John Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness,” the second leg in the “Apocalypse Trilogy” is a horrifying film about the apocalypse and one of the many Carpenter films where good fights evil and evil wins. Again. And again. It’s interesting that “Prince of Darkness” is almost a precursor to the found footage film boom of the mid aughts, as director John Carpenter stages a series of dream sequences void of cinematic flare. Through fuzzy hand held cameras, he manages to stage numerous horrific dream sequences signaling the coming of the anti-god, and the anti-Christ, all the while using it as a means of expressing how imminent the apocalypse is. The thirty second dream sequences are much more horrifying than most found footage films I’ve ever seen.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Eroticide (2013)
Director and writer Matthew Saliba has managed to amass an interesting and unique body of films that delve in to the underbelly of sexuality. Sex, pain, and death always seem to go hand in hand. He usually has a keen eye for detail and provides wonderful statements about excess and revenge, but “Eroticide” really is a step down for the director.
Nobody Can Cool (2013)
The directing and writing team of DPYX manage to concoct “Nobody Can Cool,” a dramatic thriller that’s one half really damn good suspense ride, and one half forgettable fodder. “Nobody Can Cool” manages to pack in an interesting premise and one that definitely tries to cover all bases in terms of logic and excitement. At times I was very engrossed in what was happening, and while the film isn’t perfect, it’s saved by the tight direction and great performances.
Heavy Nova (2013)
I really enjoy the fact that director Peter Leon has access to these incredible special effects, and pretty much just stages a murder mystery aboard a space ship. This premise could have been set anywhere, and that’s why the movie is so fun and creative. The humor doesn’t always land, but when it does, it’s pretty good. The special effects for the most part are spectacular (including the green screen), and I enjoyed how the establishing shots in space put you in the atmosphere of this science fiction comedy.
Butcher Boys (2013)
“Butcher Boys” is one half “Judgment Night” and one half of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” but in an urban setting. With a rash of disappearances occurring all over the city, two groups of people find themselves lost in the ghettos of an urban neighborhood. After a prank goes awry, two young men get beaten and killed by three psychotic armed thugs. The group that inflicted the prank realize too late that they’ve come across a lethal and dangerous group of kidnappers, many of whom are taking tourists and locals hostage for nefarious purposes.
The Moleman of Belmont Avenue (2013)
I can appreciate what the director of “The Moleman…” is going for, but with his indie horror comedy, it often felt like a misfire in every sense. The DVD cover is quick to compare this to “Shaun of the Dead,” but while they were losers, they were at least likable. It’s really tough to empathize or root for two main characters who lure an old man to dinner to have him be eaten by the mole man, or are so stupid they leave a box of kittens in the trunk of their car and accidentally suffocate them all. I should be rooting for them, the script says, but in reality I just found them to be complete morons.
Horny Diver: Tight Shellfish (Zetsurin ama: Shimari-gai) (1985) (DVD)
As with most Nikkatsu Roman Porno, if you’re in it for the hardcore sex, you’re likely going to be disappointed. These films are mainly for the sake of kitsch value and their rarity. “Horny Diver” is one of the many in the later Nikkatsu titles that exercises blurring with the more graphic parts of certain sex scenes.