Retro Reviews

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

‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ (2008) Turns 15…What’s The Cast Doing Now?

It’s been 15 years since the Pevensie siblings’ return to the fantastical world behind the wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This sequel is certainly darker than its 2005 predecessor, as Peter (William Moseley, Friend Request 2017), Edmund (Skandar Keynes, Victoria Died in 1901 and Is Still Alive Today …

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‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994): What It Says About Father/Son Relationships

Pulp Fiction

Released on May 21, 1994, Quentin Tarantino’s crime thriller, Pulp Fiction, follows a bunch of character’s lives interconnect in a complex narrative filled with themes of petty revenge vs. divine retribution, fate vs. freak occurrence, and other ideas such as loyalty. ***Spoiler Alert!*** Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield …

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Jason VS Kmart Carrie: ‘Friday The 13th VII: The New Blood’ (1988) – 35 Year Retro Review

Alas! Released on May 13, 1988, the heavy sleeper of the F13 franchise turns 35 this year, and it’s not just the infamous heavy sleeping bag kill that makes Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood so great. We received an unmasked Jason for a full 5 minutes, the makeup …

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‘WILLOW’ (1988): What Makes it Great…and Did Disney Drop the Ball?

Willow

Willow is a fantasy film directed by Ron Howard originally released on May 20, 1988. The story was conceived by George Lucas (already famous for Star Wars and the Indiana Jones films), and he also served as the film’s executive producer. The movie combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and fairy …

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‘WRONG TURN’ (2003) Never Felt So Right – 20 Year Retro Review

Ah yes, the early aughts slashers. Chock full of underdeveloped characters, and horror cliches with disenchanting scripts. – and I ate them up! Twenty years ago, the birth of the Wrong Turn franchise graced us with its presence. It falls under a fun sub-genre of Horror: vacations gone wrong. Plus, …

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‘Return of the Jedi’ (1983) Turns 40: Living Teddy Bears, Talking Lobsters, and Child Killer Force Ghosts

The final chapter in the OG sci-fi/fantasy franchise beloved by millions, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi turns 40 this month. Volumes have been written about the first three films in George Lucas’ brilliant exercise in world-building, with Empire widely considered to be the best, and Jedi normally …

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‘CRITTERS 2’ (1988) Serves Up More than ‘The Main Course’ – 35 Years Later

Critters 2

Fun Fact: Not Just Slang for Nethers, Tehachapi is Also a Town! 35 years ago the sequel to Critters was released. Critters 2: The Main Course, is one of those sequels I list as ‘just as good if not better than the original’. It was Mick Garris’s directorial debut and …

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‘EDWARD SCISSORHANDS’ (1990) and His Dad’s Interesting Creative Choice

Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands brilliantly showcases Tim Burton’s ability to seamlessly blend the fantastical with the mundane, as a bizarre humanoid invention named Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) ends up venturing into suburbia. Edward had been invented by an unknown old man simply called “The Inventor” (Vincent Price), who had temporarily …

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‘HOUSE OF WAX’ (1953) – “You’ve never been scared until you’ve been scared in 3-D!” – Review

House of Wax (1953)

How do you revitalize the career of a horror legend? Cast him in the first major studio film to be shot in color 3-D, and tap a one-eyed director who famously couldn’t see any of the 3-D effects – that’s how! House of Wax (1953) Synopsis “An associate burns down …

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