clogsdon Reviews

Prince of Darkness (1987)

slow, good, creepy quasi-intellectual horror

[8/10 · 21 October 2005]

I know more than one person who watched this film, claimed immediately after that it wasn't very scary and then called me a few hours later telling me that they were freaked out.

Highlight: For me, the best concept in the film is the video-feed dream sequence. Oh man! It's creepy and exceedingly ominous and the shaky-cam newsreel quality gives it an extra punch.

The plot: You don't have to be a genius to understand what is going on in this film, but you do need to pay attention. The supernatural physics is a little nonsensical, of the "Popular science" variety, but the basic premise is explained in layman terms.

The characters: Actually, while the "science" is hocus-pocus, I really liked that the film's characters were mostly grad students. The actors do a great job of portraying annoyed, skeptical science grad students. Horror flicks are filled with numbskull undergrads, and it is nice to see the hidden sector of college life revealed in its nerdy glory.

The skinny: I'd describe it as a Biblical/Lovecraft horror film. It's got the whole "evil universe" theme running alongside an effective "Hell breaks loose" plot.

The Puppet Masters (1994)

What a stinker

[3/10 · 12 July 2005]

Problem #1: The chief problem with this film is its ridiculous screenplay. The film can't decide if it wants to be a mindless action flick or a character-driven sci-fi drama. So what you get is an alien invasion story where all the leads get "infected" by the aliens but are somehow saved by their friends while scores of infected extras get mowed down by machine-gun fire. If a lead character is infected, their buddies come up with all sorts of ways to peel the alien critter off, but if Farmer Joe comes running at them with a lug wrench, no one hesitates to pump him full of holes.

Problem #2: Richard Belzer is in this movie and he is given not a single funny line! SPOILER: When his character ices himself, I felt like it was Richard Belzer's way of saying, "This flick stinks, I'm outta here." Problem #3: The final, cliché helicopter action sequence. It seemed like it they filmed it for another movie or something and just tagged it onto the end of this one.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

I Dig this Flick

[9/10 · 31 October 2004]

People really some to either love or hate this film. I had a group of friends over last Halloween to watch it. Half of them were freaked out and the others were just puzzled. Most of the puzzled crowd didn't understand what was going on in the final frames, or were unable to suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy it. Too bad for them.

Sure, the film has weaknesses, but do yourself a favor and don't fixate on them. Instead, focus on the greatness of the film. The makers of The Blair Witch Project showed that you can make a great horror film with a couple of crummy cameras and a kick-butt classic ghost story.

If you have not seen it and are thinking going to, just make sure to pay attention to the details of the Blair Witch/Rustin Parr legend as they are laid out. Ignore the hype and just watch it alone with the lights out.

Ringu (1998)

Creepout

[12 October 2002]

While flipping thru the stations last night as I prepared to go to sleep, I found 'Ringu' on the local public access station. Undoubtedly it was broadcast in anticipation of the 2002 remake. Anyhow, I found this film to be a genuine creepfest with an ending that made my skin crawl. Admittedly, the plot had weaknesses and some of the concepts were a little goofy, but the kernel of the thing, the cursed video, was just dynamite. It recalled some early 20th century horror stories revolving around "The King in Yellow" - an obscure play so disturbing that it drove its readers mad.

My one complaint was with the image quality of the broadcast that i saw - I could have sworn that I was watching a 'cursed' broadcast - dim and grainy with often blown-out subtitles. I'll surely pick this up again on dvd sometime in the future.

Still, if you love picking up a few creepy films around halloween like I do, I'd recommend giving 'ringu' a try - particularly if you liked the Blair witch Project.

The Wicker Man (1973)

astounding atmoshpere - a totally unique film

[10/10 · 5 November 2001]

As a huge fan of the horror genre, I was astounded that I had never seen this brilliant film before this past weekend. Wow. The film reeks of atmosphere from the first scene. The acting is outstanding, the locations are a marvel and the premise is wonderfully bizarre. The plot is sinister and strange, a real joy even if the foreshadowing is a little too intense at times. fantastically demented! I have a whole new respect for Christopher Lee.

Did i mention that it's also a musical?!