nightshade071 Reviews

Re-Animator (1985)

Hilariously gory and over-the-top!

[9/10 · 23 August 2015]

Re-Animator is one of those movies I always heard about but never got around to watching. Having finally seen it (and its sequels), the only thing I can say is that I wish I would have seen the series a lot earlier!

Promising medical student Daniel Cain is assigned partners with Herbert West, a peculiar young man obsessed with the idea that death is a reversible process. West has developed a re-agent that he believes will lead to resuscitation of tissue after death, although when he is given the opportunity to try it out on a perfect specimen, things do not go as planned. What follows is a descent into gory chaos that also happens to be a whole lot of fun to watch.

I certainly understand why this is considered a cult classic, because while it's not for everyone, fans of over the top gore (a la The Evil Dead and Dead-Alive) will find plenty to love here. Jeffrey Combs was flawless in his performance as West, who has become a horror movie icon in his own right... It is worth mentioning that I found nothing at all wrong with the sequels, which is rare in any film genre, but especially so in horror - but that's a review for another time.

Jessabelle (2014)

Not perfect, but one of the better horror flicks in recent years

[6/10 · 24 January 2015]

I first saw the trailer for this flick in April of last year, at a showing for The Quiet Ones (bad movie, by the way; do not recommend). Being quite the fan of the southern Gothic genre, I wasn't exactly impressed by the trailer but wanted to see it regardless. For some reason or other, Jessabelle never made it to my local theaters - thus, I had to wait for the inevitable RedBox release to follow in January.

And what do you know, I finally got to watch it.

Jessabelle is not a perfect movie. It does have its flaws. It does have its clichés. But it is an honest attempt at making a horror flick and it does work. The atmosphere lends a hand, with spooky southern mansions and dark bayous. And as it so often does in stories like these, voodoo eventually takes center stage.

After recent horror releases like the dismal Oujia (a movie I personally despise), Jessabelle is a welcome change of pace. It is a slow-burner that brings to mind films such as The Skeleton Key (albeit 'Key being a superior effort).

The cinematography is quite good and the acting is effective. Sarah Snook is certainly leading lady material, and you can see her potential here front-and-center. Providing a sympathetic lead can make or break a film like this and Snook does not disappoint. A side note is that she is totally gorgeous and looks just the part for a sweet southern belle.

Final verdict: Jessabelle is nothing groundbreaking but one of the better horror flicks in recent years. Sarah Snook is one to keep an eye on. Worth a rental, but if you want to buy I'd say wait for it to hit the bargain bins.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Unlike anything else before or since.

[9/10 · 23 December 2014]

The first time I watched this I was twelve or thirteen years old (and probably entirely too young, to boot). This remains one of the bleakest movie-watching experiences in memory, almost to the point I couldn't enjoy it... but I sat through (being a long-time fan of Mr. Christopher Lee) and ultimately, I'm glad I did.

As I said, it's bleak and dark while being totally hypnotic. Like driving past a car wreck with fresh blood smears on the road, you're horrified but you just can't look away. Lurking beneath the murky surface is a sense of doom. The ending is disturbing in a way I have not seen before or since.

I would not call this a horror film - at least, not in the traditional sense of the word. I'm not even sure if it can be probably categorized in one genre or another, and maybe it doesn't need to be. And let me clarify one thing: make no mistake, this is not a fun movie. It's not the thing you pop in when you're bored and looking to absentmindedly waste away an hour and forty minutes. The Wicker Man takes you by the throat with an icy grip and doesn't let go until long after the credits are over, if ever. It will remain with you for a very long time.

For a deeply disturbing and haunting experience, do yourself a favor and watch THE WICKER MAN.

Brain Dead (1990)

A weird little movie...

[6/10 · 22 December 2014]

Around the time I first saw Wes Craven's "The Serpent and the Rainbow," I became enamored with Bill Pullman as an actor. This ended up as a gateway through which I would ravenously hunt down as many early movies of his as I could, Brain Dead included...

Some might say this movie is downright bizarre. Well, I can't disagree with that. It's twisted, confusing, and surreal, all the while managing to be darkly humorous (although I have my doubts as to whether or not certain moments of hilarity were intended to be so). The whole thing plays out like an exaggerated fever dream and, as a result, makes it very difficult to give an accurate rating for this weird little movie.

While not a cinematic masterpiece by any means, it is not a bad movie - provided you can pay attention long enough to grasp what's going on! If you enjoy it enough, Brain Dead may warrant subsequent viewings. I have watched it around five or six times and always notice some new little oddity that I hadn't caught the previous time around.

Bill Pullman plays his role to nerdy perfection. Meanwhile, Paxton is the slightly skeevy business associate who may or may not be lusting after Pullman's wife (played by Patricia Charbonneau, who looks suspiciously like Sigourney Weaver these days. Hm...)

Far from perfect but highly entertaining, Brain Dead is a lost gem of the 90's that must be seen to be believed.