I don’t think it’s out of line to characterize 1998’s Fallen as a bit of a hidden gem. Though it’s not a perfect film, I nevertheless find it to be effective and entertaining. Director Gregory Hoblit (Primal Fear 1996) is able to craft a lightly creepy atmosphere melding the genres of …

Even after forty years, Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) still has the ability to astound and thrill. Making its stateside debut on May 21, 1982, George Miller’s (Mad Max 1979 – our retro review) post-apocalyptic actioner made an international megastar out of twenty-six year-old Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon franchise) and …

“Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!” John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian (1982) is one kickass sword and sorcery flick. The film launched Arnold Schwarzenegger (End of Days 1999 – our retro review) into megastardom despite the Austrian Oak having minimal dialogue. A thrilling and gorgeous production, the …

Split Second (1992) may be more than a little uneven, and it borrows liberally from better films, but it’s still a whole lot of fun. Tony Maylam (The Burning 1981 – our retro review) is credited as the director, but Ian Sharp (The Final Option 1982) was tapped to complete production when …

A young couple is desperate for a child in award winning playwright Hamza Zaman’s directorial debut, The Institute. This microbudget feature utilizes relatable, pervasive unease and fears to endear its main characters to us. Most of the film’s 90ish minute runtime is a slow burn, but a handful of relatively …

First things first… I’m not really a fan of musicals. However, there are a few exceptions. I first saw Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors, released on December 19, 1986, as a child and I immediately fell in love with the film. It is an adaptation of the off-Broadway musical …

“Rock’s chosen warriors will rule the apocalypse!” October 24, 2021, marks the the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of veteran character actor Charles Martin Smith’s directorial debut, 1986’s heavy metal horror flick, Trick or Treat. (another PopHorror writer’s thoughts on the film). The film flashes its metal bona fides often, …

Writer/director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London was released forty years ago on August 21, 1981, and it is inarguably the greatest werewolf movie of all time. I’d also say it’s one of the best horror films of the ‘80s, a decade that’s absolutely saturated with genre classics. Notably, …

It doesn’t get any more arty or punk than the singularly named Muscha’s Decoder from 1984 (read our review of Vinegar Syndrome’s 2k restoration Blu-ray of the film here). This West German film blends themes from George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, 1984, and the writings of counterculture icon William S. …

The homemade aesthetic of no budget indie horror flicks has long had an appeal to me. They have a different flavor from their more polished and conventionally made brethren. I also love seeing my longtime home of Columbus, Ohio, onscreen since it doesn’t happen very often. I’m sure most American …