The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Very few films have been able to duplicate the claustrophobic intensity and dark humor of this horror masterpiece. One of the things I love most about this movie is how Tobe Hooper plays with your mind. It has the reputation for being one of the most graphically violent movies you could see, yet is virtually bloodless. Alot like Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". It's low budget adds to the realism, making you think you're watching a documentary other than a movie. Try, if you can, to get it on VHS. The quality isn't as good as a DVD, which makes it creepier! (**** out of ****)

George A. Romero's Land of the Dead

George Romero's fourth installment in his blockbuster horror cult series disappoints on so many levels. What started out as campy, tongue-in-cheek, rainy Friday night flick has turned into an over-budgeted, over-stylized, oversexed mess. The survivors of the attacks by living dead have contained themselves in a half poverty-stricken, half utopian new city. They've employed defense teams to keep the zombies out of their new wonderland. They've even got a mile-long tank/train doohickey equipped with missiles, machine guns, grenades, and, yes you guessed it, fireworks. But now the zombies are ticked. Why should they be shunned from the Marx-inspired paradise just because they get some cravings for flesh every now and then? It's not fair. So they decide to invade the city and show the humans who's boss. Although a humorous performance form Dennis Hopper and marvolous make-up effects from the legendary effects god Tom Savini, this falls far short of what it could have been. (*1/2 out of ****)

Recommendations- Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Zombie (Italian film, aka Zombi 2).

The Amityville Horror

The only mystery in this bomb is trying to figure out if Stuart Rosenberg was trying to make a quality horror film or an alternative for a sleeping pill. The story centers around the infamous haunted house and a family trying to figure out what the evil forces in their house want from them. James Brolin plays the sweaty, hairy Brawny man wannabe husband and Margot Kidder is the nerve-gratting , lipless wife. The only scary part of the film is a 70's, acid induced love scene between the two. Corney effects, cheesey blood floods, and horrific acting and directing make this one to avoid. Or like I said, if you can't sleep...... (* out of ****)

Recomendations- The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill, Poltergeist.