead franchise was its sense of humor. When the series was rebooted in 2013 with Evil Dead, the film was billed as the “most terrifying film you will ever experience.” That was never the aim of the original series, which was alwaysContinue Reading

V/H/S (2012)

If Creepshow‘s 40-plus-year-old version of a horror anthology feels too dated for your Halloween party, you might be tempted to try 2012’s V/H/S. This more up-to-date collection of six stories uses a found-footage angle to put a unique spin on the genre. The introductory story, “Tape 56,” concerns a gangContinue Reading

Creepshow (1982)

Inspired by the pulpy horror fiction of EC Comics, 1982’s Creepshow pairs director George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead) with first-time screenwriter Stephen King. If that combination of talent wasn’t enough to make a horror fan happy, make-up artist Tom Savini contributes his skills as well. King penned fiveContinue Reading

Pulse (2001)

When I chose to review Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 film, Pulse, I had no real idea what it was about. The title resonated because I had heard of a 2006 American remake. American remakes of Japanese horror films tend to remove most of the cultural elements that I find fascinating. ThisContinue Reading

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Prospective renters Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes,) are shown an old, elaborately-styled apartment that looks to be much too large for the two of them. They learn that the building’s past occupants have had quite a colorful history. Despite some reservations from close friends, theContinue Reading

Happy Death Day (2017)

After a night of partying, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up hungover on her birthday in Carter Davis’ (Israel Broussard) dorm room. Clearly embarrassed and agitated, she takes the walk of shame back to her sorority house hoping to put the previous night behind her. How could she possibly haveContinue Reading