David Gordon Green’s Halloween Plays Tribute to a Perfect Slasher Film
The smartest decision behind Halloween 2018 is to treat it as a tribute rather than trying to equal Carpenter’s superlative work.
Arizona’s Killer Comedy Misses the Mark
Arizona has a killer concept for a killer comedy, but despite a promising opening it can’t execute what should’ve been cutting satire.
X-Ray (1981)
Spend long enough exploring any genre and you’re bound to hit the bottom of the barrel soon enough.
Happy Death Day (2017)
Happy Death Day is a welcome example of refreshingly unpretentious B-movie filmmaking from Blumhouse.
Halloween II (1981)
I find horror sequels endlessly fascinating. Specifically, I find first sequels passed off to a new director fascinating (not that I don’t have a soft spot for sequels like Evil Dead II or Hostel 2 made by the original director, or the gems that pop up late in a franchise like Jason Lives: Friday the…
Melbourne International Film Festival: Movie Roundup (Part 2 of 2)
Over at the 500 Club, Jesse Thompson and myself took a look at some films screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Sunday the 3rd of August. My lineup for the day included Journey to the West, Fish & Cat, We Are the Best! and The Immigrant. Read the roundup at The 500 Club.
Cheerleader Massacre (2003)
You know what you’re getting into when you watch a film with a title like Cheerleader Massacre. Bad acting is par for the course: the actors might look like the Days of Our Lives type, but their thespian ability falls short of even that mark. There’s no reason to be surprised by home-video quality cinematography…
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
After a fortnight of emotional, stirring pictures at the Brisbane International Film Festival, it seemed only fitting to return to the warm, blood-stained blanket of a dumb ‘80s slasher movie. My Bloody Valentine’s strongest elements aren’t particularly dumb. The setting of an industrial coal-mining town provides a welcome reprieve from the pretty, wealthy teenagers that…
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an immensely influential film; ever since that steel door swung closed, Leatherface’s hulking descendants have descended upon foolhardy teenagers venturing into the woods and cabins and campsites therein. If only its influence were more widely felt in modern horror, though! It’s a rare slasher that can boast sound design that…
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