Retro Reviews

When I think back to the late 80’s and early 90’s, one film that stands out (after being permanently etched into my teenage, horror-loving mind) is The Hitcher (1986). It was the heyday of the home town video store and the era of late night HBO horror binges: a haven …

Forty years is a long time! And, as you can expect, for collectors of fright films on physical media, “anniversary” editions are a big deal! Questions abound: What’s new? Given the limitations of the source material (as much as we hate to admit it, many of our 80’s favorites were …

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 psychological thriller directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris’s 1988 novel. On the surface, it’s a serial killer story. But what makes it iconic is not just the hunt for a murderer. It’s the unsettling psychological duel at the center …

It’s wild to think that 40 years have gone by since the cult favorite Terrorvision first blasted onto screens on Valentine’s Day of 1986. This movie was written and directed by Ted Nicolaou (read our interview with him HERE). The killer cast includes Diane Franklin (Better Off Dead 1985), Mary …

My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian slasher directed by George Mihalka (Da Vinci’s Inquest TV series) and written by John Beaird (My Bloody Valentine 3-D 2009 – read our retro review here), released on February 11, 1981. The story involves a group of miners who decide to throw their own Valentine’s …

The thing I loved the most about 80s horror films is that there were no rules. Writers could take their movie anywhere, even the horrible movies got attention. For some reason, today’s horror fans started way back in time, when there was a wild west feel. There were still icons, …

In my years of experience with the horror genre, I will always hold the Universal Monsters very close. When I was growing up, our school library held these orangebooks with all their monsters on each cover, and a short story version of each. I constantly rented these books. However, the …

Released in 1986, Troll is a low-budget fantasy horror film that has endured not because it succeeds, but because it fails in such a distinctive, oddly committed way. Directed by John Carl Buechler and produced by Charles Band under Empire Pictures, the movie has become a cult favorite for its …

Warlock is a supernatural horror film best known today as a late-80s cult favorite. You will sometimes see it dated as 1991 due to international releases or television airings, but its original United States theatrical release was in 1989. Over time, it has earned a reputation as something slightly smarter …

Filmed in 1995 and released in 1996, Christian Duguay’s Screamers is celebrating its 30th anniversary. With its exceptional writing pedigree, a haunting soundtrack, and a cast headed by a genre icon, Screamers has all the ingredients of a top tier sci-fi recipe. Unfortunately, this dark, futuristic sci-fi/horror effort didn’t fare well …