Retro Reviews

The 1931 film Dracula is a classic horror film directed by Tod Browning and stars Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Though some may prefer F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, this film at least had the blessing of the “rightful owner,” the estate of Bram Stoker. It also did more to popularize the …

Released in 1973 and directed by William Friedkin, The Exorcist remains an iconic horror film that has left an indelible mark on cinematic history. Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, the movie is a chilling exploration of faith, good versus evil, and the supernatural. Let’s delve …

Early January of 2024 will see the Netflix release of Society of the Snow, directed by J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage 2007). The film is based on the infamous 1972 Uruguyan plane crash in the Andes which carried a team of rugby players as well as their families and other passengers. …

“You’ve made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas.”   The tagline tells you just about all you need to know about Silent Night, Deadly Night. The much-maligned 1984 killer Santa movie was a logical continuation of the holiday horror slasher films popularized in the early ’80s post-Halloween (1978) era. …

How many excellent films have been cast out as garbage simply because they’re remakes? How many remakes are excellently crafted stand-alone films that would shatter box office records if their predecessors never existed? This is a consideration I want you to make as we take another look at Gus Van …

I unabashedly love crazy films. The more “out there” and gonzo the better. Sometimes you just need to unplug your brain, take a break from the “artsy” stuff, crack a beer, and watch something so profoundly silly that you grin through the entire thing. Repligator, out now on Wild Eye …

Euro-sleaze. Exploitation. Cheesy European action flicks from the 80’s. Whatever you call it, or whatever category you want to lump it into—gimmie more! Back in the golden age of home video, trash was king! Jiggling femme fatales, roided out commandos in tropic jungles, Nazis, crooked cops, all of these and …

Way back when (this was released 15 years ago, hence the anniversary Blu) Trent Haaga, then known primarily for leading the “Diaper Mafia” in The Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie wrote a script for a little film called Deadgirl. With it, he made, along with co-directors Marcel Sarmiento (Totem) and …

Psycho is a classic psychological thriller and horror film that has become iconic in the history of cinema and has forever etched itself into horror and pop culture. Regarding the success of the film, Hitchcock said, “Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.” However, in …

After the unexpected, lucrative success of Terrifier 2, (read our review here) and the promise of Terrifier 3, it is important to recognize the significance of 2013’s All Hallows’ Eve, and its introduction of Art the Clown. Much like Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on series, Art’s creative father, Damien Leone, nurtured this …