Duel

Steven Speilberg so shone in this hour of glory and brilliance with the twisted cat-and-mouse tale that made me swear I will never mess with truck drivers again. Maybe not what most would consider a horror film, but it sure scares me. A working man (played by wonderfully talkative Dennis Weaver, R.I.P) is on his way to the salt mines when he suddenly finds himself the target of a truck driver's sick little game. Action-packed and thrill-filled, this is definately one for any DVD collection. And make sure to look for an accidental cameo by Speilberg himself (you can see him in a pane of glass with the camera.) Now now, he was just starting out! (***1/2 out of ****)

The Wicker Man

In this extremely overrated cult favorite, Edward Woodward plays the devote Christian police officer investigating the disaperence of a young girl. His search leads him to a pagen cult inhabiting a sceneic coastal town. The citizen's carefree, hedonistic escapades are of stark contrast to Woodward's Bible- thumping lifestyle. They gallop about devoid of clothing, freak dance in rowdy bars and keep roaches on leashes in desks (I'm not making that up, I swear). With deeper investigation, he sees the cult is much more sinister than their flower-child facde. A fab-o performance from P.I.M.P Woodward saves this from the lowest rating, but the film as a whole still ceases to impress. Cinefantastique states this movie as being "the 'Citizen Kane' of horror films". LIES!!!! (*1/2 out of ****)

Phantasm

Fun campy horror film with a Sci-Twist. Angus Scrimm is "The Tall Man", a creepy gangly guy complete with sharp spheres to b-slap the oblivious and the strength of Superman!! When a young boy finds himself the witness to the Tall Man's sinister plans, you've got yourself a good old-fashioned showdown. Cheesey? Yes. Silly? Of course, but still lots of fun. Watch with the lights off and pray to God this guy isn't behind you-



(**1/2 out of ****)

Ghost Ship

Think "The Amityville Horror" on the high seas. So bad it begs the question, "what were they thinking?"-



(* out of ****)

Deep Red

Another film from Dario Argento, this is a very psychological movie, throwing unexpected twists and unpredictable turns. Although too much talking and time between scares may be a little disapointing to you, and the cutesiness of Daria Nicolodi can be somewhat nerve-gratting. And while it lacks the colorful atmosphere of "Suspiria", it certainately keeps a tense, unsettling enviornment and is a very unique and creepy film. I can't really tell you the plot line since I'm afraid I'll ruin it for you, but I can tell you if psychological horror is your thing, this is right up your alley. And the last few minutes just creeped me the heck out. AKA "Profondo Rosso" (*** out of ****)

Demons

Random people walking the streets get handed tickets to a movie theater for a late- night film. Soon people become infected with a virus turning them into zombies, while the innocent ones are trapped inside. Violent, dark and somewhat ridiculous, it's 88 minutes of throat-ripping, head-tearing, stomach-impaling, growth-bursting, eye-gouging, helicopter-crashing, pimp-slaying madness. By no means a classic, or one you'll hardly remember, but if you're up at 3:00 suffering from insomnia, you could do worse. Produced by Dario Argento and directed by Lamberto Bava. AKA "Dèmoni". (** out of ****)

Candyman

Set in the ghetto of Chicago, this intense horror film took me totally by surprise with it's quality. After a couple murders have happened without a suspect, people begin to believe "the Candyman", a supernatural killer with a bloody-stump-hook-hand and a voice deeper than a league is responsible for the grusome murders. When an a rich, ivy league student is writing a thesis on urban legends, she interviews believers in the Candyman's power. While through the process she brushes it off as silly folklore, she learns that there's more to the story than she thought. So many creepy visuals will stay with you long after it's ended. NOT for the squemish, but right up your ally if you like blood and quality scares. Oh yeah, don't watch this right before bed. I, um, learned that the hard way. (*** out of ****)

Darkness

Following in the masterful shoes of "Suspiria", I'm almost ashamed to give this pathetic film room on my blog. Yet another ridiculous supernatural film about a haunted house and all the usual clichés that come with them. Just reviewing this was a waste of time, but what can I say, I'm bored. (minus ******* out of ****)

Suspiria

From the genius mind of legendary Italian horror director Dario Argento comes "Suspiria", taking you well beyond the average slasher flick and into a gruesome art form. A young American dancer travels from New York to a conservatory to study ballet. She arrives late on a rainy night,and unable to get in, stays the night elsewhere. Much to her fortune, she missed being the target of a cold-blooded killer. Unlike any horror film you will ever see, "Suspiria" mixes macabre death sequences with vibrant colors, "Kubrick-esque" camera shots and one of the most chilling musical scores in cinema, it's reputed as being a "terrifying acid trip", and since I have never been on an acid trip myself, I'll have to take their word for it. (**** out of ****)