Emily (Renée Zellweger) is a social worker who comes into contact with Lilith (Jodelle Ferland), a ten-year-old girl who has been showing signs of neglect. Lilith’s parents clearly dislike her, and Emily eventually catches the two of them shoving Lilith in their oven. Emily gains custody of Lilith, who unfortunately is not as sweet andContinue reading “‘Case 39’ Isn’t Particularly Original, but Still Quite Enjoyable”
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1959’s ‘A Bucket of Blood’ Contains Neither Blood nor Buckets but is Still a Good Time
Directed by Roger Corman. Walter (Dick Miller) is a busboy at a beatnik coffeehouse with aspirations of doing something more. After accidentally killing a cat, he turns it into a sculpture and makes a splash (splatter?) in the art world. Unfortunately staying popular involves making more art, and Walter finds himself growing increasingly more vicious.Continue reading “1959’s ‘A Bucket of Blood’ Contains Neither Blood nor Buckets but is Still a Good Time”
‘Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2′ is a Pop Culture Bag o’ Fun (and Creepiness)
The movie picks up a couple of months after the first film left off. Supposedly, it’s a “fictionalized re-enactment of events that occurred after the release of The Blair Witch Project.” (I don’t think anybody bought that true-story stuff this time around, despite the actors once again using their real first names.) The Blair WitchContinue reading “‘Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2′ is a Pop Culture Bag o’ Fun (and Creepiness)”
‘Boogeyman’ (2005) is Safe for the Faint of Heart–and Easy on the Eyes
Tim (Barry Watson) is haunted by his past, figuratively and literally. He’s disturbed by memories like his dad (Charles Mesure) locking him in a closet, but he’s also bothered by the fact that his dad was killed by the boogeyman. (Kids! You never know what’s gonna set em off.) When his mother (Lucy Lawless) dies,Continue reading “‘Boogeyman’ (2005) is Safe for the Faint of Heart–and Easy on the Eyes”
Ernest R. Dickerson’s ‘Bones’ is Haunting and Gritty
Snoop Dogg is Jimmy Bones, who, back in the ‘70s, was his neighborhood godfather (or doggfather, as the case may be). He’s betrayed and killed in his home by his greedy business partner Jeremiah (Clifton Powell), drug dealer Eddie (Ricky Harris), and crooked cop Lupovich (Michael T. Weiss), while his girlfriend Pearl (Pam Grier) isContinue reading “Ernest R. Dickerson’s ‘Bones’ is Haunting and Gritty”
2001’s ‘Blood Moon’ (AKA ‘Wolf Girl’) is Sad but Satisfying
Tara (Victoria Sanchez) is a teenager in a traveling carnival show; she’s the Wolf Girl, being as she was born with hypertrichosis, making her hairy all over. She’s targeted by four mean kids, led by Krystal (Shelby Fenner) and Beau (Shawn Ashmore). She meets Ryan (Dov Tiefenbach), a boy whose mother (Lesley Ann Warren) isContinue reading “2001’s ‘Blood Moon’ (AKA ‘Wolf Girl’) is Sad but Satisfying”
‘The Blair Witch Project’ is Dirty, Raw, and Original
Heather (Heather Donahue), Josh (Joshua Leonard), and Mike (Michael C. Williams) are making a documentary about the mysterious Blair Witch. They misplace their map and get lost in the woods. Meanwhile, they’re hearing weird noises, and someone is leaving behind odd items like stick figures and piles of rocks. As the situation becomes steadily moreContinue reading “‘The Blair Witch Project’ is Dirty, Raw, and Original”
1992’s ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is Funny and Entertaining–to the Max!
Not to be confused with the TV show of the same name; this is the film that the show sprang from. Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is a vapid cheerleader whose biggest responsibility is choosing a theme for the upcoming school dance. Then she meets Merrick (Donald Sutherland), who informs her that she’s the latest incarnation inContinue reading “1992’s ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is Funny and Entertaining–to the Max!”
‘The Astronaut’s Wife’ is a Creepy Thriller
Jillian (Charlize Theron) is, as the title suggests, married to an astronaut, Spencer (Johnny Depp). While on a trip to space, he and his colleague Alex (Nick Cassavetes) are repairing their shuttle and there’s an explosion, causing them to lose contact with NASA. Upon returning home, both men begin acting strangely. Shortly after, Jillian discoversContinue reading “‘The Astronaut’s Wife’ is a Creepy Thriller”
‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ is an Utter Classic
Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is a man so rocked by his wife passing away on the operating table (being horribly disfigured in a car wreck doesn’t help matters) he decides to kill the eight doctors and one nurse who couldn’t save her, with nine of the ten Biblical plagues: boils, bats, frogs, blood, hail, rats,Continue reading “‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ is an Utter Classic”
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