Movie, 1961 A film which one could dismiss as daft and frivolous, were it not for some jaw dropping ‘of its time’ racism, preserved across the decades in the playing and portrayal of Chinese people. There are some fairly decent scenes here and there. A film in which life is cheap and ‘Orientals’ are pitched in cruel contrast and are shown as savagely inferior to … Continue reading “The Terror of the Tongs”, directed by Anthony Bushell
Movie, 1959 Horror in glorious, gaudy colour, in which the plot and any suspense is demystified almost from the off, leaving space for some pretty sadistic, well directed gore, in which there’s a pleasing mix of cruelty, inevitability, melodrama and ghastly deeds which are every bit as unseen as they are visible. In a film of this vintage and manners, there are still a couple … Continue reading “Horrors of the Black Museum”, directed by Arthur Crabtree
Movie, 1960 B-movie and British chiller-thriller, and a story of a poltergeist, infidelity, drunkenness, revenge and tragedy. While tame by any standards, this is an enjoyable film with some good atmosphere generated by moody shots, gloomy interiors and pleasingly over-the-top music. Hardly a classic, but effective and entertaining into the bargain, with an engagingly quirky premise and an opening which portrays a culture of living … Continue reading “The House in Marsh Road”, directed by Montgomery Tully
Movie, 1967 British character actors struggle to create suspense, with limited props in a science-fiction horror set on a remote, over-heating island. A film which could be worse, though which could be a lot, lot better, with a miscast here, an impenetrable character there, not meshing as well as they do in similar genre pictures. Even the plot, which should be key, is lost under … Continue reading “Night of the Big Heat,” directed Terence Fisher
Movie, 2016 A film full of stunning visuals and great ideas, which takes too many opportunities to show as much. A film, then, in dire need of an editor. The overall feeling of confusion may, in fact, be a result of there being too many themes, tropes and plot lines, which build and dilute any central thrust at the film’s core. But still, horror and … Continue reading “A Cure for Wellness,” directed by Gore Verbinski
Novel, 2017 Psychological thriller and something of a page-turner, which is largely effective, although very reliant on cliffhangers and a little prone to giving too many hints and clues which dampen subsequent would-be plot revelations. Some of the characters, too, could be a little more developed. But still, some good ideas in a book which packs action and incident enough for a screen adaptation. Doubtless, … Continue reading “In a Cottage in a Wood,” by Cass Green
Movie, 2018 Horror about a global infection which induces suicide and decimates civilisation. A gripping film which draws the viewer in, even though many of its set ups, tropes and twists are almost laughably predictable. Maybe mixing powerful scenes within a well-trodden narrative was intentional. I imagine my slight reservations about the obvious plot are informed around having seen many similar narratives. Besides, the effective … Continue reading “Bird Box”, directed by Susanne Bier
Movie, 2017 Enthralling horror film which manages to combine some really cheesy tropes with the odd jolt and some strong, powerful themes. As such, serious issues around race and identity are raised within a puff of an entertainment, which is no mean feat. There are, too, a number of surprises and plot twists which may be fairly easy for horror fans to spot, but which … Continue reading “Get Out”, directed by Jordan Peele
Movie, 2016 Thriller horror about the abduction of three teenagers by a multiple-personality crank played with some gusto by James McAvoy. A well paced film with some interesting photography and composition, dogged by an all-too predictable back story retold in the mind of the main character, and some pretty exploitative schlock which at times, borders on misogyny. Not great overall, but not bad. The acting … Continue reading "Split", directed by M Night Shyamalan
Movie, 2011 A film which, once it finally gets going, is tense and questioning. For much of the early section, however, the story about a couple grieving and escaping from a miscarriage is a bit of a plod, which never then really ties up with the rest of the narrative. When the set ups half way through the movie start paying off, things get much … Continue reading "Retreat," directed by Carl Tibbets
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