Retro Reviews

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

Looking Back On Michael Gornick’s ‘Creepshow 2’ (1987) – Retro Review

Released on May 1, 1987, Michael Gornick’s Creepshow 2 just happens to turn 35 this month. That’s some respectable company to be in. The summer of 1987 was epic for movie releases. I can’t even begin to do it full justice. Let me just mention a few: The Lost Boys, …

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Looking Back On Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997) – Retro Review

Jeff Goldblum might currently be a TV commercial staple as he promotes Apartments.com, but two and a half decades ago, his iconic character of Dr. Ian Malcolm was asked to put his stamp on something slightly more terrifying—a theme park of genetically engineered dinosaurs. In the original Jurassic Park, a …

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Looking Back On George Miller’s ‘Mad Max 2’/’The Road Warrior’ (1982) – Retro Review

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 …

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Crom Laughs at Your Four Decades: A Look Back On John Milius’ ‘Conan the Barbarian’ (1982) – Retro Review

“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 …

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Dorff Goes to Hell: Tibor Takács’s ‘The Gate’ (1987) Retro Review

This year is the 35th anniversary of the kid-friendly horror classic, The Gate, written by Michael Nankin, directed by Tibor Takacs, and released on May 15th of 1987. It is a cautionary tale of every parent’s worst nightmare: their child accidentally performs a Satanic ritual and opens up a gateway …

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Hauer Power! Ian Sharp/Tony Maylam’s ‘Split Second ‘(1992) – Retro Review

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 …

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Stuart Gordon’s ‘Dolls’ (1987) – A Lesson In Embracing Your Inner Child – Retro Review

There’s something so enjoyably haunting about murderous dolls that, no matter how many times it’s done in film or television, it never gets old. Typically, the plotlines of these toy-focused projects keep to the status quo — kid gets doll, doll is possessed by an evil entity, evil entity wrecks …

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Frank Henenlotter’s ‘Basket Case’ (1982) He’s Not Heavy He’s My Brother – Retro Review

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case, one of the most punk rock cult classic horror films ever made. Released in April of 1982, Basket Case became an underground sensation. While it was a staple of the horror section in small town video stores across the …

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Shapeshifters With A Twist: Mick Garris’ ‘Sleepwalkers’ (2002) – Retro Review

Throughout the years, I have always enjoyed a good Stephen King story. I think we all have, but for me, one movie more than any other stands out in my mind as one of the most oddly underrated. So in leu of its anniversary, we are going to be celebrating …

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Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Blade 2’ (2002) – Retro Review

Blade 2 was more than a sequel. The opening scene to the first Blade film is one of the greatest scenes in horror history, a very bold statement that I will defend until the end. Watching it was one of the few moments in my adult life where I found …

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