annablair-19191 Reviews

Schizoid (1980)

Forgettable

[4/10 · 19 April 2022]

A woman who writes an advice column in the newspaper is stalked by a crazed killer as members of her therapy group are killed.

Schzioid isn't sure if it should embrace it's slasher side or its thriller side more and ends up not delivering either. None of the murders are creative or lurid enough to please slasher fans and the characters and suspense sequences aren't well done enough to allow it to work as a classier thriller.

The House by the Cemetery (1981)

Fun, But Makes Little Sense

[6/10 · 19 April 2022]

A family moves into a spooky New England house and discovers a monster murderer lurking in the basement who's hungry for blood.

You'll find yourself scratching your head many times while watching this, but if you can surrender yourself to the film's odd pacing and quirky logic, it can be entertaining. If you're a fan of splashy gore and atmospheric photography, there's more than enough of that for several movies.

American Gothic (1987)

A Really Creepy Family

[9/10 · 19 April 2022]

Friends get stranded on a deserted island when their plane breaks down and they meet a colorful family of religious freaks who kill those they deem unworthy of the Lord's love.

The acting is much better here than in other slasher films and the themes of insanity and religious extremism are interesting and well-handled by the above-average script. This family is a hard one to forget once you've met them.

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)

Not the Best Sequel

[6/10 · 19 April 2022]

A journalist gets a documentary crew together to figure out what happened all those years ago to the victims of the first film.

In spite of some inspired moments, this sequel can't quite compete with the scares in the first film and, at times, feels as if it's just rehashing the best moments from the first one in place of bringing anything new to the table.

X (II) (2022)

Ti West is At It Again!

[8/10 · 19 April 2022]

The cast and crew of a cheap porno movie are stalked and killed by the repressed residents of the farmhouse next to where they're shooting.

Filmmaker Ti West understands what made films like this so much fun in the 70's and 80's and has come up with a throwback style slasher that delivers not only the sleaze and gore expected, but also some unexpectedly nice character bits, themes, and performances that add a little emotional weight to all the carnage.

Crawlspace (1986)

A Few Okay Parts

[4/10 · 19 April 2022]

Klaus Kinski plays a scary Nazi landlord who peeps at his tenants through the titular crawlspaces in between the walls of the building where he lives.

Kinski is creepy enough for the role, but the film itself balances in a strange place between camp and class, never making up its mind on which direction it should lean into. If it were gorier and sillier, it might make for a fun rainy afternoon movie and, if it were more of an in-depth suspenseful character study, it could have been a lot more interesting.

Don't Breathe 2 (2021)

The Sequel No One Was Begging For

[5/10 · 19 April 2022]

Making psychotic Norman the protagonist is a brave choice by the filmmakers and Lang is good enough in the role that he does pull some sympathy from the audience, but it's murky message about redemption for even the worst people gets lost in between home invasion scenes that feel like less savory, reheated moments from the first film. If you've already seen that film, there's no need to see this one.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Wan's Wildest Film So Far

[7/10 · 19 April 2022]

Madison has been having horrible nightmares where she sees horrible murders taking place. It all connects to the secrets from her past which will come to light soon enough.

Director James Wan is clearly having the time of his life swinging from the chandeliers and making Malignant as strange as possible. The big twist might not be something unpredictable, but the way in which it's handled is admirable in its aggressive silliness. You eventually just have to smile and let the cheesiness of the film entertain you.

Silent Madness (1984)

Entertaining Psycho on the Loose Movie

[5/10 · 19 April 2022]

A murderer is released by accident and he returns to the sorority house which functioned as the scene of a crime he committed many years ago. In the meantime, a doctor from the hospital tries to find him before it's too late.

The basic structure calls to mind Halloween with its escaped mental patient returning home to kill again as the doctor tries to stop them, but it seems less concerned with suspense and more concerned with silly 3D effects. Some death scenes are creative, but it's lacking the blood usually associated with the horror films of this time and, without scares, it could have used a little excitement in that area.

Fresh (2022)

Very Satisfying

[8/10 · 19 April 2022]

Noa meets Steve after a terrible date and starts dating him right away even though her friend disapproves. This disapproval will become all the more justified when Noa discovers some of Steve's more frightening secrets.

Fresh explores the modern dating phobias and injects them with a nice dash of dark humor and gives us some great performances. It's well paced and all builds to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.

The Fly II (1989)

Not As Memorable As the First

[5/10 · 19 April 2022]

Mad scientist Seth Brundle's young child is born and kept in captivity for years to be studied until he comes of age and proves he has more in common with his father than initially thought.

Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga are appealing in the lead roles, but this sequel misses Goldblum and Davis and much of the film's effects appear to have been edited. Without as intriguing a script as the original and with its special effects spectacle cut to ribbons, there's not much to remember from this film.

Toys Are Not for Children (1972)

Bizarre To Say the Least

[7/10 · 16 April 2022]

A sexually repressed young woman with an unhealthy attachment to her father can't make a relationship work so she becomes a prostitute.

With a few tweaks here and there, Toys Are Not for Children could pass as an early John Waters movie with its strange themes, odd acting, and low budget filming style, but this one seems to want to be taken a little more seriously, which makes it a far more disturbing, if not somewhat amusing, viewing experience. This won't be one for everyone.

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988)

Cheesy Fun

[7/10 · 16 April 2022]

Sorority pledges team up with dorky frat guys to break into a bowling alley located inside of a shopping mall to steal a trophy that turns out to house a demon who can grant them wishes.

A nice mix of comedy, fantasy sex romp, and horror, Sorority Babes has something for everyone. It won't win awards for writing or acting, but for a low budget cheapie, it's got just about all the ingredients for a fun time.

Shallow Grave (1987)

Engaging and Compelling Thriller

[7/10 · 16 April 2022]

A car load of gal pals take a trip to Florida for spring break and accidentally witness a murder along the way which sends them running for their lives.

Obviously shot for little money and featuring a no-name cast, it's surprising how much this film can get under your skin. While you might not recognize many of the actors, they mostly all do a credible job selling the situations they've found themselves in. There's just the right amount of sleaze and gore, but it's more about the suspense which is well orchestrated and the story goes to some interesting and unpredictable places.

Mommy's Day (1997)

Can Mommy Become A Functional Member of Society?

[6/10 · 16 April 2022]

Patty McCormack returns as the evil mother who has been sent to death row since the events of the last film. After a failed escape, she's given an experimental implant to stop her from having her murderous impulses and is sent back out into the world to test it out. Soon, the murders start back up again aimed at anyone who's tried to keep her away from her daughter. Is someone setting her up or is Mommy back to killing again?

Mommy's Day is just as cheap and low budget as the previous film, but that's all part of the charm. It takes a similar approach as Psycho II and gives McCormack's psychotic mother a chance to redeem herself. Some of the murders are creative, especially one with an ice skate and it's not long enough to outstay its welcome.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Favorite of the Year

[9/10 · 30 November 2021]

An unhinged fashion designer moves to London to study her craft and is haunted by the spirit of a nightclub singer who used to live in the room she's currently renting.

Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho could be accused of style over substance, but when the style is this strong, who cares? The performances are wonderful even if the screenplay doesn't always develop all the characters very well and there are enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded mystery fans on their toes.

Inside (2007)

A Splattery Christmas

[9/10 · 30 November 2021]

After surviving a car accident that killed her lover, a pregnant woman is left alone on Christmas. That is, until there's a strange knock at the door. From that point on, a deranged woman tries to get inside her house and inside her body so she can steal her baby.

Inside might not be the most festive Christmas movie, but it has to rank as one of the bloodiest. The violence is shocking and gory and the script is horrific in its simplicity. It's not the most well developed or complex film with great character work, but it's frightening, suspenseful, and shocking.

Martyrs (2008)

Something Really Unique

[9/10 · 30 November 2021]

A young girl escapes a house of horrors and torture and is sent to an orphanage where she befriends another abused girl. After being released, she goes after the people she believes were responsible for her trauma, dragging her friend into the bloody mess as well.

Martyrs never plays things safe and isn't your typical torture movie. It does have a point, but to say anything more of that would be to deprive you of its many secrets, twists, and turns along the way. With Martyrs, you never feel like you're on steady ground as the rug might be pulled up from under you at any moment. It's definitely not a movie you'll forget a few minutes after it's over.

Halloween (2007)

Not Enough Creativity

[3/10 · 30 November 2021]

Rob Zombie retells the classic story of Michael Myers, a troubled young boy who killed several people on Halloween night as a child, was sent to an asylum, and escaped many years later on Halloween to terrorize the local babysitters.

The simplicity that made Carpenter's film so frightening is notably absent here and replaced with excessive gore and cliche ridden backstories that only serve to make Michael Myers less frightening. All the character development for Michael has given Zombie less time to develop his cast of victims which causes us to root for Michael over them by default.

Halloween Kills (2021)

A Major Disappointment

[4/10 · 30 November 2021]

Laurie Strode's plan to burn mythical boogeyman, Michael Myers, alive doesn't work and he breaks out to carve up more than pumpkins in the town of Haddonfield on Halloween night.

While Halloween Kills is well shot with lots of nice Halloween atmosphere and another excellent score by John Carpenter, the script appears to have been improvised on the set. Characters from the original film are reintroduced, given 2 or 3 lines, and bumped off without much fanfare. The dialogue and sequences get repetitive and Laurie Strode is given nothing to do for the entire film.

Hell House LLC (2015)

Bone Chilling

[9/10 · 30 November 2021]

A group of documentary filmmakers enter an abandoned hotel that was the site of several mysterious and terrifying murders and disappearances to set up an interactive haunted house attraction and start to believe all the rumors when many strange things start to happen.

You'll never catch me saying I'm a lover of found footage horror movies. Most of them can never figure out compelling reasons for these people to continue filming once events start to intensify , but Hell House, LLC approaches all of this in a smart way and it also features several of the most terrifying scares I've seen in recent years.

Saint Maud (2019)

Will Leave You Thinking

[7/10 · 6 September 2021]

Mentally unhinged nurse, Maud, goes to work for ailing dancer, Amanda, and starts trying to save her soul for her inevitable demise.

Saint Maud is a slow burn if ever there was one and many might find the leisurely pace offputting. As solid as the film is, I did think it took a little too much time to get to where it was going. Once it arrives at its inevitable destination, it's not surprising, but still packs a punch.

Saint Maud's best asset is the performance of Morfydd Clark as the title character. She's fascinating to watch throughout.

The Dark and the Wicked (2020)

Worth It For the Atmosphere

[7/10 · 6 September 2021]

Nightmarish visions plague a family returning home to care for their dying patriarch during his last days that lead them to question themselves, each other, and everything they thought they knew about the afterlife and the world of the supernatural.

The Dark and the Wicked is about as bleak as horror films get with an admirably oppressive atmosphere of dread throughout and a few images that you'll have a hard time shaking once its over.

Pacing can lag at times and some character's decisions and choices might leave you scratching your head, but if you enjoy family-themed horror films like Hereditary, you'll probably enjoy this.

Anything for Jackson (2020)

Full of Surprises

[8/10 · 6 September 2021]

Anything For Jackson takes a potentially cliched storyline and flips it on its head several times. Characters and their motivations change in surprising and realistic ways and it all builds to a satisfying, creepy ending.

Acting is excellent and the filmmakers squeeze as much mood out of the spooky house location as they can. Behind every darkened doorway and corner, danger could be lurking which puts the viewer on edge.

While there are many scenes that are creepy, it also doesn't forget to have a sense of humor every now and then which is a welcome relief and a good way to relieve the tension the rest of the film has cooked up.

Jakob's Wife (2021)

Funny and Creepy

[8/10 · 10 May 2021]

Horror legend Barbara Crampton gets her best role in years as Anne, the repressed wife of the town preacher, Jakob (Larry Fessenden) who longs for something more out of life. A chance encounter with a former flame (Robert Russler) leads to both of them being attacked by a mysterious creature and Anne suddenly develops odd cravings, mood swings, and begins putting more effort into her appearance. One thing's for sure - Anne and Jakob's marriage will never be the same again.

Jakob's Wife does a stellar job at creating a repressive small town mood. So muhc so that Anne's initial transformation from buttoned up church mouse into sexy siren is a welcome relief. It's only when Anne's transformation comes with certain side effects that the stakes escalate and we realize this transformation might come with a steep price.

Crampton and Fessenden have excellent chemistry together and they carry the entire film. Being able to see Crampton sink her teeth into a meaty role like this is a joy since she's been mostly relegated to quick cameos or supporting roles in films unworthy of her talents for the past decade.

The story takes enough twists and turns to keep even some of the most jaded horror fans on their toes and the performances elevate any joke or scare that doesn't completely stick to the landing, making for an incredibly entertaining viewing experience.