GhoulieJoe

‘St. John’s Wort’: It’s the Cure for What Ails You

Japanese movie, AKA Otogiriso. Nami (Megumi Okina), a video game designer, has just inherited a mansion from her late father, whom she never knew. Wanting to check out her new place (and get some game ideas), she and her ex-boyfriend/fellow designer Kohei (Yôichirô Saitô) head over there. What they don’t know is that the houseContinue reading “‘St. John’s Wort’: It’s the Cure for What Ails You”

‘Spider Baby’: Mid-’60s Grindhouse

The Merrye family is exhibiting some odd behavior—the Merrye Syndrome, which is an age regression so far back it goes prenatal, at least psychologically, which apparently leads to “savagery and cannibalism.” The last of the bunch are teenagers Virginia (Jill Banner) and Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn) and their older brother Ralph (Sid Haig). They haven’t yetContinue reading “‘Spider Baby’: Mid-’60s Grindhouse”

‘Soul Survivors’: Creepy, but Not in a Good Way

Cassie (Melissa Sagemiller) is a college student plagued by the ghost of her dead boyfriend Sean (Casey Affleck), whom she accidentally killed in a car accident. She also continuously hallucinates two guys in masks who keep trying to kill her—and occasionally succeed. Her friends Matt (Wes Bentley) and Annie (Eliza Dushku) don’t believe her, butContinue reading “‘Soul Survivors’: Creepy, but Not in a Good Way”

‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’: Made by Disney, So Naturally, it’s Terrifying

Young kids Will (Vidal Peterson) and Jim (Shawn Carson) are always looking for an adventure. They get more than they bargained for when an evil circus rolls into town. As they do. Proprietor Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce) grants wishes, but in a monkey’s paw-type way, for example giving an elderly school teacher the chance toContinue reading “‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’: Made by Disney, So Naturally, it’s Terrifying”

‘Sleeping with the Enemy’: Still a Good Solid (Creepy) Movie

Laura (Julia Roberts) is married to Martin (Patrick Bergin), a batterer. She knows if she runs away he’ll find her, so she fakes her own death by pretending to drown and starts a new life in a small town far away. Her next-door neighbor Ben (Kevin Anderson) helps her learn to trust and love safely,Continue reading “‘Sleeping with the Enemy’: Still a Good Solid (Creepy) Movie”

‘Scream and Scream Again’: Confusing but Fun

U.K.-based American International film. Multiple storylines include: serial killings of young women, cop on the trail Superintendent Bellaver (Alfred Marks), officers Griffin (Julian Holloway) and Helen (Judy Bloom), forensic technician Dr. Sorel (Christopher Matthews), evil guys Konratz (Marshall Jones) and Dr. Browning (Vincent Price), and a jogger in hospital who’s slowly losing his limbs. EventuallyContinue reading “‘Scream and Scream Again’: Confusing but Fun”

‘Rumpelstiltskin’: So Bad, it’s…Just Bad

Rumpelstiltskin (Max Grodénchik) is a goblin-type guy in the 1400s wanting to trick people into letting him grant them wishes so he can claim their first-born babies. The local villagers are less than pleased with his conduct and hunt him down, and a witch turns him into a statue. Flash-forward to present-day LA, when housewifeContinue reading “‘Rumpelstiltskin’: So Bad, it’s…Just Bad”

The Ruins: Give Plants a Chance!

College student Amy (Jena Malone), her boyfriend Jeff (Jonathan Tucker), Eric (Shawn Ashmore), and his girlfriend Stacy (Laura Ramsey) are on vacation in Mexico when they meet friendly Mathias (Joe Anderson), who invites them to join him on a trip to a Mayan temple that his brother is exploring. Once there, they discover the MayanContinue reading “The Ruins: Give Plants a Chance!”

Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rope’: Murder! Wit! More Gay Coloring Than You Can Shake a Stick at!

Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger) kill their acquaintance David (Dick Hogan) because they want to test their theory that “Moral concepts of right and wrong don’t hold for the intellectually superior.” Phillip immediately regrets it, while Brandon is “tremendously exhilarated” (that’s ‘40s talk for orgasmic). They then proceed to throw the body inContinue reading “Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rope’: Murder! Wit! More Gay Coloring Than You Can Shake a Stick at!”

‘The Rite’: Heavy-handed, but Delivered in a Creepy and Thoughtful Wrapping

Michael (Colin O’Donoghue) is a seminary student who is starting to wonder if he really wants to be a priest. Since the Church recently decided it wants an exorcist for every diocese, Michael is sent to exorcism school in Rome. He meets reporter Angelina (Alice Braga) and Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), a funny old guyContinue reading “‘The Rite’: Heavy-handed, but Delivered in a Creepy and Thoughtful Wrapping”