Tag Archives: Horror

Mosquito (1995)

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“You’re living science fact!”

An alien ship crash lands in a swamp in the wilderness. But that’s unimportant–giant mosquitoes! What about the aliens, you say? Who cares? Giant Mosquitoes! It’s too bad we never saw what happened when humans drank alien blood. Do they too become gigantic? I think we deserve an answer. Director Gary Jones’ “Mosquito” is pure mid-nineties STV junk, but damn is it a good time. If you’re going to name a movie “Mosquito” (and it’s not a metaphor) you’d better serve us some giant mosquitoes, and director Jones supplies the goods.

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Sexcula (1974) (DVD)

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sexcula“Sexcula” is like one big acid trip. There’s no sense of narrative, tone, pacing, or any kind of semblance of story. The director doesn’t even seem to be working on any kind of script. Take for example the big show where a stripper (glimmering in a spotlight seemingly appearing from nowhere) begins dancing with the castle owner’s pet gorilla. The gorilla is so enticed by the dancing, he attacks and rapes the stripper, and out of revenge, she rapes the gorilla. The two then seemingly die during the revenge rape, and then they pop up taking a bow as the characters in the film applaud. It’s this kind of nonsense that makes “Sexcula” irritating, but oddly alluring. I’d call it erotic and sexy, but the movie is just too stupid to muster up any kind of that flavor.

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Skeeter (1993)

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I almost want to sue the producers of “Skeeter” for false advertising, but then, what’s the use? And why bother? “Skeeter” really is better off being a very obscure and god awful horror film. Why even name a movie “Skeeter” if you’re only going to include four very short attacks by giant mosquitoes, most of whom seem anxious to take off before we really get in to the chaos?

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Animal (2014)

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animal-2014Anything featuring Elizabeth Gillies or Keke Palmer gets my automatic attention, so “Animal” was really an easy sell for me. True, it’s another horror film from Chiller Films, but, you know—Elizabeth Gillies and Keke Palmer. So, I’m willing to compromise. Thankfully “Animal” ends up being a very entertaining and creepy monster in the house horror film that feels like it could have been made in the mid-nineties. That’s by no means a caveat, as Brett Simmons’ “Animal” is a healthy amalgam of “The Descent” and “Feast,” with a hint of “Night of the Living Dead.” Simmons doesn’t try to break the mold. But he doesn’t strive to regurgitate the same old tropes, either.

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Our Top Ten “Tales from the Crypt” Episodes of All Time

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My love and appreciation for “Tales from the Crypt” didn’t happen immediately. I missed the entire run of the series when it was on HBO, because at the time my family didn’t have cable. However, later when the series ran every Saturday at midnight on network television, my family and I would watch every weekend and enjoy the horrific delights that the cryptkeeper would serve up.

The series remained a favorite of mine for many years, and still manages to pack a punch as a successor to “Creepshow” as an anthology series with twists, turns, and a brutally dark sense of humor. It was a tough task, but we picked out our top ten episodes of the entire series run. What are some of your favorites from the classic horror series?

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The Shift (2015)

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The-ShiftIt’s pretty astonishing how much story Francesco Calabrese is able to tell and establish in just eight minutes. “The Shift” is both a horror film and a meta-film at once, exploring a very picturesque scene draped in pure terror. “The Shift” is set in the sixties. Or at least, the neighborhood we view looks very much of its time and Betty has just decided that it’s the sixties. In either case, all is not serene when we fade in to “The Shift.” When Joe returns home from work, he is knocked out awakens to find the ginger haired beauty Betty awaiting him.

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Phobia (2013)

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It’s interesting that director Rory Abel’s horror drama “Phobia” works on various levels. As a movie about a man dealing with the trauma of a horrible accident that left him an agoraphobe, “Phobia” works. I found much of the material involving agoraphobia to be very compelling, and often very suffocating. Director Abel is able to convey a shockingly accurate depiction of agoraphobia, with actor Michael Jefferson giving a remarkable turn as a man confined to his two story brown stone. It’s when the movie transforms in to a more supernatural thriller is where it falters.

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