I'm not a big horror fan. It's not one of my favorite genres. Too many movies end with a waterfall of very fake blood. Often, I find myself rooting for the evil monster or the ax-wheeling psychopath. And yet, cinema has created several horror masterpieces. Consider the original Nosferatu, The Bride of Frankenstein, and Night … Continue reading Horrible fun at Another Hole in the Head Film Festival
Category: Horror
Night of the Living Dead in 4K Blu-ray
I've never been a big fan of zombie movies. To me, zombies are just vampires without sex appeal. Yet Night of the Living Dead is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. There are others with bigger death counts, or ones dripping with more blood. Many are funnier – intentionally or not. But in … Continue reading Night of the Living Dead in 4K Blu-ray
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
What will likely shiver your bones on Halloween? It's not the fake tombstones. Or the recorded witch voice. And not even the children's dentist bills. The true terror will be the realization that at midnight, on Halloween, many movies will disappear from the Criterion Channel. Now that's scary! So here are some of the best … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
B Either a horror movie or a drama about horror moviesWritten by Prano Bailey-Bond, Anthony FletcherDirected by Prano Bailey-Bond This unique British film starts as a social drama about excessive violence in the movies. But as it goes along, it becomes a movie filled with excessive violence. The censor of the title, Enid (Niamh Algar), … Continue reading Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
I just discovered a small, hopefully frightening film festival happening over this weekend. I've also got some information about the upcoming Berlin & Beyond festival later this month. As I write this, I haven't yet seen a single film in either of these festivals. Horror over Zoom Over the last weekend, SF IndieFest scared us … Continue reading Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
Funny and scary movies
I'm expected to write about horror movies this time of year. But these days, real life is scary enough. So, I'm recommending a few horror comedies and some truly scary movies with a comic touch. Instead of listing the films best first, I'm listing them from the funniest to the scariest - my opinion, of … Continue reading Funny and scary movies
The Antenna: Horror of a totalitarian sort
A- political Horror Written and directed by Orçun Behram [NOTE: I posted this review on the assumption that The Antenna will be available via virtual cinema in the Bay Area October 2. That may not be happening.] I'm not a fan of gross-out flicks; especially the current, particularly gross stuff. But I liked The Antenna. … Continue reading The Antenna: Horror of a totalitarian sort
Carmilla: Sexy vampires of Olde England
B+ Gothic horror Written by Emily Harris, from a story by Sheridan Le Fanu Directed by Emily Harris I find vampires much more interesting than other supernatural creatures of horror fantasy. Unlike that other popular form of the living dead - zombies - vampires seem downright housebroken. They can treat you like an honored guest…until … Continue reading Carmilla: Sexy vampires of Olde England
Jewish Horror: The Golem on Blu-ray
To understand this hundred-year-old German/Jewish horror movie, you need to know a bit about the German Expressionist movement. The Golem: How He Came into the World was never intended to look realistic. Neither the acting, the makeup, nor the costumes were intended to recreate the medieval period of the setting. This expressionism allowed set designer Hans … Continue reading Jewish Horror: The Golem on Blu-ray
Fritz Lang and David Lynch: Saturday at BAMPFA
I spent Saturday at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), watching three movies I'd never seen before. Fritz Lang's Indian Epic The day started with two Fritz Lang action flicks, The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb. These are two movies the way Kill Bill are two movies. It's one story, with the … Continue reading Fritz Lang and David Lynch: Saturday at BAMPFA
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