Retro Reviews

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) is all about isolation. It’s a theme I think a lot of us can relate to right now. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been mostly locked inside for 2 or more months now. It’s a little maddening, isn’t it? So is it fitting or …

William Malone’s Creature is bound to draw comparisons to Alien or even Aliens, although this 1985 film has enough to set it apart. While the alien itself (or the “Creature”) does have some similar characteristics to the Alien Queen, it also has some distinguishing features. In fact, this creature can literally …

Here there be spoilers… beware! I’m going to be honest. The first time I watched Friday the 13th (1980), I was disappointed that Jason wasn’t in it. I knew he was the franchise’s bad guy because I’d seen VHS boxes for the sequels at the video store, but it was …

It’s Vinegar Syndrome time again! For March/April 2020, we were a bit spoiled, getting 4 separate Blu-rays to review from the film restoration company. We started with a review of Vin Syn’s Deadline (1980) 2k restoration DVD/Blu-ray (you can read that review here), then we went with James Bryan’s scenery-chewing romp, Hell Riders (1984 – read …

Ten years ago on April 30, 2010, a remake of a Wes Craven’s masterpiece, A Nightmare on Elm Street, released. Most people were anxious to see if someone else could carry the charm that Robert Englund brought to the character of Freddy Krueger. With a new director, Samuel Bayer (Alpha …

Perhaps encouraged by CBS’s success with The Twilight Zone, ABC launched The Outer Limits in 1963. Although it’s often overshadowed by Rod Serling’s version, it was successful enough to run for 2 seasons and is still considered an iconic sci-fi anthology series. Also, make no mistake about it: There are …

John Carpenter is my favorite director, and frankly, it’s not a particularly close race. Classics like The Thing (read our 35th anniversary tribute here), Halloween, and Escape From New York are firmly entrenched on my Top 10 Films of All Time List. In some way, just about every Carpenter film …

“I love dead. Hate living,” are the tortured words spoken by Frankenstein’s monster in the timeless 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein, which turns 85 on May 6, 2020. The legendary film was directed by James Whale (Frankenstein 1931, The Invisible Man 1933) and released by Universal in 1935, and depicts …

Something special happens when you mix horror and religion. The things we fear mix magically with the tenets of faith because both are steeped in the mysteries of the unknown. The Exorcist (1973) was one of the earliest films that scared the ever loving bejeezus out of me. It shook …

George C. Scott’s hidden ghost story, The Changeling, is a timeless classic that has inspired many filmmakers since its release on March 28, 1980, including the present horror master Guillermo del Toro. Martin Scorsese called The Changeling “one of my favorite horror films of all time.” Director Peter Medak, who …