Retro Reviews

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, …

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 …

“The truth is……I am Iron Man” The line uttered by Robert Downey Jr (Back To School 1986) at the end of the first movie in a series that culminated in one of the most highly anticipated movies ever nine years later capped off an amazing thrill ride for IRON MAN. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Near the intro of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (read our retro review here), we already get the sense that Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) have a strained father/son relationship. In addition, the two, along with mother and wife Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall), eventually meet a series of …

“It’s…showtime!” Thirty-five years ago, after making a name for himself with the 1985 hit Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Tim Burton’s success in the directorial world only grew stronger with 1988’s Beetlejuice. The film follows deceased couple Adam (Alec Baldwin, The Departed 2006) and Barbara (Geena Davis, The Fly 1986) as they navigate …

I discovered Mirror Mirror quite by accident a number of years ago, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard about this 1990 horror gem. With a “who’s who” of actors and a cool plot, this nostalgic film deserves a second look.  Mirror Mirror stars the up-and-coming Rainbow Harvest (Old Enough …

Though I grew up watching old horror flicks with my dad, when I hear people mention The Blob, my mind jumps right to the remake, which hit screens in a cinematic golden year for horror, 1988 (see also: Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Child’s Play, Beetlejuice, A Nightmare on Elm …