Category Archives: Rewatch

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Ross Birks

A prototypical sequel that not only expands on the original film but heightens it. It’s one of the few Universal horror sequels to actually adhere to the continuity – and casting – of the original film making it an essential … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Frankenstein (1931)

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Ross Birks

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 →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Ross Birks

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 →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Ross Birks

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween II (2009)

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Ross Birks

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween (2007)

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Ross Birks

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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Ross Birks

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this but it somehow seemed a lot cheaper and rougher than I remember this time around. Still, it’s a terrific course-correct that gets the series on sure footing after the muddled … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Ross Birks

I’ve grown to love this movie for all the ways it feels like a true successor to Carpenter’s Halloween and for all the ways it doesn’t. I like to imagine a world where this was a success and we got … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Ross Birks

Ghosts of Mars is similar to Prince of Darkness in that it serves up an encore of Carpenter’s favourite storytelling tropes; the Rio Bravo remixing, the siege, the horde of supernatural baddies, the stoic antihero and plenty more. But where … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998)

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Ross Birks

While often lumped in with John Carpenter’s late-career slew of misfires, Vampires actually gets a lot of things right. It’s fun to see him finally indulge in the explicit Western iconography and tropes he had flirted with for his entire … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Rewatch | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment