As I grow older, one of life’s little pleasures is being able to revisit the movies of the past (especially my past) on home video. More often than not thanks to digital technology, these movies look better than they did when I first saw them back in the 1960s and 1970s. Even more enjoyable are theContinue reading “RECENT REDISCOVERIES (2011)”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
1959: The Year That The Modern Horror Movie Began (2009)
Most people believe that so-called “modern” horror movie (those without a supernatural or fantasy element and with a contemporary setting) began in 1960 with Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO but in fact modern horror began 3 years earlier in England and with not a single movie but 3. All 3 films are set in the present (ca.Continue reading “1959: The Year That The Modern Horror Movie Began (2009)”
SHARP AS A TACK: The Films of Australian Director Don Sharp (2010)
From time to time I like to focus my reviews/articles on movie people who have given and still continue to give satisfaction in the works they have created and left behind for us to enjoy. One such person is director Don Sharp. Sharp was born in Australia in 1921 (actually Hobart, Tasmania just like ErrolContinue reading “SHARP AS A TACK: The Films of Australian Director Don Sharp (2010)”
THE THIRTY NINE STEPS (1978): The Most Faithful Of All The Adaptations
Today if anyone recognizes the title of THE 39 STEPS, they are thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie with Robert Donat & Madeline Carroll. Yet it began life as a 1915 espionage novel by Scottish author and former Governor General of Canada, John Buchan. It is the first of a series of 5 books featuring miningContinue reading “THE THIRTY NINE STEPS (1978): The Most Faithful Of All The Adaptations”
THE INDIAN SCARF (1964): One Of The Better EDGAR WALLACE Krimi Movies
The term “Krimi” refers to a genre of movies made in what was then West Germany from 1959-1967. All of the early Krimis were in black and white and resembled the American “film noirs” of the 1940s and early 1950s. The term simply refers to crime dramas although most of these movies also had mysteryContinue reading “THE INDIAN SCARF (1964): One Of The Better EDGAR WALLACE Krimi Movies”
ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS Is A Fascinating Box Set But It Is Not A Complete Success
In my 20+ years of reviewing movies for home video, I have never come across a box set quite like this one. ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS is a 15 disc collection of “Folk Horror” that includes 19 movies, a documentary, and 3 CDs. One CD is the documentary soundtrack. The other two feature a complete readingContinue reading “ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS Is A Fascinating Box Set But It Is Not A Complete Success”
Severin’s EUROCRYPT 2 Is As Good As EUROCRYPT #1
Hard on the heels of Severin’s EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE which was released in 2022 comes EUROCRYPT 2. This time around there are 7 discs instead of 9 but there is another 100 page booklet from Jonathan Rigby featuring posters and pictures. There are 6 feature films and one bonus movie that has not beenContinue reading “Severin’s EUROCRYPT 2 Is As Good As EUROCRYPT #1”
Severin’s EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE – Box Set #1
Back in 2021 Severin, anticipating the 100th anniversary of Christopher Lee’s birth the following year, issued a 9 disc box set to commemorate the fact. They decided to concentrate on Lee’s 1960s European output which was primarily Italian although there are a few German movies and a Polish TV series to choose from. Doing moviesContinue reading “Severin’s EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE – Box Set #1”
NIGHTMARE CASTLE: An Essential Italian Gothic Collection
This 2015 single Blu-Ray from Severin Films contains 3 essential Italian Gothic Horror movies. They are the titular NIGHTMARE CASTLE (Lovers From Beyond The Grave – 1965), CASTLE OF BLOOD (Dance Macabre – 1964) and TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE (5 Graves For A Medium – 1965)). I have included the translated Italian titles asContinue reading “NIGHTMARE CASTLE: An Essential Italian Gothic Collection”
Peter Cushing CURIOSITIES Box Set Is Curious Indeed
I had originally intended to give this set 3 stars judging by the films alone, but my opinion changed after I read Jonathan Rigby’s 200 page appreciation of Peter Cushing which is included as a bonus. The Rigby booklet alone is worth the price of the package as it traces Cushing’s film career from 1939Continue reading “Peter Cushing CURIOSITIES Box Set Is Curious Indeed”