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Author Archives: Ross Birks
Frankenstein (1931)
The Grandaddy. Not only the rosetta stone for so many horror tropes but also a touchstone for sci-fi cinema. The mix of gothic graveyards and cavernous castles with buzzing, lightning bolt lab-horror is thrilling and foundational, even today. James Whale … Continue reading
The Lure (2015)
I felt the same way watching The Lure as I did when I first saw a Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton movie. This is so clearly culled from a specific and singular imagination. It showcases an assured vision and is … Continue reading
Carnival of Souls (1962)
A low-budget vision of rural horror that, whether consciously or subconsciously, laid the groundwork for so many striking images in spook-cinema. The use of mundane backdrops and normality as oppressive force works wonders. This is organ music as existential nightmare … Continue reading
The Hidden (1987)
Ever since becoming a Kyle MacLachlan fanboy in my early teens, I’ve been desperate to see The Hidden. Its relatively hard-to-find status over here in the UK though meant that I was destined to wait for the beautiful new restoration … Continue reading
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
This has always been my favourite of the Nightmare sequels though I can see why it isn’t widely regarded as such. It’s easily the most 80s entry, with a soundtrack of bangers to boot, but it’s also the glossiest and … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Ken Sagoes, Kevin Yagher, Lisa Wilcox, Renny Harlin, Robert Englund, Tuseday Knight
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Halloween II (2009)
Rob Zombie takes total ownership of the Michael Myers mythos, tears at the threads of what is left of his characters from the previous movie and reduces them to tatters. This is a vivid study of people who go through … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Brad Dourif, Dannielle Harris, Malcolm McDowell, Rob Zombie, Scout Taylor Compton, Sheri Moon Zombie
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Halloween (2007)
You know, I used to really hate this movie for all the ways it deviated from Carpenter’s original. An hour-long Michael Myers origin story? BULLSHIT! More extreme sex and gore? BLASPHEMY! A mask-less, more defined Michael Myers? GET THE FUCK … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged 2007, Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Dee Wallace, Ken Foree, Malcoln McDowell, Rob Zombie, Sheri Moon Zombie, Tyler Mane
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Blood Diner (1987)
I guess when I read the title Blood Diner I imagined a slasher film set in a diner, like the movie Diner…with more blood. Instead what I got was a silly, 80s remix of Herschel Gordon Lewis’ seminal splatter-fest Blood … Continue reading
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
The first in a long run of Hellraiser sequels to originate from a completely unrelated spec script. As a result Pinhead and the cenobites begin to take a backseat, basically cropping up in teasing flashes before arriving in the last … Continue reading
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
Hellraiser: Bloodline essentially acts as a millennia-spanning origin story for the pesky lament configuration box that causes everyone so many problems. It starts on a space station in the future, rewinds into the 18th century before finally arriving at 1996. … Continue reading
"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 