Remakes are always tricky efforts, and ones that, for good or ill, add a new level of expectations to the difficulties of film releases. Even apart from the obvious comparisons, there will be those who are opposed to a remake on principle, depending on the film. There may be low-budget, horror icon purists out there, but I don't recall a lot of theoretical negative talk when A Nightmare on Elm … [Read more...]
Orphan is one of those rare horror films that is particularly difficult to know what to do with. This is perhaps the cause of its 55% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com. There is so much going on, in such a variety of ways, that relating the pros and cons almost becomes meaningless. For some, a decidedly unnerving "thriller" with a lot of jumpy moments is just the thing on the right evening, … [Read more...]
In time for the theatrical release of the film's reworking, The Stepfather, the classic horror movie of extreme discomfort from 1987 has come to DVD. The reviews are coming in, and they pretty solidly suggest... you watch the original. A highlight from a different age of tense horror, The Stepfather showcases solid direction and focuses the fear on unnerving you far more than simply having … [Read more...]
