Retro Reviews

Reviews of older horror films, shorts, or general creepiness.

Why ‘A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET’ (1984) Still Haunts Us: Blurring Dreams and Reality

A Nightmare On Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street, directed and written by Wes Craven, is the horror film that introduced the world to Freddy Krueger, an iconic slasher character portrayed by Robert Englund, and also put New Line Cinema on the map (it’s nicknamed “The House that Freddy Built” for a reason). Who …

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Mike Flanagan’s ‘DOCTOR SLEEP’ (2019) – 5 Years Later

Some books deserve a film adaptation. Most of those films are directed around Stephen King novels. Many of his writings terrorize people in their sleep. He is the king of nightmares and wears it well from cameos to collaborating with other legends in their field of films. Stephen King has …

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25 Years Stuck in Escrow Hell: ‘HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL’ (1999) – Retrospective

It’s been 25 years since this haunted house’s doors opened to moviegoers. Inspired by the 1959 film of the same name, House on Haunted Hill is a haunted house film that dares to ask the viewer, “Would you spend the night in a haunted house for $1,000,000?” That is if …

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Twenty Years Of ‘SAW’ (2004) – A Game Changer

Saw (2004) - James Wan and Cary Elwes

I remember sitting in the theater, awestruck, the first time I saw the trailer. I want to say it was during the previews before Freddy vs. Jason. I can’t remember the exact moment, because let’s face it, it was a while ago. What I DO remember was being completely blown …

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Surviving with a Smile: How ‘ZOMBIELAND’ (2009) Balances Horror and Humor

Zombieland is a 2009 horror-comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer, which combines elements of zombie horror with a satirical approach to survival in a post-apocalyptic world. The film follows four unlikely companions — Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) — as they …

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Alexandre Aja’s ‘HORNS’ Is Still My Favorite Book-Turned-Movie 10 Years Later – Retro Review

Daniel Radcliffe in Horns

I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since Horns was released. I remember hearing about it and seeing trailers, and I was incredibly worried that the film would ruin the book for me, in the way that film adaptations are wont to do. Having already read, and loved, the …

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Celebrating 35 Years: Five Reasons To Love Wes Craven’s ‘SHOCKER’ (1989)

SHocker

Wes Craven is one of the few filmmakers on the planet not named John Carpenter deserving of the title “horror master.” The creator of both the Scream and A Nightmare On Elm Street.franchises, the late Craven’s filmography is home to a littany of horror gems, including The Hills Have Eyes, …

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