Clik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Gate (1987), Stephen Dorff summons tiny demons in...
MY CALL: Good characters, a zany mix of special effects and scare gags, tiny demons, and decent writing make this a top pick among 80s PG-13 horror! MORE MOVIES LIKE The Gate: If you want another...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Unnamable 2: The Statement of Randolph Carter...
MY CALL: Definitely just for major fans of the original, from which this sequel continues directly. Just don’t expect the depth, seriousness or thoughtfulness of Lovecraft as this is more campy than...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Cargo (2017), an “okay” Australian zombie movie...
MY CALL: I’m sorry, but I expected much better from Netflix and far better from Martin Freeman. This film failed my interest. MOVIES LIKE Cargo: For more zombie films with heart, go for Return of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Wes Craven’s cannibal cult...
MY CALL: More historically interesting (regarding its impact on the genre) than scary, this classic simply feels dated, a tad hokey and less engaging than I’d prefer. But I still recognize its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Uninvited (1988; aka Killer Cat), an evil mutant...
MY CALL: This B-movie is for those of you who want to enjoy a few laughs watching victims get killed on by one by a wacky monster cat whose rules I don’t really understand. MORE MOVIES LIKE Uninvited:...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Black Roses (1988), Rock and Roll demons and killer...
MY CALL: This is more on the silly side of horror—but sometimes silly is exactly what we want. Complete with fun rubber demons, evil Muppets, gratuitous nudity and rock music-induced murder, this is a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Crucifixion (2017), Xavier Gens’ exorcism movie...
MY CALL: This is a well-made exorcism film featuring nothing we haven’t seen before and falling short of the desired and deserving atmospheric dread. But the jump scares are fun, it’s well edited and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Ghost Stories (2017), a horror anthology for beginners.
MY CALL: Basically, this is a well-made horror anthology for those not yet seasoned in gore or heavy terror. It’s pleasant, but the scares are mild and the dread has a low ceiling. MORE HORROR...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984), Wes Craven’s...
MY CALL: For lessons in horror film history, this film is a deserving classic. But for raw entertainment value, I’d instead turn you to the brutal remake and its sequel. MOVIES LIKE The Hills Have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Hills Have Eyes (2006), the shockingly brutal...
MY CALL: A close scene-by-scene remake (for the first hour) that brings a new level of brutality to the dated franchise, particularly in the last 30 minutes of goretastic mania as it deviates from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Good Manners (2017; As Boas Maneiras), a Disney-esque...
As you can see, the movie poster isn’t trying to hide anything. There’s no mystery nor spoiler in calling this a werewolf movie. MY CALL: Emotionally delicate and theatrically rich, this feels like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Boarding School (2018), an R-rated, young adult, dark...
MY CALL: There’s no way to describe this film without spoiling it. So, I’ll just say it’s a good yet weird horror film geared for audiences transitioning beyond PG-13… and it’s very unconventional....
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Malevolent (2018), an unimpressively formulaic Netflix...
MY CALL: Yeah, sorry. This just isn’t good. It’s… a passable way to spend a Sunday afternoon. But it’s flat writing and unoriginality leaves it difficult to recommend. MOVIES LIKE Malevolent: For more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: May the Devil Take You (2018; aka Sebelum Iblis...
MY CALL: Essentially, this is an Indonesian Evil Dead with plenty of Asian “hair horror” and magical curse motifs. It’s not as intense, gory or violent as I’d hoped, but it remained entertaining...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Mandy (2018), like a hallucinogenic graphic novel fever...
MY CALL: This is a hallucinatory headtrip of scintillating beauty and unsightly brutality. MOVIES LIKE Mandy: Hard to say… Perhaps Antichrist (2009) or Natural Born Killers (1994). Red (Nic Cage; Mom...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Hills Have Eyes II (2007), the brutal sequel...
MY CALL: Barely a worthy sequel to its 2006 predecessor, but entertaining nonetheless for fans of brutal, shocking, gory, disturbing cinema. And if you are, the opening scene alone is worth a blind...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Better Watch Out (2016), an easy-going home invasion...
MY CALL: This was a nice little thing to watch. It wasn’t sensational or particularly recommendable, but… it’s fine, it’s light and it’s fun. It also makes for an excellent horror movie for people who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (1981; aka, Rana: The...
MY CALL: Not even entertaining as a fun bad movie. Just a boring monster flick about an aquatic bigfoot with inordinate longevity. MOVIES LIKE Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell: For more amphibious fish...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), basically the...
MY CALL: Yes, it’s a classic. But if this movie was a beer, it would be called Texas Chainsaw LITE. Just take TCM and replace the dire sense of dread with a light feeling of menace. MOVIES LIKE The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John’s Horror Corner: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), a meta-sequel...
MY CALL: An engaging and fun movie experience introducing the younger generation to a slasher classic, but unable to deliver on its meta-sequel theme with an ending that falls flat. MOVIES LIKE The...
View Article