“A terrifying love story” about the romantic relationship between ventriloquist/magician Corky (Anthony Hopkins) and his ventriloquist dummy Fats—er, I mean with former high school friend Peggy Ann (Ann-Margret). Corky, poised on the verge of his own variety show and thus instant fame, flips out over the requirement of taking a medical exam (probably because itContinue reading “1978’s ‘Magic’: Nightmare Fuel!”
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‘Mad Monster Party?’: Primitive Graphics and Simple Jokes, but Still Amusing
1967 movie made by Rankin and Bass, the guys behind those old claymation Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer movies. Baron von Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) has just invented “the means to destroy matter.” He wants to hold a conference to tell his monster buddies about his discovery and also that he’s retiring and leaving his secrets toContinue reading “‘Mad Monster Party?’: Primitive Graphics and Simple Jokes, but Still Amusing”
‘Mad Love’: Pleasantly Not Racist for the 1930s
Not to be confused with the 1995 film of the same name. Yvonne (Frances Drake) is a Grand Guignol-type actress; her adoring husband Stephen (Colin Clive) is a famous pianist. She is also admired by Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre), a surgeon famous for performing difficult transplants, who is desperate to have her to himself. SheContinue reading “‘Mad Love’: Pleasantly Not Racist for the 1930s”
1989’s ‘Little Monsters’ is Pretty Creepy for PG
Brian (Fred Savage) is a young boy with a peculiar problem; he’s getting in trouble with his parents because Maurice (Howie Mandel), a monster, is stealing things and making messes, and Brian is getting blamed for it. Brian traps him, looking for an explanation, and they become friends. Maurice brings Brian to his world, whereContinue reading “1989’s ‘Little Monsters’ is Pretty Creepy for PG”
‘The Legend of Bloody Mary’ is Somewhat Unremarkable
Ryan (Paul Preiss) is having nightmares about a monster coming to get him; he’s been having them since his sister Amy (Rachel Taylor) disappeared six years before. Seems she was playing the game Bloody Mary (writing her name on a mirror and calling the ghost of Mary Worth) and apparently lost. Meanwhile, Ryan’s acquaintance FatherContinue reading “‘The Legend of Bloody Mary’ is Somewhat Unremarkable”
Ridley Scott’s ‘Legend’ is Dazzling and Gosh-Darn Unsettling
In a fairy tale land of yore, the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) plans to rid the mortal world of light so he can rule. Standing in his way are the unicorns, whose purity can withstand his evil. He fetches himself a unicorn horn, thus bringing darkness and turning the mortal world to ice. HeContinue reading “Ridley Scott’s ‘Legend’ is Dazzling and Gosh-Darn Unsettling”
‘The Last Exorcism’: Great Performances and Some Creepy Stuff
Shot found footage style, and is presented as a documentary. Cotton (Patrick Fabian) is a faith healer who performs exorcisms. After realizing how exploitative exorcisms have become, he decides to film how he fakes exorcisms to discourage the performance of them. His faithful crew members Iris (Iris Bahr) and Daniel (Adam Grimes) accompany him toContinue reading “‘The Last Exorcism’: Great Performances and Some Creepy Stuff”
‘The Langoliers’: *Siiiigh*
Ten passengers on a plane awake from a nap to find that everyone else—including the pilot—has disappeared. Fortunately the captain apparently put the plane on autopilot before vanishing, and Brian the off-duty pilot (David Morse) is onboard. Besides Brian, there’s British spy Nick (Mark Lindsay Chapman), schoolteacher Laurel (Patricia Wettig), blind psychic kid Dinah (KateContinue reading “‘The Langoliers’: *Siiiigh*”
‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’: ‘The Blob’, but with Clowns
Mike (Grant Cramer) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) are two young people in love. Their evening at a make-out spot is interrupted by, as the title suggests, killer clowns from outer space. The clowns’ game is kidnapping people, wrapping them in cotton candy cocoons, and drinking their essence with a silly straw. Har dee har har.Continue reading “‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’: ‘The Blob’, but with Clowns”
‘Jeepers Creepers’: Eerie, Yet Ludicrous
Darry (Justin Long) and his sister Trish (Gina Philips) are driving home from college when they’re menaced by a guy driving a big truck. They later see the same guy dump what looks to be a body in a drainpipe. Darry has the brilliant idea of looking to see what’s down there. He finds aContinue reading “‘Jeepers Creepers’: Eerie, Yet Ludicrous”
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