You have to give it to Wesley Mellott. He brings his A game to what has been a pretty fun set up for a potential series of films or even a feature. While I’m always a Sam devotee, I could see The Magician becoming one of the many Halloween horror icons. He’s just such a great character. Donning a top hat and tuxedo, he also dons a great skull visage that may or may not be a well detailed mask. Either way, The Magician takes Halloween deathly serious and doesn’t mind offing anyone that doesn’t respect the rituals of the holiday.
Tag Archives: Mystery
Trick or Treat! (2021)
One of the best elements of Halloween is that you can really pull a lot out of horror material from it, and “Trick or Treat!” is no exception. One of the things I love about “Trick or Treat!” is how inexplicable everything that goes down here is. There are a ton of events that amount to merely hapless people falling victim to the Halloween rituals that many people and beings hold sacred. Continue reading
Don’t Panic (1987)
I’d love to have been a fly on the wall where Rubèn Galindo Jr., director of “Don’t Panic,” actually watched as someone from the wardrobe department went out, bought dinosaur pajamas in a man’s size, and decided to make it the primary outfit for his film’s protagonist. Dinosaur pajamas with red and blue dinosaurs that you’d find on a seven year old unironically became the motif for the central hero of a horror movie. And that’s not all that “Don’t Panic” has in store for its audience. Rubèn Galindo Jr.’s “Don’t Panic” is a mélange of plot devices that rip wholesale from the likes of Wes Craven, and Sam Raimi.
The Barn Part II (2022)
If Justin M. Seaman’s “The Barn” was “Ghoulies,” then “The Barn Part II” is the “Ghoulies II” of his horror movie series. His Halloween centric horror movie series has managed to deliver in surprises and good old fashioned vintage scares and I’ve enjoyed a lot of the mythos that Seaman and co. have created. “The Bart Part II” is superior to the first film in every way, as while the original is a very good small scale Halloween movie, this follow up doubles up on every aspect. There’s double the gore, double the body count, double the T&A and even larger scale monsters.
The Barn (2016)
Justin Seaman’s indie horror film has managed to become something of a small cult classic since its release in 2016, and it’s good to see. Despite being rough around the edges, “The Barn” is a very good horror movie that celebrates Halloween and slasher films at every given chance. The movie from Seaman works hard to build a lore within its movie, not solely intending on a stand alone installment, apparently. “The Barn” is through and through a Halloween movie that has a great time reveling in the sense of danger it encourages and embraces.
“Mask of the Phantasm” is Still the Best Batman Movie Ever Made
We can get argue about Batman in the movies all day long but when it comes down to it the best Batman movie I’ve ever seen is “Mask of the Phantasm.” It’s shocking that the movie initially didn’t do well at the box office since Batman was still a hot property in the 1990’s. Back in 1989 when “Batman” was unleashed, wearing his symbol on a button or t shirt or hat was like a fashion statement, while in 1992 Michelle Pfeiffer just made wave portraying Catwoman in “Batman Returns.”
Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)
Director Emma Tammi and Universal’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is the product of too little, too late, as even the original article that set the template for a trend, feels outdated and old hat by now. Scott Cawthon’s horror video game was, at one time, everywhere on youtube, and in store shelves. Now that we’ve finally gotten the feature adaptation fans were clamoring for, Universal reveals an obvious fear in showing the real teeth of the video game.